^otes from JFielti anti ^tutip 



A Census from France^ — An Addition lo 

 the Eighteenth Christmas Census 



Northeastern France. — Dec. 12; 10 

 A.M. to 4:20 P.M. Cloudy; wind light; 

 temp, about 40°. Partridge, 71; Wood 

 Pigeon, 4; Skylark. 38; Rook, 800; Carrion 

 Crow, 5; Jackdaw, 100; Magpie, 32; Jay, 

 11; Starling, 83; Goldfinch, 2; Chaffinch, 

 i; Yellow Bunting, 41; Wren, 3; Tree 

 Creeper, i; Marsh Tit, 7; Blue Tit, 3; 

 Great Tit, 15; Redbreast, 4; Blackbird, 3. 

 Total, 19 species, about 1,225 individuals. 

 — E. W. Calvert, Canadian Expedi- 

 tionary Forces. 



The Warbler Wave of the Spring of 

 1917 at Branchport, N. Y. 



The weather last May was very un- 

 seasonable at Branchport, N. Y., and the 

 Warblers were a week late, the bulk arriv- 

 ing May 20. Even then it was cold, and I 

 think it was on this account that they were 



THE BLACK BURNI AN WAkHl.hk 

 Photographed by Verdi Burlch 



SO tame and kept in the lower branches of 

 the trees and even on the ground instead 

 of in the tree-tops as usual. 



Many Cape Mays and Tennessees were 

 seen. This was unusual, as some migra- 



(i 



tions pass without our seeing a single one. 

 The streets were full of Redstarts and 

 Blackburnians. The Redstart, in parti- 

 cular, was noticed by many people who 

 usually take no interest in birds, and many 

 came to me asking about the beautiful 

 little black-and-orange-colored bird that 

 they had seen. 



A friend who was working on a new 

 cottage by the lake said that a Redstart 

 alighted on his shoulder, also on his hat 

 and on a rule that he held in his hand, 

 then it flew up and hung before his face 

 on rapid-beating wings. A neighbor 

 brought to me a beautiful male Black- 

 burnian which he found fluttering against 

 the window in his barn. Another neighbor 

 brought a dead male Chestnut-side that 

 her cat had brought in; and I have no 

 doubt that hundreds were killed by cats 

 while they were so close to the ground. 



May 20 a male Blackburnian spent 

 nearly the entire day on my lawn and in 

 the garden. He was very busy all of the 

 time, hopping over the ground like a 

 Chipping Sparrow and seemed to be pick- 

 ing up minute insects. It was difficult tc 

 get a photograph of him, not that I could 

 not get near enough, for he came up verj' 

 close to me, even passing between my feet. 

 The trouble was that he came too close, 

 and although I had him on the ground- 

 glass many times, sharp and life-size, and 

 made my exposures in 7^ second, he was 

 so lively that when I developed my plates 

 I found my Blackburnian out of focus. 

 Many times he was within a few inches of 

 my hand as I was on my knees holding my 

 camera near the ground. I used eight 

 plates in all, at a distance of from 2 to 

 6 feet, and got just one good picture. — 

 X'erdi Burtch, Branchport, N. Y. 



Spring Notes from a New Hampshire 

 Farm 



"There is a gorgeous riot of color fly- 

 ing up in front of the tractor; come to the 

 meadow and see!" 



54) 



