THE BIRDS OF NEW JERSEY. 19 



As regards the departure of the winter birds, the 

 records of the club show that the Herring Gulls leave the 

 Delaware river about April 4, and they seem to desert the 

 meadows at Atlantic City, N. J. , about the same time. 



Winter Wrens, Fox Sparrows and the bulk of the 

 Snowbirds generally leave Philadelphia by April 15, while 

 the Brown Creepers and Golden -crowned Kinglets stay a 

 few days later. 



Most of the White-throated Sparrows have departed by 

 May 1, but a few occur regularly as late as the 16th of 

 the month, and one was seen in 1888 on May 27. The 

 straggling Snowbirds have usually left by May 1, but 

 occasionally one is seen a few days later; May 10 being 

 the latest date recorded. 



The fu'st evidence of the fall migration in the vicinity 

 of Philadelphia is seen during the last week in Jub^, or, 

 perhaps, earlier, when the old birds of several species 

 leave their breeding grounds and aj)parently pass slowly 

 southward. By the middle of August most of the Swal- 

 lows, Kingbirds and Orioles have disappeared from the 

 interior, and begin to congregate along the river valleys, 

 coast lines and other avenues of migration, whence they 

 pass southward gradually as they are joined by flocks 

 from farther north. 



Immense congregations of Kingbirds and several species 

 of Swallows are familiar sights at this time along the 

 New Jersey coast. 



Grackles, Red- winged Blackbirds, Robins and Bluebirds 

 collect in flocks by August 1, or earlier, but they do not 

 apparently journey southward till later in the season. 

 The pioneer migrants from the north reach Pliiladelphia 

 during the first week of August, the Water Thrush and 

 Redstart being the earliest to arrive. During the latter 

 part of the month — August 20-31 — many other species 

 arrive, such as the Canadian, Black-throated Blue, Chest- 

 nut-sided, Bay-breasted, Black])ui-nian, Magnoha, and 

 Wilson's Warblers, and the M'ilson's Thrush. None of 



