The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-03-18

numerous tracks where the larks and snow buntings had been running about in search for food and apparently find ing the piekings rather scanty.
 The beach was pretty well covered by ice. even the sandy slope down nearly to the water having a thin coating, and the walking was not of the best, yet we could without great discomfort pro- ceed out to the limits of the point and get a near view of g litte flock of gulls on sandy bar that was fast being covered by the idle. The absence of sea- birds in great numbers was very notice- | able, compared to the large ficeks which congregated there all through the fall. The great black-baeked gulIs were readily to be distinguished from the herring gulls, by their greater size and the colorings of the wings and backs. These blaek-backed gulls are about one-half larger than the others and are distinctly a winter bird, retir- ing in the Spring to the bay of Fundy, and north of there to breed. The local gunners told us that there are this lwinter several thousand gulls. ducks, etc, out on Stratton Island, where they are finding food not very plentiful, but sufficient to preserve their lives until the return of warm weather.
 | Between Pine Point and Old Orchard the road runs along a level stretch bordered by pine trees on either side. Here we found plenty of chickades, and occasionally a d-breasted nuthatch. Near farmhouse we saw the trees alive with flock of red crossbills, clinging to the cones like miniature par rots, and picking out the seeds for their morning repast It was fine feeding ground for them, as the pine cones were numerous and mostly the growth of last year. The flock was largely made up of adult males. nearly all be- ing Q brilliant red, though there was here and there a female in her dingy green and yellow While we stood in the dooryard near the house the man who lived there came out and appeared to be much interested to learn what was the name of +!.e birds which filled his trees. He had not noticed them un- til he observed US gazing up into the branches with out glasses. The cross bill is one of the most interesting of our winter visitors coming and going with no system, roaming the country, and stopping for a time wherever he finds food. The crossbill breeds usually from the Northern States northward. but may commence to nest far south of that very early in the year. as soon as Feb ruary. It is most likely that this flock is on it's way north to begin home du- ties even before the snow is off the ground. The birds were too intent or their search for food to mind us to any extent, allowing us to approach quite Inear before they flew away with theiI peculiar little pleasant whistle.
 The same thing is true of the chicka. dees, nuthatches. and the brown creep CTS of which we saw several not fai from Old Orchard. They are so occu. pied in peering into the crevices of thu tree trunks for the eggs of insects thai they do not seem to care how near onC gets to them The brown creeper, 1T particular, would fly down to the very ground and begin at the bottom of ths tree, circling round and round 1t jus as if the principal object he had in lift were to travel in a regular spiral anC not omit single square inch in his pathway. The ones we saw were 1T beautiful plumage and not only haC handsomely streaked backs, but purt white breasts gThis is quite common winter bird. though sometimes not seer during the cold weather. but only ii the fall migration. Altogether we hal a very profitable and enjoyable day though our long tramp of something Hike seven miles had made us brett, , tired We had had taken stak special pains t, observe if the birds birds had appeared to bt getting enough to eat, and 1t WAS GU
 conclusion that every one we saw wal plump lively, and happy.
 My friends the gunners and others are having something of a controvers! among themselves as to whether tn, black ducks at Martins Point Bridg, would have starved to death if the! had not been fed by 9 number of kind
 hearted persons from time to time Corn has been given them in goodl. quantities, and small cargo of fisl heads has been offered to the birds One sportsman thinks the best way t
 restore the ducks to their norma niyf would ta tc cbCot o4 tJ,1,,,