Jones — Birds of Cedar Point. 101 



were seen the next two summers, and in 1899 but one nesting pair 

 was found, and that west of Elyria. None were found in 1900. In 

 1901 one was recorded on July 1, 15 and 19, and three on July 22, 

 all near Oak Toint. It was wholly absent in 1902 and 1903. In 

 1904 two were found on May 9, and one on Allay 12, near Oak Point. 

 It was absent in 1905 and 1906. In 1907 five singing individuals 

 were noted in a field a mile west of Huron, where they appeared to 

 be nesting. In 1908 one was found at the same place on June 1. 

 There were none in 1909. The Dickcissel covild hardly have oc- 

 curred in the region until considerable clearings appeared in the 

 primeval forest, unless it found suitable habitats in the vicinity of 

 Sandusky, since it is a bird of the open country. It prefers fields 

 in which, or near which, there are a few scattering trees to which 

 it may fly when it sings, but a convenient telephone or telegraph 

 line will serve, or even a wire fence if necessary. The reasons for 

 its fluctuations cannot be even hinted at witli the data at .hand. 



177. J'iraiHja ('riithro)iiela^. — 'Scarlet Tanager. 



Common in woods from about the first of May until the first of 

 September. The median date of arrival is Miay 1. It thus is among 

 the leaders of the van of the great migration wave. The last fall 

 record is October 2, 1901. It is a common migrant at Cedar Point, 

 and three were recorded at the Lake Laboratory during the sum- 

 mer of 1908. Several were always noted in the woods west of the 

 resort grounds. I have not recorded it from any of the isluads, but 

 it undoubtedly nests on the larger islands which have considerable 

 growths of woods. One pair nests upon the Oberlin College cam- 

 pus pretty regularly. The typical nesting habitat is a mixed de- 

 ciduous woods of moderate density. I have found nests near the 

 border of such woods more often than elsewhere. 



178. Prognc suhis. — Purple MSartin. 



Only scattered colonies of Martins remain to remind us of the 

 much greater numbers which inhabited the region in earlier years. 

 Th8 largest colony known to the writer is one in the city of San- 

 dusky. From this center birds fly out in every direction, mingling 

 with the swallows over the harbor, marsh, and sand spit, and even 

 out over the lake. The individuals which may be seen from the 

 Lake Laboratory could be easily counted at any time, but the al- 

 most constant presence of the birds in the air during the day in- 

 clines one to the use of the term " common " for indicating the rel- 

 ative abundance of the species. In the Oberlin and Vermilion 

 quadrangles the colonies are small and few. Some individuals 

 would be seen during any outdoor study of an hour or more, in 

 practically any region. I know of no colonies except in towns or 



