THE BIOLOGICAL REVIEW. 59 



Jay ; it is content to live a exemplary life among its riotous 

 associates, the White-Throated Sparrows and the less noisy 

 chattering Juncos. On their arrival in the spring they will be 

 found in various parts of the woods scratching vigorously 

 among the dead leaves, and raising commotion enough for a 

 bird double its size, often allowing a very near approach before 

 rising. Once started they are very wild, and mount directly to 

 the tops of the thickest cedars or pines and conceal themselves, 

 at the same time calling loudly to all the others to be on guard. 

 As soon as you catch sight of him in the tree he is off, not to 

 the next tree, but for a good long fly to another part of the 

 woods, where he again settles down to scratching for his living. 



They are rather difficult to collect, but with a little caution, 

 any student may approach them within easy distance and watch 

 the actions of a flock apparently unobserved. On a bright day 

 in spring the males will often mount to the top of a tall hard- 

 wood tree and regale the woods and its inhabitants with a song, 

 similar to the run of the song of the Baltimore Oriole but very 

 much subdued, more of a flowing flute-like note which, however, 

 can be heard at a good distance. The call note of the birds 

 when startled or moving is almost exactly the same tone as that 

 of the White-Throated Sparrow, the only difference I can detect 

 is, the Fox Sparrow seems to say fieete, while the White-Thro;.t 

 calls cheep less than half a tone higher. In following the birds, 

 by this call I have frequently taken the White-throats in 

 mistake for the Fox Sparrow. 



Their migration is very regular. They always appear on 

 their northward journey about the 12th of April, unless the 

 season is a late one, and remain about seventeen days in the 

 neighborhood, first appearing in the southern end of the 

 University ravine, working northwards, and about three days 

 after the first bird is seen in the City they appear on the hill, 

 and in three weeks from the first City observation the last birds 

 have left the woods on the hill. While on the hill, they may be 

 found in every locality on both sides and the bottom of the 

 ravine, among the witch hazel and second growth hardwood, 

 and also among the thick pines on top of the hill. An exam- 

 ination of the woods on the Humber banks and up the Don. 



