32 THE BIOLOGICAL REVIEW. 



unusual scarcity or abundance of certain species of birds ; thus, 

 the summer of 1889 produced a comparative abundance of this 

 usually rather rare bird, but this season (1891) I was only 

 able to positively identify it once, when on June 24th I took a 

 female. 



Phalaropus tricolor. — On July 21st, I took a female of this 

 species, which is somewhat rare in this Province ; its occurrence 

 at this date, too, is peculiar. 



Micropalama himantopus . — July 18th, I took an adult female, 

 and on the 28th, an adult male. This is one of the few birds 

 that is not known to be common anywhere in America. 



Rallns virginianus. — On the 6th of July, I found a nest of this 

 bird's, containing thirteen eggs ; these had no doubt been 

 deposited by two females, as eight of them were far advanced in 

 incubation, the other five being almost fresh, only very slight 

 blood marks showing ; they were arranged in two layers in the 

 nest. 



Phalacrocorax dilophus. — April 24th one of these birds flew 

 close past me on Ashbridge's Bay ; its occurrence so near 

 Toronto is unusual. 



Sphyrapicus varius. — I notice in the last publication issued 

 by the Ornithological sub-section that Mr. J. B. Williams, 

 referring to this species, says : " I find from records that these 

 birds arrive here about the 14th of April, and almost disappear 

 about the 18th." This differs from my experience in the 

 vicinity of Toronto most materially. The date given for the 

 arrival accords with my notes exactly ;' but I have always found 

 them quite common up to about the 24th of May, and this 

 season I found at least six pairs breeding here, and saw them 

 with their young after they were brought out. 



I have examined the stomachs of a good many of these birds, 

 but have never in that way been able to discover any evidence 

 of their alleged sap sucking propensities, nor have I ever found 

 any trace of fruit in any of them ; their favorite food seems to 

 be ants and beetles, with the former of which they are generally 

 well filled. 



