THE TWIN ISLANDS. 173 



avoirdupois, and measuring thirteen and one-half inches 

 from the tip of the beak to the extremity of the tail. 

 The bird, when shot, was busily engaged in picking 

 semi-dormant insects from the bark of trees — creeping 

 about very much after the manner of a brown tree- 

 creeper, and all the while opening and shutting the long 

 scissor-like tail. The stomach proved to be full of small 

 beetles, and remains of other kinds of insects. 



This is the only specimen of this southern species 

 known to have been taken so far north. Dr. Brewer 

 quotes Dr. Turnbull as an authority for the capture of 

 other specimens, but the latter does not mention the 

 bird. The allied fork-tailed flycatcher has been twice 

 found here, and to these Turnbull does refer. 



It is of some interest to know that when this rare 

 bird was taken the weather was chilly, and the season 

 was unusually cold and backward. It would be easier 

 to account for the presence of this bird had the season 

 been far advanced, or had a southerly wind or storm pre- 

 vailed at the time and for a few days previously, but the 

 very opposite of this had been the case. 



It would be interesting to watch during the year the 

 movements of birds as rare as this, when they happen to 

 wander so far from their proper habitat. Could a pair 

 of such stragglers be left alone, is it not probable that 

 they would breed here, and in so doing lead to the estab- 

 lishment of a race of summer migrants ? Perhaps, if 

 they once regained their southern home, they would stay, 

 but I should like to have a few such stragglers spared, 

 and learn the result of a summer's sojourn with us. 



Speaking of bird migration, it is fitting to consider at 



