48 BIRDS OF THE 



12, bronzed grackle, song sparrow, and robin. 

 It will appear that the song sparrow was 

 the first or among the first migrants in all 

 of these years except 1906, when, after the 

 arrival of the grackles, daily low tempera- 

 tures and snowstorms held back the open- 

 ing of the season to March 28, on which 

 day a song sparrow and a robin joined the 

 two grackles which were already present. 



Some attention has been given to the 

 subject whether the latest migrants are 

 usually females, the male birds having 

 preceded them. There is no clear evidence 

 that such is the case. Often the last in- 

 dividuals of a species present have been 

 singing males. Not infrequently the last 

 bird or birds have been females. Some- 

 times the latest record of the species for 

 the season shows that both male and female 

 birds were present and departed together. 

 It is generally the case, however, particu- 

 larly in respect to the warblers, that full- 

 plumaged male birds precede the more 

 dull-colored female birds in time of arrival 

 by a day or two or more. And if a warbler 



