DELAWARE VALLEY OENITHOLOGICAL CLUB. il 



George School, Wm. E. Roberts. 



George School, Jesse Packer. 



Easton, Echv. J. F. Marx. 



Columbia, Wm. F. Rochow. 



Marietta, W. H. Buller. 



Lopez, Otto Behr. 



The spring migration of 1908 at Philadelphia was more ir- 

 regular than usual apparently owing to the more frequent rises 

 and falls in the temperature and the consequent breaking-up of 

 large waves into a number of smaller ones. The greatest move- 

 ments were on March 27, April 25-26, May 2-3; 8-9 and 13 ; 

 that of April 25-26 being tlie largest. On the whole the dates 

 of arrival were early. Of sixty-four species concerning which 

 we have the fullest record the first arrival within ten miles of 

 Philadelphia was earlier than the average of the past six years 

 in -10 species, equal to the average in 7 and later in 17. Taking 

 bulk arrivals 39 species were earlier than the average, 5 equal 

 and 20 later. Owing to the well-known irregularity of early 

 stragglers however, the first arrival in some species may be early 

 while the bulk movement is late and vice versa. In fact in the 

 above statement which seems to agree so closely there are 26 

 species in which one date is early and the other late. 



Taking the birds whose bulk movement usually occurs in 

 February or March we find that all were from two to nine days 

 earlier than the average except the Fox Sparrow (2 days late) 

 and the FUcker, Meadow Lark and Field Sparrow, which being 

 partially resident, are not very satisfactory for migration studies. 

 The Phoebe was seven days earlier than the average and one day 

 earlier than ever before. Among the April migrants the bulk 

 movements were early or normal in all but two species, the 

 Bank Swallow and Chimney Swift, which were respectively two 

 and three days later than the average. 



The wave of April 23 and 26 occasioned remarkably early 

 movements on the part of manj' species; the Brown Thrasher, 

 House Wren, Grasshopper Sparrow, Maryland Yellowthroat, 

 Solitary Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Ovenbird, Catbird and Wood 

 Thrush came in bulk three to four days earlier than the average 

 and from one to two days earlier than ever before recorded. 



