THE BlUD-LIFK OF A VKAH. 



Si;pti;>[i;i:k. 



The student wliuse piitiencc luis Ijoen soivl\' ti-icd 

 l)y the comparative scarcity of birds in August, will 

 liiid that in Sc])t(Miih(M' his observations in the fiehl 

 will be attended by far more interesting results. 

 The first marked fall in the temperature is sure to 

 be followed bv a lli^iht of mio-rants which, like the 

 '* waves" (jf ^lay, Avill flood the Avoods with birds. 

 The larger nund)er will be AVarblers; indeed, Sep- 

 tember, witli .May. is characterized by the abundance 

 of these snudl bii'ds. 



IJirds of the year will outnuudjer the adults, and, 

 in most cases, their plumage will be (pate unlike that 

 worn ])y their ])arents in ^fay, while, in many in- 

 stances, even the adults themselves will app(\ii' in a 

 changed costume. Often this new dress will re- 

 semble that of the immature bird, a fact which 

 accounts for the apparent aljsence of old birds in 

 the fall migration. 



As a rule, fall ])lumages are less striking than those 

 of spring, and when, in addition, it is rememl^ered 

 that birds are not in song, and that the foliage is 

 much (h'user, the greater difficulty of field identiti- 

 cation at this sf^ason will be appreciated. 



In Se})tenib('r moi-c migrating birds arc* killed by 

 strik'ing lighthouses than in any other month ot" the 

 yeai'. This is doubtless owing to the fact that 

 stormy or foggy weather is moi-e apt to prevail in 

 Se})teml)('r tli;in dui-ing ;iny other ]>ei'iod of active 

 migi"ation; that the majoi'ity of the migi'ants nvo 

 y«>ung and inexperienced, and that in September mi- 

 grants are iiioi'e numerous than in any othei* month. 



