Editorial 



117 



jitrli itore 



A Bi-monthly Maeazine 

 Devoted to the Study and Protection of Birds 



OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETIES 



Edited by FRANK M. CHAPMAN 



Contributing Editor, MABEL OSGOOD WRIGHT 



Published by D. APPLETON & CO. 



Vol. XIV Published April 1. 1912 No. 2 



SUBSCRIPTION RATES 



Price in the United States. Canada and Mexico, twenty cents 

 a number, one dollar a year, postage paid. 



COPYRIGHTED. 1912. BY FKANK M. CHAPMAN 



Bird Lore's Motto: 

 A Bird in the Bush Is Worth Two in the Hand 



The European Starling .seems to be 

 increasing its range at an unprecedented 

 pace. Under date of January 11, 1912, 

 B. B. Semmes writes to 'Forest and Stream' 

 (Jan. 20, 19 1 2, p. 83) of the appearance 

 of "many hundreds" of these birds at 

 Newport News, Virginia, whereas they 

 had not been reported in numbers before 

 much south of Philadelphia; and in this 

 issue of Bird-Lore we publish records of 

 their occurrence as far west as Illinois, 

 and as far north as Hinsdale, New Hamp- 

 shire. The presence of the birds south 

 of their previously known limits during 

 the winter is far less surprising than their 

 appearance at this season, with a temper- 

 ature of — 30°, some iif ty miles north of the 

 area in which they have heretofore been 

 regularly observed. The facts attending 

 this New Hampshire record clearly indi- 

 cate the Starling's hardiness and ability 

 to extend its territory under conditions 

 which would daunt even an English 

 Sparrow. Assuredly if any steps are to bi 

 taken by state or Federal government to 

 prevent the further spread of this species, 

 they should not be long delayed. 



While the bird's economic status in 

 this country has not yet been definitely 

 established, many reports have shown that 

 it molests native species, and, in regions 

 when it is abundant, the sight ot a flock of 

 'Blackbirds" in March is now robbed of all 

 its charm and significance as a welcome 

 and undoubted sign of the return of spring 

 We have lately also had an experience 



wiih the English Sparrows' jjowcr to 

 mar one's associations with native birds. 

 Returning recently to a Florida town 

 where the Mockingbirds' March music 

 was a cherished memory, imagine the 

 feelings with which we discovered that 

 the metallic, incessant chatter of the 

 lately arrived, but already countless, 

 English Sparrows was the dominant 

 bird-note of the place. Under the cir- 

 cumstances, one could no more enjoy the 

 rapturous melody of the Mockingbirds 

 than one can enjoy a symphony concert 

 with some one talking in the next row! 



Numerous correspondents have asked 

 us to explain the presence of Robins, 

 during the past winter in unusual num- 

 bers north of their regular winter range, 

 and their queries are answered by some 

 of the contributors to this issue of Bird- 

 Lore. With a species of somewhat irreg- 

 ular migration habits, like the Robin, 

 favorable weather and a tempting food- 

 supply often induce many individuals to 

 linger after their migration period. Later, 

 the temperature and snow may fall, but as 

 long as food is available the birds remain. 

 This explanation is less applicable to 

 birds like the Baltimore Oriole, which 

 leave us long before they are forced to do 

 so by inclement weather or lack of food, 

 and late individuals of such species are 

 doubtless birds which for one reason or 

 another have been prevented from jour- 

 neying southward with others of their 

 kind and, under exceptionably favorable 

 climatic conditions, have survived long 

 after their species has left the United 

 States for the tropics. 



To a lesser extent this may be true of 

 late Warbler records such as that, for 

 example, of the Black-throated Blue 

 Warbler, published on an earlier page of 

 this number, but the surprising record of 

 the Prothonotary Warbler in Connecticut 

 in November, which precedes it, defies 

 explanation. Not only is the species of 

 merely casual occurrence on the Atlantic 

 Coast north of Virginia, but the latest 

 previous record for the United States 

 appears to be 'Florida Keys, September 25.' 



