4 o POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



THE BIKDS OF THE ADIKONDACKS. 



Br Senator GEORGE CHAHOON. 



I SHALL make no appeal for the protection of our birds, for that 

 is not necessary to those who know them; but I wish we could 

 all know them better, and when we knew we would surely love 

 and give them our protection. We would then realize their great 

 use as insect and weed destroyers; they would fascinate us with 

 their cunning habits, and charm us with their beauty and grace. 



Most of our birds are migrators, passing their breeding season 

 in summer with us and then leaving for warmer climes. In addi- 

 tion to the climatic reasons for this migration, the question of food 

 supply is doubtless an important factor, for while they might stand 

 the severity of our winters the insectivorous birds could not get 

 any food when our ground was covered with snow and ice, and, in 

 proof of this, as a rule the omnivorous migratory birds are the 

 first to come in the spring and the last to leave in the fall. 



In 1877 I began making notes of the arrival of the robin, blue- 

 bird, and swallow; these notes have been made every spring, mostly 

 by myself, but during my absence by some member of my family, 

 and were all taken at Au Sable Forks. The earliest date for the 

 robin is March 10th; for the bluebird, March 7th; and for the 

 swallow, April 4th. The latest date for the robin is April 7th; 

 for the bluebird, April 7th; and for the swallow, April 25th. 

 The average date is for the robin, March 28th; bluebird, March 

 26th; and the swallow, April 15th. 



In every year the first robins that came were males, and this was 

 true with the bluebird excepting two years when I saw both male 

 and female birds on the same day. The sex of the swallow is not 

 as easily determined, and I am not sure about them, but my gen- 

 eral observation has been that the males come first, and are followed 

 in a few days by the females, and that the courtship and mating 

 are all arranged after their arrival. My observations have been 

 quite careful, and I think they are full enough to go far toward 

 establishing this fact. Of course, there will be exceptions and our 

 observations are necessarily imperfect, for it is not probable that 

 we happen to see the very first bird that comes. 



ISTo bird is more generally known or more universally liked than 

 our common robin. Every year he sings for us our praises to the 

 coming spring from the tallest limb of the elm, and he hops across 

 our lawn with a cuteness that forces a hearty welcome, and, differ- 

 ing from most birds, he seems to be more numerous each year. In 

 a few days his mate joins him, and a search for a site for their first 



