I JO Job on Massachusetts Whiter Birds. [July 
the Heron again, feeding in the same spot. Another bird that I 
did not expect to see was the Red-headed Woodpecker. Numbers 
of them had been seen during the fall, but about the first of 
December most of them disappeared. Still some remained, and 
were seen in Brookline during the entire winter, not leaving us 
until the middle of April. 
On February 4, while a severe snow storm was raging, I met 
another straggler. This was a Fox-colored Sparrow. I never 
took one before in winter, and think that their appearance in that 
season is exceptional. Another one, the second that I have 
known of, was taken February 17, by a friend. 
Of course, even in a very mild winter, no great number of birds 
such as I have just been mentioning are found. No one notices 
them except the collector, and he only a stray one or two now 
and then. Some other instances of such wandering it might be 
well to speak of. In January, 1880, a friend of mine was skat- 
ing on a pond where a number of men were engaged in cutting 
ice, when he noticed a curious looking bird sitting on the edge 
of the ice in a rather dazed manner, not heeding at all the 
presence of the workmen. He went for a gun, returned, and 
shot the bird, which I ascertained was a Black Guillemot. There 
had been a severe northeast storm the day before, and the poor 
creature had evidently got lost. 
Another victim to a northeaster was a Woodcock, one dav 
late in November last. This incident was also observed by a 
friend, who while passing along one of the streets of Boston, 
while a gale was blowing and the snow falling thickly, saw a 
Woodcock shoot down the street, borne on the wings of the 
wind. The unfortunate bird passed within a few feet of him, 
rendering identification certain. Nothing more was heard from 
it, so it is probable that it escaped in safety from the city. 
It is not an uncommon thing to meet Kingfishers where open 
water can be found inland. One was noted last February in 
Brookline, and I have known of one or two more in about twice 
as many years. Titlarks were an agreeable surprise 011 February 
25, 1882, when I came close upon two as they sat perched upon 
a rock on Moon Island, Boston Harbor. On February 8, 1879, 
I found a flock of Rusty Blackbirds in Brookline, where they were 
feeding in a swamp, there being some ten of them in the flock. 
Then on the 20th of December of the same year I saw a party 
