The Monlh's Artivals. 
303 
Four Mp;lodious Spauuows (Atelospiza fascia/a). This is a coiimioii 
species ill its own country ranging tlirotigliont the whole of temperate N. 
America from Mexico iiorlliwards and, in tlie days liefore the passing of the 
Act above alluded to. a few pairs nsed to be imported now an<i again, 
especially l)y the Continental dt-alers. It is rather larger than our Knglish 
Accentor; brown on the l)ack ; the breast feathers white, richly marked 
with triangular spots of very dark chestnut centred with the black running 
ill chains, and may perhaps be best distinguished among many similarly 
coloured N. American species by the three conspicuous dark chestnut 
streaks which sweep backward from the eye, from the base of the upper 
and the base of the lower mandil)le; also by the daik centres of the two 
Centre tail feathers. As usually happens in the case of a species so widely 
distributed as this there are a number of variant forms. These four in- 
dividuals had vinous spots on the breast and the under tail-coverts were 
nearly white instead of ochre. Alexander Wilson says of this species: 
" It is the first singing bird of spring: its song continues occasionally dur- 
ing the whole summer and fall and is sometimes heard during the depth of 
winter. The notes are short but very sweet. It is fond of frequenting the 
borders of rivers, meadows, swamps and such like watery places, and 
if wounded and unable to fly, will readily take to the water and swim with 
considerable rapidity. It builds on the ground under a tuft of grass; the 
nest is formed of fine dry grass and lined with horsehair. I have founii his 
iiest with young as early as the 26th of April and as late as the I2tli of 
August." 
One Snow Bird (Jhhco hiemalis). This interesting and attractive 
species is about the size of our I<innet, lavender-grey above and white on 
the breast and abdomen. The severity of the N. American winters renders it 
necessary for practically the whole of their breeding species to be migratory, 
and the Snow-bini is no exception, for its migration extends from the 
Arctic circle to Mexico. On the other hand llie extreme lieat of their 
snmmers renders it possible for a Tanager [Pyranga ludoviciana) to penetrate 
to the Rocky Mountains and for some species of Humming-birds to breed 
in Canada. Of this species Wilson says: "From the northern parts of 
Maine to the Ogeechee river in Georgia, a distance, by the circuitous route 
in which I travelled, of more than 1,800 miles, I never passed a day and 
scarcely a mile without seeing numbers of these birds ami frequently large 
flocks of several thousands." This, however, was almost exactly a century' 
ago; if the great Scotch naturalist could make this journey again to-day 
what changes he would see not only in the face of the country but in the 
conditions of bird-life! At the approach of spring the Snow-bird returns 
once more, with the .Snow-bunting, to the frozen north where it breeds. It 
used to be imp(>rle<i into CJermanj' and has even been bred by Dr. Russ. 
The remaining two birds were an unknown Bunting and a small 
species somewhat resembling the Savannah Sparrow. 
