30 
ORNTTIIOLOGIST 
[Vol. 6—No. 4. 
Cross-Bked Duck.— I received from Se¬ 
neca Biver, a very striking cross between a 
Black Duck and a ^lallard. The bird in 
question was a male, about equally marked 
between the two. The neck had the green 
gloss of the Mallard, there was the Mallard’s 
bill, the Mallard’s under tail covert, the 
]Mallard’s wings and the chocolate color 
on the breast. The feathers about the 
head were that of the Black Duck. The 
chocolate of the l)i’east was thickly spotted 
with round black spots which extended 
down the belly and sides to the vent. 
There was an entire lack of the wdiite ring 
around the neck and the curling feathers 
on the rump. The toes partly red, partly 
l)lack. Such is the appearance of a rather 
odd looking duck that now graces my col¬ 
lection. Frank S. Wright, Auburn, N. Y. 
Canada Jay.— G. A. IMcCallum, of Dunn- 
ville Ontario, writes that the Canada Jay 
is not a resident of that jilace. Mr. Cliam- 
berlain, of St. John, N. B., is by good au¬ 
thority, infoniied that this Jay breeds with 
them in June as well as in January. We 
shall be glad to hear from any of our read¬ 
ers, that live in sections inhabited liy this 
bird, and who have studied its habits. 
Double-Yolked Egg.— Hallie Gray, Al¬ 
bion. N. Y., reiiorts that on May 17, 1881, 
a llobin’s nest was found containing a 
double-yolked egg and three of the ordi¬ 
nary size. He also reports tinebng a Chip¬ 
ping Sparrow’s nest on the ground, in the 
middle of a clump of catnip, which con¬ 
tained three eggs. 
-- 
Notes from Norwich, Conn. 
Rol)ins and Blue birds in considerabh 
numbers remained here all the winter of 
187!) and 1880, which was a very mild sea 
son. I observed them nearly eveiw day- 
and others who are curious in such mat 
ters make a like report. The presence of 
these birds in such large numbers during 
the entire winter is unusual, Imt I account¬ 
ed for it from the fact that there waf 
hardly a cold day from October to Aju-il. 
But how shall we exiilain, what is undoubt¬ 
edly true, that these birds (especially the 
Blue birds,) have dwelt with us through 
this 1 )resent very severe winter, (1880 and 
1881,) in greater numbers than in the pre¬ 
vious mild one. Mr. Brand of Norwich 
told me that some half a dozen Blue birds 
came into his yard at night, for some time 
this winter and entered some bird boxes, 
and apparently remained in them over 
night as he saw them come out early in 
the moniing. This would look as if they 
were staying here and not on their way 
from North to South. 
I see by my Journal, Januai-y !)th, 1880, 
that a hunter brought a male Wood Duck 
into market on that day. I purchased it 
and it proved to be a very tine specimen. 
The man said he shot it a mile or two 
dowm the river. Another hunter told me 
that he flushed one a number of times in a 
secluded bend of the river near Yantic Cem 
etery. 
Three or four “Flickers” (ColapUs au- 
ratus), haunted the hemlock grove on the 
top of a hill East of my house, through 
the winter. 
Among our more common winter birds I 
observed that the Purple Finches and LeE- 
ser Red-polls abounded in Norwich last win¬ 
ter, but this winter, 1880 and 1881, I have 
scarcely seen a half dozen of either kind, 
at the same time we consider the Purple 
Finch a constant resident. Cedar birds in 
immense flocks stayed with us through 
the winter. This is a resident but not gen¬ 
erally in so large numbers. 
1 have never seen the snow bunting, 
(Plectrophanes ?iiviilis,) in Norwich, Mr. 
Rawson tells me he saw a flock of them 
in the adjoining town of Ih'eston some 
years since. I have seen specimens which 
were procured in Hebron, Conn. 
Fel)ruarv *20th. 1880, the Song Spar¬ 
rows commenced to sing. They had been 
common tlirough the winter, but they ut¬ 
tered no song until that <lay. In a day or 
two after you might have heard the notes of 
this tuneful little spaiTow from eveiT bush 
and wall. 
