12 T HE AjU-D UB OONS 3S UY heli 
Coral Gables, that Swainson’s hawk is a not uncommon winter species in 
South Florida. Indeed we picked up on the roadway a freshly killed speci- 
men — shot through the head with a rifle bullet. Superficially, even when 
the skins were laid side by side, it appeared to be an immature red-tail. 
The “freeze” which killed vegetation and fish, and even cattle on the 
Kissimmee prairies, apparently did not affect birds other than tree swallows 
and blue-gray gnatcatchers. The former died by hundreds while of the 
latter, three or four dead birds were reported to me. 
A little community of chipping sparrows is nearly always somewhere 
close by the house and recently a flock of cedar birds swept out of nowhere 
into our oaks. Catbirds lurk in the shrubbery and mourning doves cry woe. 
All of these, perhaps, may answer Spring’s roll call in Michigan and per- 
haps I may see them there. 
Melbourne, Fla. 
ff ff FI 
An Unusual Winter Visitor 
UNDER DATE of January 10 we received the following statement from Mr. 
Rowland V. Hagen of Evanston, IIl., regarding an unusual bird record which 
is best given in his words: 
“The facts are these: On November 27, 1939, a male Baltimore oriole 
was seen in North Evanston. Since that date he has been seen almost daily 
up to the present time, the attraction being almost solely the fallen fruit 
under a pear tree in the back yard. At first he came occasionally to a small 
pool to bathe and drink but, since the arrival of colder weather, has given 
that up entirely although the pool is always kept open during the day. As 
far as can be determined, he has taken no other food than the pears though 
other kinds have been put out, to the great satisfaction of starlings and 
English sparrows. He comes usually more than once a day but in general 
stays for a rather short time. He has not been seen feeding elsewhere in 
the vicinity. 
“Up to the arrival of colder weather a little over a week ago, he 
appeared to be in excellent physical condition, showing no evidence of any 
injury that might have been the cause of a delay in migrating. Lately he 
has seemed less fit and has difficulty in balancing when on the ground, in 
a fashion that suggests an injured or frost-damaged foot. 
“T am reasonably certain that he was not around prior to November 27, 
for we all watch the birds pretty closely and an oriole is rather too obvious 
to miss easily.” 
In response to our request for some further information Mr. Hagen 
writes us under date of February 29: 
“The last word on the Baltimore oriole is final enough. On January 15 
a few feathers were found in the back yard and nearby were cat tracks in 
the snow that fell during the previous night. We had propped up a box to 
shelter a piece of ground from the snow so that the food could be more 
comfortably obtained. It may have been an unwise move, for the oriole 
perhaps spent the night there and was an easy prey for the cat. 
“It’s too bad. I’d like to have seen how long the bird could have stood 
