58 Bui let 171 No. 27. 



full of young ones, crying lustily for food. Judging from their voices I 

 should think they were nearly a week old. This is pretty good evidence 

 the Downy don't always finish one job before beginning another, and 

 must have still been at work enlarging the nesting cavity until the time 

 the eggs were nearly ready to hatch — or it is possible just at that "par- 

 ticular moment it may have been after some insect boring in the trunk 

 of the tree. In either case I was neatly fooled out of a set of eggs. 



ViRGiNius H. Chase, Wadv Petra, Illijiois. 



THE EFFECT OF A STORM UPON THE BIRDS. 



The following letter is of so much interest that the editor takes the 

 liberty of reproducing it in print, altho it comes in the form of a per- 

 sonal letter giving information about the migrations. 



The first appearance of both Robins and Bluebirds occurred March 

 15. One Robin and two Bluebirds were seen on that date. A heavy 

 snow-storm came next day and everything was covered with ice for ten 

 days. All birds suffered severely during this period. Crows came into 

 people's yards ; an Acadian Owl was found exhausted in the high-way, 

 taken in and an effort make to save its life, but in vain. An examination 

 of its body showed clearly that it died of starvation. The Robins and 

 Bluebirds either died or went south, and nothing was seen of them again 

 until April ist, when they suddenly became common. The tide of 

 returning birds had evidently been increasing along the southern limit 

 of snow, and when the snow began to disappear during two or three 

 warm days, the birds came in unusual numbers, for the first real flight. 

 Both robins and Bluebirds were here in maximum numbers April 5th, 

 and on April nth the Bluebird flight was over, only summer residents 

 remaining. Robins remain abundant. 



Ned Dearborn, Durham, N. //. 



JUNE CENSUSES. 



Editor Bulletin. — On the 13th of June, 1899, I find the following 

 occupied birds' nests on and around my farm buildings, which consist 

 of one dwelling, two barns, and other out buildings, encompassed in a 

 space fourteen by sixteen rods. Said space contains forty-six trees : 

 Maple, Cottonwood, Elm, Oak and Balm of Gilead, from forty to sixty 



