250 



Bird - Lore 



before they leave here for their winter quar- 

 ters the Orioles, after a long period of si- 

 lence, whistle a few short phrases in the first 

 hours of the day. This summer they began 

 to pipe fully a week earlier than in an aver- 

 age season. 



A noteworthy increase in the breeding 

 stations of the Short-billed Marsh Wren was 

 observed in this vicinity. This observation 

 is of more than passing interest because Nut- 

 tall, writing of eastern Massachusetts in 1832 

 ('Land Birds,' p. 438), reported that this 

 bird's voice might be heard "from the borders 

 of every low marsh and wet meadow, pro- 

 vided with tussocks of sedge-grass," whereas 

 William Brewster ('Birds of the Cambridge 

 Region,' 1906, p. 370) says of the species 

 "now of infrequent occurrence, chiefly during 

 migration." 



In the light of these facts, it would be of 

 extreme interest to learn how widespread this 

 invasion is — whether or not the bird has 

 lately been becoming more numerous in the 

 country to the south of this region. — Winsor 

 M. Tyler, Lexington, Alass. 



New York Region. — This year shore- 

 birds were again unusually early in reaching 

 Long Island in southward migration, espe- 

 cially the Lesser Yellow-legs. On July 10, 

 forty to fifty of this species were observed 

 at Mastic, a very large number for that date. 

 Two or three, likely more, Stilt Sandpipers 

 with them and a Wilson's Snipe put up from 

 dead soggy stubble on the same meadow at 

 that time, appear to be the earliest Long 

 1 sland dates for those two species respectively. 

 The same is true of a lone Least Sandpiper 

 observed on June 22, which gave every ap- 

 pearance of being in active southward mi- 

 gration, although the Semipalmated Sand- 

 l)ipcr and two or three other species are some- 

 times still moving north as late as this. An 

 .American Egret at Mastic on July 16 is early. 

 .\ white Heron at Port Jefferson, August 13, 

 was probably of the same species, which 

 is reported from that vicinity August i by 

 R. C. Murphy. In the writer's experience the 

 Egret is of more frequent occurrence here- 

 abouts than the Little Blue Heron, though 

 the latter probably outnumbers it, sometimes 

 ()( curringin small flocks, instead of singly or 



occasionally two together. The beginnings 

 of land-bird migration are obscure imless 

 one has opportunity to give them especial 

 attention. Tree Swallows are present in 

 somewhat larger numbers than for the last 

 year or two. Barn Swallows are migrating 

 east to west over Long Island Sound by day. 

 Northern Water-Thrushes have been present 

 since July, and on recurring favorable nights 

 increasingly frequent lisping Warbler notes 

 come from the sky overhead. August 12 to 

 13 was such a favorable night. 



In the opinion of Mr. Ludlow Griscom the 

 August migration of land-birds this year is 

 the earliest on record. He finds the following 

 data of especial interest. Migrant Shrike, 

 Englewood, N. J., .Vugust 9 ( E. R. P. Jan- 

 vrin); Myrtle \\'arbler, Rhinebeck, N. Y., 

 August II and daily since (M. S. Crosby); 

 PIainfield,N. J., August 13 (W. D. W. Miller); 

 Red-breasted Nuthatch, Rhinebeck, N. Y. 

 •August II and daily since (M. S. Crosby); 

 New York City, August 13 (Ludlow Gris- 

 com). — J. T. Nichols, New York City. 



Washington Region. — Bird-life about 

 Washington during the months of June and 

 July, 192 1, was characterized by little of 

 more than ordinary interest. ComparativeK- 

 few of the transients remained much after 

 June I, notwithstanding the moderate tem- 

 perature of the latter part of May and the 

 early part of June. Whatever effect the hot 

 weather of July and the last third of June 

 may have had on the human population, it 

 seemed to have little or none on the birds, 

 beyond the usual midday relaxation. The 

 resident species have been just as much in 

 evidence as during the cooler weather, and 

 the singing of such birds as the Wood Thrush, 

 Robin, Cardinal, Indigo Bunting, Song Spar- 

 row, Scarlet Tanagcr, Redstart, Yellow War- 

 bler, House Wren, A'ellow-throatcd Vireo, 

 and Red-eyed Vireo continued as usual 

 throughout the whole of July. 



An American Egret, seen by Miss M. J. 

 Pellew on Alexander Island, in the Dis- 

 trict of Columbia, on July 7, wa3 one day 

 earlier than its earliest previous appear- 

 ance in summer, which was July 8, 1894. 



Two female Bobolinks were seen on June 

 12 at the mouth of the Patapsco River, in 



