162 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 237 part i 



northern winter visitors. During the spring migration it is con- 

 ceivable that some of the birds on the regular migration, on reaching 

 the midsouthern United States, instead of following the Mississippi 

 Valley route, are diverted to the eastern part of the United States. 

 Many of the dates of arrival in our southern States correspond to 

 the spring migration dates of the appearance of these birds in the 

 Mississippi Valley. 



Regardless of how the northern and southern contingents of dick- 

 cissels arrive, the sudden change of the status of this bird in the 

 eastern part of the United States is most extraordina^3^ 



Spring. — The dickcissel winters in Central America and in northern 

 South America, but in much of Central America, especially in the 

 coastal plains and lowlands, it appears only as a migrant. Peters 

 (1931) collected specimens at Chiriquicito, Panama, as late as April 18, 

 1928. Dicky and van Rossem (1938) state that the dickcissel is a 

 common spring migrant through the more open districts of the lower 

 foothills and coastal plain of El Salvador. A male specimen was 

 taken from a large flock at Divisadero on Apr. 12, 1926. Alexander F. 

 Skutch states in correspondence that it is widely distributed over 

 Central America during the winter months, but considers its status 

 as a winter resident in the Caribbean lowlands doubtful. Near 

 Los Amates in the lowlands of Guatemala he did not meet with it 

 until Mar. 28, 1932, more than a month after he began work in 

 that region. J. L. Peters (1929) also suspects that it is only a migrant 

 in the Caribbean lowlands. He did not encounter it until March 29, 

 when he saw two at Lancetilla perched on a wire fence running beside 

 the railroad track where he passed six times a day, making it certain 

 that the birds were new arrivals from the south. Several years 

 previously Peters saw dickcissels appear at Quintana Roo for the first 

 time on April 5. Van Tyne (1935) secured specimens at Uaxactun, 

 Guatemala, April 13 to June 20, and at Chuntuqui April 29 to May 8. 

 He states: "Dickcissels were frequently seen at the Uaxactum clearing 

 in flocks of about ten to thirty. Some came regularly to the mule 

 corral to feed on waste corn. The last were noted April 28, when 

 several flocks were still in the clearing." 



Russell (1964) wTites: "The Dickcissel has been observed in British 

 Honduras only from the end of February to May 14 with the majority 

 of the observations occurring in the period of April 12 to 27. Mi- 

 grants may stop in any open area, especially on the keys and the 

 grassland of pine ridges at all elevations. Flocks of 1 5 to 30 individuals 

 of this common transient are often seen. Some birds are extremely 

 fat * * *. The gonads of birds taken in late April were slightly 

 enlarged, and Peck states that in May many Dickcissels w^ere sing- 

 ing." Sutton and Pettingill (1942) saw the first dickcissel near 



