June, 1892.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



85 



Comijared witli the total number observed 

 during the tliree winter niontbs, live, the 

 result shows tliat the Song Sparrows were 

 about ninety-seven times more numerous dur- 

 ing the first part of the migration, than in 

 winter. Nearly everyone considers a Song 

 Sparrow in January to be a more common 

 occurence tlian the presence of a Kingfislier, a 

 Marsh Hawk, or, possibly, of a Meadow Lark ; 

 yet my records of the actual numbers seen, not 

 only prove that these birds actually outnum- 

 ber the Song Si^arrows, but that the difference 

 between the comparative numbers seen in 

 winter and summer is very much greater in 

 the case of the latter. 



11. The liohin. Probably no winter passes 

 without a few Robins remaining within the 

 State, but as their habits at that season are very 

 different from those of other times they are 

 seldom seen, as they keep tolerably close in 

 the thick swamps. During the past winter 

 they seem to have been somewhat more plenty 

 than usual and have been reported from a 

 number of localities. At Taunton they were 

 only observed on one occasion, viz., on Decem- 

 ber 2d, when two were recorded. At Wood's 

 Holl, they were obstaved on three days in 

 December and on one during February, tlie total 

 number being twelve. The Highland Light 

 record, is, as usual, very complete, as they 

 were seen on twelve days in December, two in 

 January and seventeen in February, with a 

 total of one hundred and fifty-nine birds for 

 the winter months. The number seen at one 

 time varied from one to twenty-five and 

 averaged five. 



This is another case where the actual num- 

 ber of individuals increases from west to east, 

 and also of a lesser difference in the numbers 

 of migrating birds and winter residents, than 

 in the most western of the three counties, as 

 demonstrated in the following table : 



Thus, we see that the degree of plentifulness 

 Increases from east to west in times of migra- 

 tion and from west to east during the winter 

 months. 



12. The Great JVorthei-n Shrike. This bird 

 is locally distributed throughout the three 

 southeastern counties of the State during 

 the winter. It was apparently wanting at 

 Taunton, and was only observed on one 

 occasion in the latter part of November, at 

 Wood's Holl. One bird was taken at Naushon 



in January and it appears to be of common 

 occurrence at Highland Light, where Mr. 

 Small saw it eight times in December, twice in 

 January and the same number of times in the 

 following month. 



13. The Yellotii-rinnped Warbler. This bird 

 is a regulai migrant and winter resident in 

 eastern Massachusetts, sometimes being 

 abundant at that season. Usually it is most 

 numerous late in the fall and gradually 

 becomes less plenty as the season advances, 

 and is frequently wanting just previous lo the 

 commencement of the spring migration. It 

 arrives from the North earlier in the season, 

 in Bristol County than on jCape Cod, and also 

 disperses earlier there, than to the eastward. 

 The foUowing table shows the numbers 

 recorded monthly, from September to Febru- 

 ary, inclusive, at Taunton, Wood's Holl and 

 Highland Light: 



Scjit. Oct. Nov. Dec. -Tan. Feb. Total. 



Taunton, 51 54G x 19 23 x G39 



Wood's Holl, 311 126 37 474 



No. Truro, 338 13 1 56 67 475 



From this data it would seem that the 

 migration was well under way at Taunton 

 some time before it was at all apparent at the 

 two other stations, but tlie height of the 

 season was very nearly the same at each, 

 although the greatest number were seen at the 

 first named station. After the main body of 

 Warblers had passed, the numbers decreased 

 through the months of November and 

 December, to a minimum which may be con- 

 sidered to represent tlie numlier of birds which 

 would remain as winter residents. This num- 

 ber of winter birds gradually wasted away on 

 the Wood's Holl ground, and from experiences 

 of former years, I mistrust that a similar 

 reduction occurred at Taunton, although the 

 absence of notes for February, leaves us uncer- 

 tain of the real state of things. It will also be 

 observed that when the minimum at Highland 

 Light was reached in December, a decided 

 change took place, and the numbers of Yellow- 

 rumps rapidly and steadily increased through 

 the remaining winter months. 



14. Ruby Crowned Kinglet. Rare in winter. 

 One bird recorded at Highland Light, on 

 January 1.5 th. 



15. Winter Wren. Rarely remains through- 

 out the winter. Recorded at Highland Light 

 on January lUth. 



10. Purple Finch. Frequently present in 

 winter. One bird was noted at Taunton, on 

 January 6th. 



