$4 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 52. 



TWO BIRD DAN'S NEAR WASHINGTON, D. C. 



i:v HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 



The vicinity of the city of Washington is relatively not a very 

 good place for birds, even during seasons of migration. So 

 far as we are aware, never more than s:> species have ever been 

 noted here in a single day, and this exceptional record was 

 made, of course, during the spring migration. The following 

 lists, therefore, composed almost entirely of breeding birds, 

 appear to be possibly worthy of publication, as an index of what 

 is to be seen in this vicinity in summer. 



On the first of these days, May 26th, 1905, observation was 

 continued from 1 :30 a. m. to 8:00 p. m. ; and the route lay 

 from the city eight or nine miles by water up the narrow, 

 shallow, Anacostia river to beyond Bladensburg, well-known as 

 a deep water port a hundred years ago, but now far beyond tin 

 reach of navigation except in small boats. The return was 

 made over the same route. The parks of the city with the 

 marshes, swamps, wooded banks, pastures, and fields along the 

 stream furnish a desirable variety of country for ornithological 

 investigations, and on this occasion 59 species were noted, 

 of which all but two — the American Merganser and the Black- 

 poll Warbler — must be regarded as summer residents. 



Following is the list : 



Merganser americanus. — American Merganser. One seen on 

 the river. 



Butorides virescens. — Green Heron. Common. 



Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. — Black-crowned Night Heron. 

 Common. 



Actitis macularia. — Spotted Sandpiper. A few seen. 



Zenaidura macroura. — Mourning Dove. One seen. 



Cathartes aura septentrionalis. — Turkey Vulture. Common. 



Buteo lineatus. — Red-shouldered Hawk. One observed. 



Pandion haliaetus carolinensis. — Fish Hawk. One seen. 



Ceryle alcyon. — Belted Kingfisher. One seen. 

 Dryobates pubescens medianus. — Downy Woodpecker. Tol- 

 erably common. 



Colaptes auratus luteus. — Flicker. Common. 



