Notes on Land Birds. 143 



and soft membranaceous stomacli, swallows the berries whole and 

 unbroken, and the pips pass out of its body without having under- 

 gone any change by the process of digestion and imparts no 

 smell to the flesh, the fruity portion only being retained for the 

 nourishment of the bird. At fir.st sight it would appear as though 

 the strong bill of the Pine Grosbeak was not needed in opening 

 such soft berries as those of the Mountain Ash and Cianberry on 

 which they principally feed in winter, but when the thermometer 

 is many degrees below Zero the berries are frozen as hard as 

 stones, and it must require great force to crush them. This 

 species was roost numerous at the end of February and beginning 

 of March, when very large flocks were constantly feeding in every 

 garden in Montreal where there were any berries to be obtained 

 and they were extremely tame rendering it difficult to avoid 

 blowing them to pieces by discharging the gun too close to them. 

 I did not see any after 11th March, so I suppose they must have 

 left about that time. These flocks consisted almost entirely of 

 dull coloured individuals,_females and young birds, and I saw but 

 two or three old males in their handsome red plumage. 



Corvus Americanus — Aud. — American Crow. Plentiful up to 

 10th December, only a few seen in January and beginning of 

 February — became abundant at the end of February and extremely 

 numerous at end of March. They subsisted on such scattered 

 grain as they could find amongst the stubble in such fields as 

 became bare of snow during the frequent thaws. 



Garrulus cristatus — Linn. — Blue Jay. I was given a speci- 

 men shot on 25th November, near Mile-end Ptoad. Its stomach 

 contained a little fur and the lower incisor of a mouse. I did not 

 see any myself during the winter months, but I am told they were 

 common at Cote des Neiges feeding on Mountain Ash berries &c. 

 This is not unlikely, as 1 am aware they winter at Sorel. 



Lanius Borealis — Vieill. — Great American Shrike. I shot the 

 first specimen of this species on 11th October, on the common 

 near Mile end road. Its stomach was filled with the black field- 

 crickets so abundant in this country, I met with several other 

 examples in October and November, and the stomach of one shot 

 on 20th November contained the fur of mice. The smaller 

 Rodentia appear to constitute the staple article of food of a great 

 many birds in the winter season. I saw the last Shrike on 2nd 

 of December when the ground was covered with snow. All I 

 saw were sitting on the topmost branch of a tree or bush. This 



