THE OOLOGIST. 



179 



by other pigeons for a month or more. 

 This annual rush generally occurred 

 from February 25th to April 3rd in 

 my experience; but while there was 

 generally one grand incoming wave, 

 there were seasons when there were 

 pigeons at an early date, perhaps in 

 early March or even late February 

 which lasted for a few days or even a 

 fortnignt; then all disappeared and 

 suddenly there appeared another flight 

 after an interval of from one to three 

 weeks. This variation was observed 

 several times and conclusively shows 

 that the vast flocks came from widely 

 removed quarters. 



Among the birds that I have carefully 

 observed as to arrival for a great many 

 years, is the Chimney Swift. It is oft- 

 en s^id that one swallow does not make 

 a spring, and it is a sensible saying; for 

 I have repeatedly known of the Blue- 

 back Swallows being driven south again 

 by a severe snow storm in late March 

 or early April and skating and sleighing 

 to follow. But I feel safe in saying that 

 the appearance of the Swift fairly prov- 

 es that spring has come to stay. Not 

 settled weather to be sure for we rarely 

 get that before the first of June, and 

 sometimes not at that date in Michigan; 

 but, as a rule, when the Swifts come we 

 may expect the big rush of southern 

 birds and the consequent rush of appear- 

 ance of insect and plant life. 



In my trips to Florida one of my prin- 

 cipal pleasures is in taking notes on 

 the birds and other creatures and my 

 return to my northern home is some- 

 what governed by the movements of 

 the migrating birds. It is the intention 

 to not get within the boundaries of 

 Michigan until the last snow flurry has 

 disappeared and the rush of warblers 

 has begun. One season, 1894, I noted 

 the first Chimney Swift at Palm Beach, 

 Lake Worth, Florida, on March 21st. 

 This locality lies between parallels 26 

 and 27. Passing north I again saw the 

 Swift at Micco on the Indian river, 



approximately 28 degrees north lati- 

 tude—March 29th. Then my route 

 was varied and at Sanfc.rd, Orange 

 County, and Kissimmee.Osdeola County 

 in the interior I found the birds in 

 abundance on April seventh. Com- 

 mon at Tampa on the eight; this on the 

 west coast. On the twelfth the birds 

 were evidently nest building. Abund- 

 ant at Cedar Key, Florida, on the 16ch 

 and also at Jacksonville on the 18th. 

 On the 19th Swifts were found at Sa- 

 vannah, Georgia. A few were noted at 

 Chattanooga, Tennessee, on the 20uh of 

 April, and the following day they were 

 noted in Kentucky. There I found the 

 American red-bud, Cercis canadensis, in 

 bloom, a tree which generally blooms 

 about May fifth to tenth in Southern 

 Michigan. A*; Cincinnati the Swif s 

 were abundant and also at Wilmington, 

 a small place north east of Cincinnati. 

 On the 22nd of April the weather was 

 uncomfortably cold at least it seemed 

 so to me who had passed several months 

 in sub tropical resorts, and it was re- 

 ported that a contingent of Coxey's 

 army that camped out oa the fair 

 ground at Wilmington, Ohio sufferred 

 from the cold. On April 23rd the Swifts 

 were found plentiful at Fort V\ ayne, 

 Indiana. 



Reached home, Kalamazoo, between 

 the 42nd and 43rd parallels at noon, the 

 24th, 1894, and though a careful lookout 

 was kept up for Swifts not one was to 

 te seen. On the 25th a few were seen, 

 and on the 26th they were plentiful. 

 So it will be seen that I won in this 

 slow race across our big country. This 

 will show the deliberation of a well 

 known bird in migration in spring. In 

 the autumnal flight the birds are even 

 slower in their movements as is illustrat- 

 ed in the Bobolink which loiters along 

 and called reed bird and rice bird in diff- 

 erent sections, finally, it is claimed, pass- 

 ing through Central America or far- 

 ther. The ducks in their autumnal 

 trips indicate the deliberation that birds 



