lO MEMOIRS OF THE NUTTALL ORNITHOLOGICAL CLUB. 



siderable size. One I measured near the Ipswich River, in Topsfield, was 52 

 inches in circumference, four feet from the ground. The blaclc spruce {Picea 

 nigra), hobble-bush ( Viburiuiin aliiifcliiiui), strijsed maple {Acer pcniisylvanicum), 

 mountain maple {A. spicatiivi), cowberry {Vaccinium vitis-idaa, var. mi mis), 

 round-leaved violet {Viola rotinidifolia), twin-flower {Liiuiaa borca/is), yellow 

 clintonia {Clintonia borealis), and three-toothed cinque-foil {Potcntilla tridcn- 

 tatd), all northern species, are also to be found in Essex County. Some fine 

 specimens of canoe birches {Bctii/a papyrifcra), reminders of the Maine woods, 

 are growing near the Ipswich River. Thus in the flora there are extensions of 

 both the Canadian and the Upper Austral into the Transition zone, the chief 

 zone of the County. 



The most characteristic tree of the old towns is the American elm {Uhniis 

 americana) . Here many are to be seen of great age and exceeding beauty, 

 arching the streets and filling the squares and commons. It was and still is 

 deservedly the most popular tree for street planting in Essex County, and its 

 prevalence in the towns determines to a certain extent their avifauna. 



The avifauna as well as the flora of Essex County is chiefly that character- 

 istic of the Transition zone but there are extensions, both from the Upper 

 Austral and from the Canadian zones, of birds that regularly or occasionally 

 breed in the County. 



Of the Upper Austral zone there are three representatives that breed 

 regularly, namely. Orchard Oriole, White-eyed Vireo, and Yellow-breasted Chat, 

 and this is the most northern limit of their range except, perhaps, in the case of 

 the White-eyed Vireo, which is stated to breed rarely at Manchester, N. H. 

 The Florida Gallinule has been taken once late in the spring when it was 

 believed to be breeding. The Black-throated Bunting formerly bred in this 

 region, even as lately as 1873. There are also a number of other Austral birds 

 that have been recorded as stragglers within the limits of the County, namely. 

 Royal Tern, American Egret, Little Blue Heron, Yellow-crowned Night Heron, 

 King Rail, Purple Gallinule, American Avocet, Black-necked Stilt, Wilson's 

 Plover, Turkey Vulture, Black Vulture, Swallow-tailed Kite, Barn Owl, Seaside 

 Sparrow, Cardinal, Summer Tanager, Worm-eating Warbler, Mockingbird, Car- 

 olina Wren, and Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 



There are a number of birds that regularly breed in the County that may 

 be classed as characteristic of the sub-Canadian zone, namely. Hairy Wood- 

 pecker, Olive-sided Flycatcher, Blue-headed Vireo, Nashville Warbler, Black- 

 burnian Warbler, and Hermit Thrush. The Alder Flycatcher, also a breeder 

 here, is sometimes included in this group. 



' F. W. Batchelder : Proc. Manchester Inst. Arts and Sci., vol. i, p. 133, 1900. 



