16 Birr! Migration in the Mississipjii Valley. 



Summer. The 29th and 30th were cloudy, cold with nights a little above 

 freezing, with north and northeast winds ; but the days were quite warm. 

 Mayday showed a few flowers, the caltha, wood anemone, claytonia, sangui- 

 naria, rue-anemone and one crucifer in blossom ; while only a few shrubs, as 

 the currants, raspberries, box elders, etc., had put forth leaves, and they were 

 not more than one-tenth grown. A walk in the evening showed no new spe- 

 cies, and scarcely any change in the birds from what tliey were a week 

 before. The night of the 1st it rained all night incessantly, but not hard, 

 the wind changing after 10 p. m., from south to north. In the morning we 

 had a few hours of sunlight, and again steady rain from the afternoon of the 

 2d until 9 a. m. of the 3d. Yet these two dark, stormy nights brought us our first 

 Summer birds, and marked a distinct and decided change from Spring to 

 Summer. They brought us the house wren and the chippy, large flocks of 

 white-throated sparrows and blackbirds, and, at last, the warblers. Six spe- 

 cies were identified before a pelting rain drove me out of the woods. 



May 4. — The night of the 3d was cold and foggy, mercury at 40 dgs., with 

 north wind, and that of the 4th was not much better. But little movement 

 took place, and the new birds noted — small billed water thrush, blue-yellow 

 backed warbler, warbling vireo, etc., were in small numbers and inconspic- 

 uous. 



May 5. — The afternoon was enlivened by the song of the first bobolink. A ' 

 warm evening, and perfectly clear, still night, with mercurj^ at 46 dgs. 



May 6. — I expected to find that great movements had been taking place, 

 and, indeed, considerable change was apparent, but a rain set in fifteen 

 minutes after I left home at G a. m. and continued until just before I returned 

 at 8 :30 a. m. I found the first kingbird of the season awaiting me, around 

 the corner was the first rosebreasted grosbeak, as full of song as he could 

 hold, and at last a ^atbird, nearly three weeks behind his time. "White 

 throats had noted the favorable night and left. I found only one-tenth of 

 yesterday's numbers. In the evening there was a strong south wind, with 

 much thunder and lightning, and a little rain ; very dark. Cleared off some 

 time in the night. 



May 7. — At 4 a. m. it was clear, with southwest wind and mercurj-^ at 58 dgs. 

 Alternately cloudy and clear all day with wind suddenly changiiig to north 

 at 10 a. m. Maximum temperature 70 dgs. Not much movement of any 

 species, but some changes in nearly all. The chippy, chimney swifts, grass 

 finches, phoebes, and martins have increased somewhat, and are in about full 

 Summer numbers. The greatest change to-day is produced b}- the arrival 

 of numbers of Baltimore orioles, rosebreasted grosbeaks, and red-headed 

 woodpeckers, all in full voice, and the scream of the latter trying vainly 

 to drown the beautiful melodies of the other two. 



May 8-May 9. — The next two days brought little, but rain with variable 

 winds from north to south. The afternoon and evening of the 9th the rain 

 fell in torrents, flooding the whole country. Much of my best ground is 

 changed to marsh. 



May 10. — The rain ceased at 3 a. m., and a walk in the woods from 5 :30 to 

 8:30 a. m. revealed considerable movement among the birds. The most 

 noticeable changes were the arrival of the goldfinches in flocks, and the de- 

 cided increase in the bobolinks. The females of the grosbeaks, towhees 



