Last spring the Song Sparrow and the Fox Sparrow reversed 
the usual order of their coming, for on March 6, while we were 
looking for the appearance of the latter, the former species ar- 
rived in the vicinity of St. John in large flocks, accompanied by 
a few of their White-throated cousins. 
In 1 88 1 the Song Sparrow first appeared here on April n, 
which is about an average date for their arrival. From the time 
of their coming in 1882 until late in April they must have 
been sorely pinched for food, for winter was still with us, and 
cold snow-storms were of frequent occurrence. During this 
period the birds were constantly about the streets of the city, and 
in the early morning thronged the wharves and busiest thor- 
oughfares. They were also found along the shoie, but theii chief 
resort was the large tract of sand flats at the back of the town, 
which at low water are bare, but with each recurrence of the 
tide are covered by the waters of the Bay of Fundy. The mouths 
of the sewers emptying upon these sea-washed sands were the 
favorite feeding places for all the early comers, and through April 
a rather motley company were daily seen there together. Snow- 
birds, Fox, Song, and White-throated Sparrows, Robins, and 
Purple Finches, became shore-birds for the time, and about the 
middle of the month a party of Hermit Thrushes added their dig- 
nified presence to the gathering, while a squad of Crows gravely 
stalked about as undisturbed as if always accustomed to such 
high-bred society, their sombre coloring forming a marked contrast 
with the white plumes of the Herring Gulls who posed for a 
background just where the incoming waves curled and broke 
upon the sands. 
Bull. N. O. C. 8, Jan, 2888, p. 7 . 
Winter Birds in SoutJa-eastern M&sg 
Harry Ot. White 
10. The Song Sparrow. I have hesitated 
before including this species in my notes, on. 
account of its familiarity to nearly all ob- 
servers, for it is nowhere in eastern Massachu- 
setts a rare bird in winter. If considered in 
relation to the number of individuals which 
pass through as migrants or remain to breed, 
it is less plenty than other species which are 
spoken of in former lists, as rare or tolerably 
J common at this season of the year, and 
furnishes a striking example of the inefficiency 
of our present nomenclature for the expression 
of degrees of plentifulness. 
For example, during the months of Decem- 
ber and January, eight Song Sparrows were 
seen about Taunton. February notes were 
not available. During the three winter 
months, only live were observed at Wood’s 
IIoll and none were seen at Naushon or North 
Truro. In the first named locality the number 
of Song Sparrows in August were 233 ; in 
September, 59 and in October, 247. Taking the 
two consecutive months of September and 
October to compare with the December and 
January record for the same locality, we have 
a total number of 306 birds or about forty 
times the number that are present during the 
winter months. At Wood’s Roll, the record 
for August, September and October was 214, 
207 and 67, respectively, or a total of 488. 
Compared with the total number observed 
during the three winter months, five, the 
result shows that the Song Sparrows were 
about ninety-seven times more numerous dur- 
ing the first part of the migration, than in 
winter. Nearly everyone considers a Song 
Sparrow in January to be a more common 
occurence than the presence of a Kingfisher, a 
Marsh Hawk, or, possibly, of a Meadow Lark ; 
yet my records of the actual numbers seen, not 
only prove that these birds actually outnum- 
ber the Song Sparrows, but that the difference 
between the comparative numbers seen in 
winter and summer is very much greater in 
the case of the latter. 
O.&O.V 0 I.I 7 . June,1892 p.84-S5 
