24 NATURE IN ACADIE. 



marked with a stripe of pure white in the centre of the 

 crown, bordered on each side by a stripe of black, these 

 again being succeeded by another line of pure white 

 above the eye, with a yellow spot just in front of the 

 latter ; on the throat is a patch of silvery white from 

 which the bird derives its name. 



There were several crows about the woods, and I 

 also came across a small party of American robins 

 feeding on the ground in the woods. On being dis- 

 turbed they flew up uttering a low chuck and settled on 

 the bare limbs of the neighbouring trees, where they 

 appeared to be reconnoitring ; their call-note was a 

 shrill whistle. The alarm note and the habit of flying 

 up on to a bare branch reminded me very strongly of 

 our redwing {Turdus iliacus), but systematists say that 

 its nearest old world relative is the blackbird (T. merulus), 

 and they have accordingly placed it in the sub-genus 

 Merula, of which the latter species is the type. 



The " migratory thrush," as it is also sometimes 

 called, is a handsome species, and one of America's most 

 typical birds. It leaves Nova Scotia about the end of 

 October or the first week in November, moving south- 

 ward to its winter quarters, and returning to the 

 province again during the first week of April. 



By the roadside I observed a fine specimen of the 

 red admiral butterfly (Pyrameis atcdanta) ; it settled upon 

 stones with the wings expanded and was extremely 

 swift in its flight. The American form of this insect 

 is, I believe, regarded as racially distinct from the 

 European, but the ordinary observer would certainly 

 fail to detect any difference, either in appearance or 

 habits. There is also a " white admiral " found some- 

 what commonly in Nova Scotia ; it rather resembles 

 the European variety, and I have seen it labelled as 

 such in provincial collections, I believe, however, the 

 species is designated Limenitis arthemis. 



I visited the same woods again on November 12, and 

 was fortunate in meeting with one or two Hudsonian 

 chickadees in company with the golden-crowned king- 

 lets. This chickadee is not nearly so common in the 



