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Bird- Lore 



in consequence, presumably, of the 

 abundance of moisture. The Baltimore 

 Oriole and the Warblers were so delayed 

 in arriving on their nesting-grounds that 

 they built ten days or so later than 

 normal. The Woodcock, however, arriv- 

 ing on time, were not delayed in nesting 

 and, in spite of the backward season, 

 brought out their broods at the usual date. 



A marked diminution in numbers was 

 noted in the following breeding species: 

 Wood Pewee, Warbling, Yellow-throated 

 and Red-eyed Vireos, and Yellow War- 

 bler. The Wood Pewee and the first two 

 Vireos have been becoming gradually less 

 numerous in this region for some years, 

 but until this season the Red-eyed Vireo 

 and the Yellow Warbler have shown little 

 or no change in numbers. Throughout 

 the season the song-birds sang little. The 

 species which were present in increased 

 numbers were the Ruby-throated Hum- 

 mingbird, Field Sparrow, Nashville War- 

 bler, and House Wren. For the last few 

 years the House Wren has been steadily 

 regaining its former haunts in eastern 

 Massachusetts from which it was driven, 

 some forty years ago, by the House 

 Sparrow. 



The first evidence of the autumn migra- 

 tion which I saw in Lexington was a 

 Tennessee Warbler on August 11. — 

 WiNSOR M. Tyler, Lexington, Mass. 



New York City Region. — Possibly 

 the chief feature of this summer here- 

 abouts, and one generally noticed, has 

 been the late continuance of the song- 

 season of many species of birds, perhaps 

 correlated with the unusual luxuriance 

 and freshness of the foliage in mid-August. 

 For instance, Mr. John Treadwell Nichols 

 heard individuals of Bob-white in full 

 song at Mastic, L. I., on August 20; 

 Song, Chipping, and Field Sparrows, 

 August 19; Towhee, August 18; Wood 

 Pewee, Grasshopper and Henslow's Spar- 

 rows, Scarlet Tanager, and Robin, August 

 12; Wood Thrush, August 11; Long- 

 billed Marsh Wren, August 5; Pine 

 Warbler, July 30; and the writer noted 

 Song Sparrows still singing in northern 



New Jersey on August 19 and House 

 Wrens on the 12th. All these are late 

 dates, especially for the Wood Thrush 

 and Robin, which usually stop singing by 

 the first of August, and for the Pine 

 Warbler, usually silent by the end of June. 



One of the few definitely determined 

 breeding-stations of Henslow's Sparrow on 

 Long Island is at Mastic, where Mr. 

 Nichols noted this year an apparent 

 extension of the occupied area to points a 

 mile and a half further north and four 

 miles further west. 



Very welcome visitors have been an 

 unusual number of American Egrets. 

 What is most probably — to judge from 

 one slightly drooping leg — the same 

 individual that was the last to leave Van 

 Cortlandt Park last October, has returned 

 there, and there are several other records 

 from Mastic, Quogue, etc. Mastic fur- 

 ther notes several Little Blue Herons. 



The southbound shore-birds have been 

 arriving on time, with Dowitchers and 

 Willets as near the city as Long Beach. 

 Two Pintails and a Mallard at Mastic 

 on August 12 are the earliest records for 

 Long Island. On the other hand, none of 

 the small land bird transients regularly 

 present by mid-August has been reported. 

 — Charles H. Rogers, American Muse- 

 um of Natural History, New York City. 



Philadelphia Region. — Normal 

 weather conditions prevailed throughout 

 June and July, with the exception of heavy 

 rainstorms which commenced on July 9 

 and continued with little intermission 

 until the 12th. During this time three and 

 one-half inches of rain fell. The cold May 

 weather set back to some extent the nest- 

 ing operations of some of the late migrants. 

 A normal number of young seemed to be 

 present in the woods and fields, however. 

 The only setback being caused by the 

 storms above mentioned, just how much 

 native birds suffered I can not state, but I 

 can say with certainty that young House 

 Sparrows were killed in large numbers. I 

 have noticed that these storms are more 

 severe on House Sparrows than on native 

 birds. 



