S i iX- ^ S-^ ^^•-■■^'^ . 



a decision was readied ; for the three rose on the wing, and 

 were soon lost in the gathering shades of tlie darlc pine forests 



The gray dawn of the morrow found me, gun in hand, li/sten- 

 ing over the strong crust field, across which even a GoliaJ^'i could 

 have strode in safet}'. Everywhere silence reigned, disturbed 

 only by t|ie hard snow crunching under my feel, and echoing frcjui 

 the near^t pine clad hills. 



The dark green of the woods had, din'ing night, giv£n place to 

 a silvery covering of frost vvliich transformed the vvhole forest 

 into a mass r(^embling a great white cloud, thrown against the 

 hoi'izon of a |)lue sky. From the early chimne^ tops, columns 

 of pale smokes were rising into the still morning air, so tall and 

 graceful and white as to seem like delicate niai1)le pillars support- 

 ing the arched dome overhead. But that wliich claimed most of 

 my attention, and filled me with altej-hate hope and fear, was, 

 shall I see again my featliered visjtors of the evening before.'' 

 When I reached their feeding groujid nothing was to be seen. 

 I waited long and anxiously. Pr^enth- the sun rose large and 

 red, and shook liis lirilliant rayS in piofusion over tlie snowy 

 landscape. Soon the wliole forest was aglow, flashing and 

 sparkling as if set witli a million gems, but, like some fond dream 

 or hoj^e of tlie young heart, it soon vanished, lenvino- nnfhino- 



1887.] Cox on Rare New BrunsTvick Birds. 211 



be inferred from the diflerence of latitude ; for the latter place is 

 within the influence of the warm Bay of Fundy waters, whereas 

 the former are upon a coast washed by colder Arctic currents. 

 Why this species should be found here more frequently than to 

 the south of us is an interesting problem for ornithologists. I 

 cannot suggest an explanation. The common food suppl}' seems 

 neither more inviting nor abundant. Our coasts, it is true, 

 abound more in fish, and maritinje garbage would likely be 

 more plentiful, but I am not sure that these birds show any 

 marked predilection for this kind of diet. 



On the fifth of last April, 1 was walking on the railroad track, 

 in the vicinity of the town, shortly before sunset, when I came 

 across three birds which were entire strangers to me. They 

 were feeding at the time on the side of an embankment that, 

 owiftg to its southern aspect, was already bare of snow ; and as 

 they flitted to the ground and returned to the telegraph wires, 

 their blue backs and wings flashed brilliantly in the rays of the 

 setting sun, causing me to think at first of the Jay ; but no, these 

 pretty strangers were but half his size. Fearing to approach too 

 closely, lest they might take flight, I attempted to observe them 

 for some time at a distance ; but not having my field-glass, it 



