1880. ] Zoology. 525 
without trouble. They may be seen any day picking straws out 
of the street. What our summer birds will do, or whether they 
will remain here or not, remains to be seen. In reference to the 
spread of these birds in the Western States, I have this observa- 
tion: In central Iowa, are two cities, Boone, and Boonesboro, 
situated a mile apart. The intervening space is well trodden with 
roadways. During the past winter I have noticed literal thou- 
sands of sparrows on the snowless ground here, picking the seeds 
and scratching over the manure. They have carefully treasured 
under consideration. They use the great lines of railways for 
guidance West, and last spring while on my way to New York, 
they were seen migrating in flocks westward, all the way from 
Chicago to that city. In an Eastern city, I noted that one side of 
a beautiful brownstone church was covered to a remarkable 
extent with their filth. In spite of their rapid increase and filthy 
habits, however, I am disposed to believe that they are of some 
use.—W, H. Ballou. 
Birp ARRIVALS AT Evanston, ILL.—The arrivals of robins at 
Evanston, Ill., on the t2th day of February, is something unheard 
of in the annals of the ornithological records of this section of 
the country. The following is a portion of the records of Turdus 
migratorius in previous years : 
gy ea i arrived February 27. 
ELE ee «& March 8. 
ch Cee «& March 12. 
snes oo oe EP EPS CO peer oe ea *& February 12. 
The thermometer has indicated quite a high temperature for 
the latitude of Evanston, about 41° 52’ 57’, north, 42m. 18s. 
west longitude from Washington, and 5h. 50m. 30s. (from Green- 
wich), for the entire month of February, and up to the 25th, the 
mercury has not reached zero. On this account perhaps, the 
birds have remained contentedly, and their chipper is occasionally 
heard, About twenty specimens have been seen here. The 
migrations are limited up to this writing to this one species. 
hey have not yet begun nesting in this vicinity —W. H. Ballou 
GADUS MORRHUA IN Fresu WaTER!—The catalogue below 
quoted includes strictly fresh-water fishes only, and such marine 
fishes as are frequently found in fresh water. I have, however, been 
somewhat perplexed by a couple of species, which are stated by C. 
E. Varming, a merchant in Kolding, to be caught now and then in 
Kolding rivulet, namely Torsk (Gadus morrhua), which in Sep- 
tember and October is caught in abundance, and Tangsnarr (Spin- 
_'Fortegnels over de Danske Ferskvandsfiske. Wed Arthur Feddersen, Natur- 
historisk Tidsskrift 3. R. 12. B. 1-2. H. 1879. Foot note on pages 69 and 70. 
