Jones — Birds of Cedar Point. 99 



172. Pipilo enjthrophthalmus. — Towbee. 



Commou everywhere in w/3ods from late March or early April 

 to the first week iu October (October 15, 1906), a few remain all 

 winter. On the Cedar Point sand spit it is abnndant during the 

 spring migration, but not more than half a dozen pairs breed there, 

 and those in the woods and thickets west of the resort grounds. 

 The Towhees form a part of the second migration wave, which 

 sweeps through about the middle of March (March 6, 1899, March 

 22, 1901). My latest record in fall is November 4, 1907. All but 

 the few winter birds have usually gone south by the beginning of 

 the last week in October. The males which stay all winter sing 

 on warm days in late February. A bright colored male spent the 

 winter of 1902-3 in the arbor vitae hedge whidh borders the Second 

 Congregational yard on two sides. This is across the street from 

 a business house — really in the heart of town. It was heard sing- 

 ing faintly nearly every day during the winter, usually from deep 

 in the hedge. I was surprised not to find the Towbee on any of 

 the islands visited, not even Put-in-Bay nor Pelee, both of which 

 abound in typical habitats. This may account for its small num- 

 bers on Point Pelee, as noted by Taveruer and Swales. I have 

 twice found nests of this bird in open pastures more than ten rods 

 from any brush or woods, but such pastures were recently cleared 

 woodland. 



173. Card ill a I is canliiiaiis. — Cardinal. 



The story of the Cardinal in the region is one of gradually in- 

 creasing numbers for the thirty .years of record available to me. 

 Prior to 1890 it was practically confined to the river gorges, where 

 it had increased to tolerably commou locally, but was not known in 

 the towns. To all but the initiated it was regarded as a stranger. 

 It gradually spread from the river gorges over the wooded parts of 

 the region generally, a pair or two at most being recorded for any 

 upland woods. In 1898 three pairs nested in Oberlin, and nearly 

 every brushy woods harbored a pair or more, except that it seemed 

 to be absent in any woods within a mile of the lake. In 1901. on 

 a trip to the islands with Mr. W. L. Dawson, it was recorded on 

 East Sister, but was not noted elsewhere. It was again noted on 

 East Sister in August, 1904. During a stay of three days (August 

 29 to September 1st), in 1905, on Pelee Island, the Cardinal was 

 found to be one of the characteristic birds there. Subsequent trips 

 to Pelee Island and to other islands indicate that this bird is still 

 increasing in numbers and extending its range. There has never 

 been the slightest indication of a migration movement. Usually 

 the birds are well scattered over the whole region, but occasionally, 



