duced an even stronger, larger race than the hardy individuals 
from which it originated, and, as we find in many species of 
birds, became protectively colored. 
At first, as above stated, these Sable Island Sparrows, 
excepting as mere stragglers, never left their island home. 
But, at length came a time, possibly after a season of unusual 
productiveness among them, or possibly when the beach 
grass produced a more meager crop than the normal, that 
the food supply was not sufficient to adequately meet the 
wants of all of the Sparrows. 
Then the old migrating habit, dormant perhaps, for cen¬ 
turies, but never lost, asserted itself and some of the birds 
left the island in search of food. How long this migrating 
habit had been established before I got the type of the Ipswich 
Sparrow is, of course, difficult to determine, but I believe from 
a careful study of the progressive appearance of the species 
along one coast, not long. In short, I feel that those Ipswich 
Sparrows which I got in 1868 and 1871 were among the earlier 
immigrants. 
In closing I want to suggest that it would be exceedingly 
interesting and. instructive if a good observer could be estab¬ 
lished on Sable Island to note whether the food supply varied, 
and if it did, what effect this variation had upon the number 
of Ipswich Sparrows which remained there over winter. If 
such variations occurred they could be compared with the 
fluctuations of the numbers of these Sparrows which came 
to us in winter and some valuable results obtained. 
