26 



an apparent southward movement. Brown Creepers appeared 

 in New England in smaller numbers than usual, and Golden- 

 crowned Kinglets were rare. Those northern species, the 

 Pine Grosbeaks, Evening Grosbeaks and Snow Buntings, in- 

 creased in numbers generally in the Provinces and northern 

 New England during the, month. By the end of December 

 Crows had mostly left the Maritime Provinces and northern 

 New England, but three large "roosts" were reported in 

 southern New England. 



January, 1920. 



In January a single flock of Bohemian Waxwings was re- 

 ported in the Province of Quebec, and two from Maine. Janu- 

 ary was a remarkable month, — driving gales, snow, ice and 

 cold predominating. There were a few milder days, but 

 nothing that could be designated by the name of "January 

 thaw." The average thermometer readings were as low as 

 those of January, 1918. Night temperatures averaged ex- 

 tremely low and there were very few bright, sunny days. 

 The snow varied in depth from 6 inches along the southeastern 

 coast to 2 or 3 feet in some of the western mountainous wooded 

 sections. In early December some willow catkins had begun 

 to bloom on Cape Cod, but late December and January were 

 too much for them. Peach buds were destroyed throughout 

 New England. 



Observers of long experience asserted that they had not seen 

 so few birds in winter for years. Nevertheless, there were some 

 gatherings of land birds, principally on the southern coast of 

 New England. 



A Southward Movement of Land Birds. — A great storm oc- 

 curred on the 17th, after which common winter land birds 

 were even more scarce than before. Many were belie\sed to 

 have fled southward before the storm or with the cold, driving 

 northwest wind that followed on the 18th. Many Starlings 

 disappeared from Massachusetts, but there was an influx in 

 New York. Chickadees appeared on Block Island. Robins 

 drifted across the Sound to Long Island; Pine Grosbeaks, 

 Evening Grosbeaks and Snow Buntings appeared in Massa- 

 chusetts in greater numbers after the storm. 



