114 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 17-N0. 8 



tinuously all night. And once or twice 

 there was quite a lively twittering over- 

 head, and I caught sight of their little 

 fluttering forms playing about our mast- 

 head light. 



The next day was a dead calm and we 

 were in the Gulf Stream to the eastward 

 of Hilton Head. During the very hottest 

 part of the day one of tlie crew brought me 

 a male Least Bittern that had fallen from 

 aloft into the skiff. I kept him all night 

 and the next day he flew ofl", making di- 

 rectly for the island. 



Cormorants are seldom seen, except 

 before a storm. Whenever the glass be- 

 gins to fall rapidly I am pretty sure to 

 see a few of them flying towards shore. 

 At such times also the Royal Terns seem 

 to take longer flights to sea. 



The other Terns all seem to keep close 

 under the shore. Especially does this 

 seem to be the case with the Least and 

 the Short-tailed, which scarcely ever go 

 beyond the flats and sandbars. 



Pelican Bank is a long spit of sand in 

 St. Helena Sound, which I have passed 

 several times of late. The birds from 

 which it takes its name are numerous 

 here. It also seems to be a favorite feed- 

 ing ground for the Royal Terns. The 

 last of July the whole upper end was cov- 

 ered with half-fledged young, not yet able 

 to fly. Here I secured one specimen of 

 the Sandwich Tern. U^alter Iloxie. 



The Olive-backed Thrush. 



Never shall I forget my first experience 

 with the Olive-backed Thrush. It was 

 during that delightful period of my orni- 

 thological experience when any bird at all 

 out of the common in occurrence, habits, 

 or coloring, was exceedingly " rare." 

 What was my delight, then, when late in 

 July this species literally forced itself 

 upon my notice. On opening the door 

 early one morning the first object that 



presented itself to my gaze was a little 

 half-grown bird placidly sunning himself 

 on the warm boards, while his wiser or 

 more experienced mother was vainly 

 striving to impress upon his youthful mind 

 a more fitting fear of man. The young- 

 ster, as all youngsters are apt, thought 

 he knew more about it than anyone else. 

 He not only refused to leave, but sub- 

 mitted to handling with the utmost equa- 

 nimity. Having examined him to my 

 heart's content, I threw him into the air ; 

 at once the old bird was by his siile, guid- 

 ing him into the less exciting but safer 

 confines of the wood. How anxiously 

 did I watch the brood, hoping that they 

 might remain until grown, that I might 

 procure a specimen. They vanished in 

 two days, but my disappointment was al- 

 leviated by the capture of a fine old male. 



Since that long-ago experience this 

 species has become perfectly familiar to 

 me from four summers' observation on 

 Mackinac Island. 



The Olive-backed Thrush arrives in 

 Kent County from the fifth to the tenth of 

 May. Never common, a specimen or so 

 may alwavs be found during an afternoon 

 walk. Unlike his brother, the Hermit 

 Thrush, this bird prefers woods either 

 entirely dry or of a swampy character 

 surrounded by high- wooded hills. Dur- 

 ing migrations, however, this bird is not 

 essentially woodland. Flocks of two or 

 three may often be surprised in the city 

 orchards. 



Wherever found he attends strictly to 

 his own affairs, neither obtruding hims If 

 upon yoLU" notice or exhibiting unneces- 

 sary shyness. A short chip is his only 

 note at this period ; his song, abundant 

 song, too, as you shall see, is reserved for 

 his summer home. His stay is short, ex- 

 cept in some favored localities, where he 

 sometimes lingers a week beyond his time. 

 The twenty-first of Mav sees the last one 

 oft\ 



