[iB8 3 . 
General Notes. 
245 
During the fall migration Mr. Comeau secured specimens of two 
additional species new to the locality. They are : 
155. Tryngites rufescens. — August 28. 
156. Tringa alpina americana. — Angust 28. 
In September, 1882, Mr. Comeau shot another specimen of the Caro- 
lina Dove ( Zenaidura carolinensis'). — C. Hart Merriam, M. D., Locust 
Grove , N T. 
The Movements of certain Winter Birds. — From a letter lately 
written me by Mr. Manly Hardy, I make the following interesting ex- 
tracts : “I see in the ‘Canadian Sportsman’ an article on the migration 
of Owls which agrees nearly with my own observations, and I would like 
to have the question presented to the readers of the Bulletin .... ‘why 
do Owls, Grosbeaks, Crossbills and some other northern birds come 
south in winter?’ 
‘•The article referred to states that Snowy and other migratory Owls 
are most numerous there [Canada?] in December and January. By 
reference to a list of dates of capture of a large number of Snowy Owls, 
I find that most of them have been taken from November 15 to December 
10, and very few later than that date. With Hawk Owls it is the same. 
Grosbeaks, in winter when they are plenty, come late in November, and 
are nearly all gone by December 15, though a few remain all winter. 
Now why do these birds come here at all? lean say almost positively 
that the two reasons usually given, viz., lack of food and extreme cold — 
are not the real reasons. The Owls are invariably fat when they arrive 
and cannot have lacked for food farther north. The Grosbeaks and 
Crossbills, also, are very fat, and do not need the berries which some 
persons think they depend upon, for both can live independently on the 
seeds of the pine and spruce. If there were not a berry in ten years they 
would not suffer. Moreover, the idea that any of these birds feel the cold 
is not entitled to a moment’s consideration. The Snowy Owl, for instance, 
can bear as much cold as a Polar Bear. Furthermore, if either of these 
reasons were the true one, all these species would be likely to come the 
same winter, an event which does not usually happen.” 
The question thus raised by Mr. Hardy is an interesting one. As he 
maintains, the explanations which have been given to account for the 
movements of these birds do not seem to be entirely satisfactory. Never- 
theless I cannot think that they are erroneous. Birds, like many other 
beings, are fond of variety. The fact that a Grosbeak or Crossbill can 
sustain life on the seeds of a certain tree does not necessarily prove that 
it may not undertake long journeys in search of tid-bits. Granting, also, 
that it can endure an Arctic winter, it does not follow that it may not 
enjoy a few months’ relaxation in a warmer clime. The truth of the mat- 
ter probably is, that when their breeding season is over these birds habitu- 
ally wander over vast extents of country. If the winter happens to be 
severe in the north they find a gradual improvement in conditions south- 
ward, and naturally, taking this direction, push on until a land of plenty 
