52 C. II Merriam — Birds of Connecticut. 



abouts of its author; and, when one's neck is nearly broken, to hear 

 the cry again, this time issuing from another and still deeper portion 

 of the swamp. 



In support of this view I now propose to bring forward pretty con- 

 clusive proof: Mr. W. W. Coe, who early became familiar with 

 the note of this species, tells me that it has been a common bird in the 

 vicinity of Portland, Conn., for at least fifteen years — ever since he 

 commenced collecting birds. Prof. William D. Whitney, of New 

 Haven, on inquiry, informs me that he has known the bird for at 

 least thirty years, and that he has always regarded it as common. 

 His observations extend over portions of Massachusetts (about North- 

 ampton) as well as Connecticut. Mr. J. N. Clark, of Saybrook, Conn., 

 says that it was not rare, about the mouth of the Connecticut, twenty- 

 five years ago; and Dr. Win. Wood, of East Windsor Hill, Conn., 

 tells me that it has bred regularly, and has not been uncommon, in 

 that vicinity, for the last twenty-five or thirty years. 



In the face or these facts what is to be done ? For my own part, 

 I am willing to admit that in northern New York the bird may not 

 have been rare prior to the year 1870 (although I feel pretty sure 

 that this was not the case), and that it escaped notice because I was 

 then unfamiliar with its note. In New Jersey, however, a similar 

 supposition will not hold, for Mr. Trippe was familiar with its note 

 and habits, from observations in a neighboring district, and asserts 

 positively that it suddenly became abundant in a locality where 

 before it was nearly, if not quite, unknown. Hence it is only fair to 

 conclude that, while some of the supposed cases of change of habit 

 may be explained on the ground that the observers were not suffi- 

 ciently familiar with the bird, yet there are others concerning which 

 the proof is ample, and the cause of the change only remains to be 

 accounted for. Whether this be due to changed conditions in the 

 physical features of the country (such as the cutting away of timber, 

 drying up of sti'eams and swamps, etc., for example), or to an increase 

 in some species of insects on which the bird feeds (caused perhaps by 

 the abundance of some particular food-plant — due, may be, to altered 

 climatic conditions), or to an actual increase in the number of birds 

 themselves, I will not take upon myself to decide, so imperfect is the 

 present state of our knowledge on these points. 



122. SayomiS fUSCUS (Gmelin) Baird. Pewee Flycatcher ; Phoebe-bird. 



A common summer resident. Comes very early : Dr. F. W. Hall 

 tells me he saw it on Feb. 25th. 1876, and Mr. Osborne saw one March 



