152 



COW BUNTING. 



particulars. Among these is a letter from Dr. Potter of Baltimore^ 

 which, as it contains some new and interesting facts, and several 

 amusing incidents, illustrative of the character of the bird, I shall 

 with pleasure lay before the reader, apologizing to the obliging 

 writer for a few unimportant omissions which have been antici- 

 pated in the preceding pages. 



I regret exceedingly that professional avocations have put 

 " it out of my power to have replied earlier to your favor of the 

 " nineteenth of September ; and altho I shall not now reflect all 

 " the light you desire, a faithful transcript from memoranda noted 

 " at the moment of observation, may not be altogether uninte- 

 " resting. 



" The Fringilla pecoris, is generally known in Maryland by 

 " the name of the Cow Blackbird; and none but the naturalist 



view it as a distinct species. It appears about the last of March, 

 " or first week in April; tho sometimes a little earlier when the 

 " spring is unusually forward. It is less punctual in its appearance 



than many other of our migratory birds. 



" It commonly remains with us till about the last of October; 



tho unusually cold weather sometimes banishes it much earlier. 



It however sometimes happens that a few of them remain with us 

 " all winter, and are seen hovering about our barns and farm-yards 

 " when straitened for sustenance by snow or hard frost. It is re- 

 " markable that in some years I have not been able to discover 

 " one of them during the months of July and August; when they 



have suddenly appeared in September in great numbers. I have 



noticed this fact always immediately after a series of very hot 

 " weather, and then only. The general opinion is that they then 

 " retire to the deep recesses of the shady forest; but if this had 

 " been the fact, I should probably have discovered them in my 



rambles in every part of the woods. I think it more likely that 

 " they migrate farther north till they find a temperature more con- 



