Ta\;erner and Sw.v.les, ox Birds of Poixt Pelee. 93 



some regularity in tlieir movements. First tliere is a steady stream 

 out the Point, then it flows back again towards the base and then out 

 again. This movement, however, is not A'ery marljed and by ten or 

 eleven o'clock it is lost entirely and it is every bird for itself. This 

 great abundance lasted, in 190.3, three days, and the next year four, 

 when they gradually began to thin out, though to the latest of our 

 stay (the 22d, in 190G), they still remained more than common, and at 

 least fifty could be observed in a day. All this time there was a 

 steady stream flying across the lake towards the Ohio shore. 

 Near the extreme end of the Point is a wooden observatroy 

 tower built by the U. S. Lake Survey for the purpose of making ob- 

 servations on the changes of the shore contour. It is about fifty feet 

 high, and stands with its base in the red cedar thicket whilst the 

 platform rises well above all surrounding foliage. On tliis vantage 

 point Saunders and Taverner took their, stand the 18th, and with 

 watch in hand counted the Sharp-shins that passed, nearly all within 

 gunshot. From 11 :24 to 11 :r)4, 281 passed us, 207 making for the end 

 of the Point and 74 returning, making 133 that started across the lake 

 within half an hour. As far as we could make out without remain- 

 ing on the spot the whole time this rate was kept up all day and 

 every day of the greatest abundance of the species. The 13th was the 

 last day of the great flight in lOOo, but i^wales, driving into Leaming- 

 ton, five miles from the base, found them as common the whole way 

 between as they were on the Point itself. As he drove along every 

 field had its quota of hawks and at times every fence post supported 

 one. Even in the business section of Leamington he saw a number. 

 The hawks were very bold and fearless, dashing by us often so 

 closely that we could feel the wind on our cheek from their wings. 

 Quite often it happened, once three times in one day, that just as we 

 had our guns aimed at a bird we wished to collect, there was a swoop 

 of a dark body, a few choked twitterings from the victim, and our 

 intended specimen was carried off in the talons of a rapacious lit- 

 tle freebooter. The effect of this great abundance' of hawk life upon 

 the smaller birds and mammals was very marked, and thej' kept in 

 close covert. The Blue Jay could hardly be made to forsake its 

 grapevines, and when at last forced to do so glided swiftly 

 and silently to the nearest cover, reserving expression of its pent-up 

 feelings until within safe recesses again. The Brown Thrasher and 

 Towhee preferred to slink deeper within their tangle, on our approach, 

 than to seek a new one ; and the Red Squirrels overhead hurriedly 

 gathered what nuts they could and scurried away to their hollow 

 trees, refraining from scolding us until safe within their woody fast- 

 nesses again. When, however, forced into the open by hunger the 

 first sight of a hawk caused many of the small bii'ds to "freeze" in- 

 stantly and then they would remain absolutely still until the imme- 

 diate danger had passed, and in all cases noted such birds were 



