372 TRANSACTIONS OF THE [1895 
In the fall and winter they often go in flocks of 5 or 6, to 
about 20, but generally they will be seen in pairs. On January 
16, ’95, Bluebirds were seen at Cumberland, where the rivers 
and creeks had been frozen over from December 25 (Howard 
Shriver, Maryland State Weather Service, Report of February, 
95). On June 11, ’95, a brood of flying young were noted at 
Vale Summit. 
The latter part of the winter of ’94—5 was remarkable for 
its severity all over North America, and the birds were thinned 
out in great numbers. Perhaps from being more familiarly 
known than other small birds, the almost complete absence of 
Bluebirds and Phcebes caused considerable comment. The 
blizzard of early February completely covered Maryland with 
2 feet or more of snow, and travel was stopped for about 10 
days by the drifts. Bluebirds had been numerous around 
Baltimore up to this time, and 2 were still alive on February 
10. Later in the season a number of Screech Owl holes were 
found more or less filled with Bluebird feathers, and the owls 
were absent. Only a very few scattered Bluebirds were noted 
during summer and fall until November 3, when my note book 
says, “scattered everywhere over Dulaney’s Valley in pairs, 
evidently a migration flight”; on November 9 a flock of about. 
20 was seen. At Washington “21 dead birds were found by 
Robt. Ridgway in a bird box on his grounds, where they had 
been frozen by the blizzard which almost exterminated them in 
this part of the country” (Richmond). 
