JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 45 



twitter of the Bam Swallow, the hissing note of the Kingbird, the 

 "chebec" of the Least Flycatcher, the "kuk, kuk, kuk" of the 

 Black-billed Cuckoo, the plaintive whistle of the White-throated 

 Sparrow, the flowing Canary-like melody of the Goldfinch, and the 

 rollicking music of the Bobolink. Half an hour after, when I was 

 near the bushes of a swamp, in a grove of sapling gray birches, I 

 noted the call of the Wilson's Thrush, the rare song of the Her- 

 mit Thrush, the gay tones of the Purple Finch, the loud "p'cheep, 

 p' cheep" of the Ovenbird, the quick little song of the Magnolia 

 Warbler, the "sic, sic, sic" of the Redstart, and the "zee, zee, zee" 

 notes of the Black-throated Green Warbler, which a friend inter- 

 prets by the homely words "Everybody works but father," with a 

 distinct falling inflection in the first syllable of "father" and rising 

 inflection on the last syllable. On a high pasture knoll this morn- 

 ing I saw a Junco, who appeared to be at home, if I may judge so 

 by his leisurely movements and the deliberate way in which he 

 picked up one morsel of seed after another. The Junco does not 

 commonly nest on the Cape, but I think this one may be raising a 

 family there. 



May 27. — Few travelling birds were seen this morning and it 

 is evident that the spring migration is almost ended. On all sides 

 birds are beginning preparation for housekeeping, while not a few 

 have already built their nests and laid their eggs. Yesterday 

 Blackburnian Warblers were moving northward, the fact being 

 proved by a dead bird found on a cottage piazza, far from the 

 woods. The specimen was taken to the Natural History rooms to 

 be added to the collection of the Society. This morning the Alder 

 Flycatcher was perched in the bushes of a swamp, giving utter- 

 ance at frequent interv^als to his characteristic notes, sounding like 

 the syllables "Pre-be-deer." A quarter of a mile away the Olive- 

 sided Flycatcher whistling his refrain, which being put into words 

 is pretty nearly "See here," repeated time and again until it be- 

 comes the most prominent and familiar bird note heard in that 

 localitj-. Goldfinches grow more abundant every day and almost 



