20 Bird Miyration in the Alistiissij)pi Valley. 



come. On the 11th they were still scarce and first song was heard on the 

 8th. March 14, numbers were feeding on soft ground in company with 

 blackbirds and flickers, and on the 16th were found on the prairie at their 

 old stands and in two small flocks, but not numerous and noisy. April 3, at 

 :20 p. m. the voices of wandering robins were distinctly heard flying over 

 the city. Wherever I went on the 4th I found robins. Height of the tran- 

 sient visitation April 4 to 8. Jefferson. — Summer sojourner. First bird seen 

 on March 1, and no more until the 14th, and then only two. On the 17th I saw 

 the first flock, about thirteen. No migration of any kind from then until 

 March 23, after which they very slowly increased. The only large flock seen 

 this Spring was on April 6. The height of song and of numbers was on April 

 12, when single ones and pairs were seen everywhere : but two days later all 

 the transients had apparently left. The first egg was found on April 27. 



Mocking bird {M. polyglottus). St. Louis. — Summer resident. On New 

 Year's day three were seen. April 16 1 heard the first song, and on the 17th 

 two more songsters. May 1. Ranks are filling up slowly as usual. — Jeffer- 

 son. Does not occur here except as a straggler. 



Catbird {O. carolinensis). St. Louis. — Summer sojourner. First one seen 

 on April 18, which was in high plumage, but silent. April 22. A slight in- 

 crease and singing a little. April 29. Still comparatively quiet and scarce. 

 May 1. Still scarce. A morning's walk reveals less than half a dozen. May 

 3. The bulk of the birds arrived to-day and many migrating flocks and many 

 more came during the following night. May 14. Found the first set of eggs, 

 and on the 16th many diligent and conspicuous songsters. Jefferson. — Sum- 

 mer sojourner. May 6 first saw three, nearly three weeks behind time. On 

 the 7th they had increased greatly ; probably twenty per cent, are here, and 

 they are very noisy. May 10. The bulk of the birds. May 12 to 19. Height 

 of the migration. 



Brown Thrush {H. rufus). St. Louis. — Summer sojourner. First seen on 

 April 5. Bulk on the 9th and the height of the migration from 9th to 16th. 

 Jefferson. — Summer sojourner. First seen on April 25. For some reason 

 this immediate vicinity is disliked and shunned by this species. After the 

 first one, which was seen again the next day, no more were seen until May 

 3 and 4, one on each day ; and on the 6th five more were seen. This last 

 date might be called the height of the migration for this place, as at no other 

 time have I seen more than three a day and two-thirds of the time none at all, 

 though in the woods all day long. 



Bluebird (5. strtZis). St. Louis. — Summer resident. In January these were 

 first seen but only single birds, no flocks. February 13. Birds are mating, 

 and up to the 24th were a great many arrivals ; about half the birds seem 

 to be back, being in pairs or pairing. March 4. The bluebirds were the 

 chief birds of the past week. They were seen and heard everywhere ; the 

 males doing most of the warbling; the females most of the fighting. I 

 caught two females in my hands, which had come down to the ground in 

 combat. Jefferson. — Summer sojourner. On March 11 four were seen for 

 the first time, slowly increased from that date on. Some were paired wne 

 they arrived, the rest mated as soon as they came. March 17. Thej' began 

 to be quite common, but the cold put a stop to all migration until the 23d, 

 after which they have been quite numerous. April 9. They are now to be 



