ORNITHOLOGY 



2/7 



the top of the liquid in the container, 

 and from time to time may be released 

 by the turning of a crank by an opera- 

 tor inside the submarine. 



"The gulls would soon learn to asso- 

 ciate food with the submerged sub- 

 marines, just as they do with surface 

 craft, which they accompany for miles 

 in quest of refuse. Once they have 

 seen food emerge from one undersea 

 boat, they will pursue others of the 

 same type, so that in time these white 

 winged aviators would be marking the 

 course of concealed U-boats. 



"On clear days the flight of gulls 

 may be observed for five miles. Gulls 

 are known to travel for hundreds of 

 miles, and are frequently seen in mid- 

 ocean. Owing to the protective meas- 

 ures of the National Association of 

 Auduborn Societies, they have greatly 

 increased in numbers on these coasts, 

 and it is estimated that there are half 

 a million of them about the waters of 

 New York harbor alone." 



Migrating Warblers. 



Elkader, Iowa. 

 To the Editor: 



I was very much interested in your 

 article on warblers in the September 

 number. Warblers are usually rare 

 in this vicinity, but in the spring of 

 1 91 7 I saw more than ever before, 

 some of which were very rare indeed 

 in this part of the country. A great 

 many that I had not previously ob- 

 served were quite common here for a 

 few days. 



The spring was unusually late, and 

 in May when the elms are ordinarily in 

 full leaf this year found them with leaf- 

 buds and seeds. The warblers came 

 gradually : the first — a chestnut-sided 

 — we saw on May ninth ; on the thir- 

 teenth came the "black and white," the 

 Audubon's and the "myrtle" ; — the lat- 

 ter I had never seen before. The Amer- 

 ican redstart appeared on the 18th : 

 Wilson's and Blackburnian on the 

 19th, — and then one morning we awoke 

 to the fact that the warblers were here 

 indeed. 



I first discovered a chestnut-sided 

 beauty in one of our elms, and all that 

 day and throughout the next, which 

 was Sunday, the trees in our yard 

 seemed "thick with warblers." A "Can- 

 adian." which is very rare indeed, was 



so tame that I walked almost up to him 

 before he flew away : then there were 

 black-polls and numerous others that 

 I could not identify. The Wilson's, 

 blackburnian and "chestnut-sided" 

 were the most common. Vireos were 

 also numerous. I do not know when 

 I enjoyed myself so much. I was out 

 at all hours of the day watching them 

 through my bird-glasses. Certainly 

 the warblers are the prettiest of all our 

 birds, and it seems a shame that they 

 are not better known. On the follow- 

 ing Monday all was quiet again, — our 

 little travellers having left us, — and the 

 days seemed dull indeed without them. 



Perhaps you can tell me the name of 

 a certain warbler that 1 saw, as I have 

 exhausted my bird books and failed to 

 find the likeness. It was unusually 

 slender. I first discovered it on the 

 topmost branches of a big elm. I kept 

 my glasses fixed upon him and soon he 

 began to descend until he was in a 

 position where I could get an excellent 

 view. He was very tame and I came 

 closer very gradually and he did not 

 move. On the back and top of the head 

 he was a dull green, and his under parts 

 and throat were unbroken bright yel- 

 low. There were no markings on his 

 head or body in black, I had a very 

 near view both with and without my 

 glasses. I hope you can tell me what 

 it was, as I am very curious to know. 



I am very much interested in the 

 birds, and saved sun-flower, cantaloupe 

 and pumpkin seeds for my winter 

 "boarders." They certainly appreciate 

 my feeding-shelf. 



Kathleen M. Hempel. 



From the description which you give 

 of the unindentified warbler, it would 

 appear to be a young female of the 

 Wilson's warbler. These birds lack 

 the black cap which at once identifies 

 the adult. The young of the hooded 

 warbler, which might also be found in 

 your locality during the spring migra- 

 tions, very closely resembles the above. 

 but averages about half an inch longer, 

 and should show white on the outer tail 

 feathers. — II . G. H. 



February, in the northern and middle 

 portions of the Union, is still uninter- 

 rupted winter — often the worst of it — 



Ernest Ingersoll. 



