Jones, on Birds From a Car Window. 109 



was appreciably earlier than normal, it being more than a week early 

 for the locality. The last eight mentioned species were from a week 

 to two weeks later than the average date of tirst appearance. While 

 this list includes only a few of the species which make up the Spring 

 movement, it is representative of the species found in each locality 

 and may be taken as indicating the bird movements during the past 

 phenomenal Spring. 



BIRDS FROAI A CAR WINDOW AGAIN. 



BY LYNDS JONES. 



In spite of all that has been said and can be said against 

 placing any reliance upon observations from a car window 

 there is a certain value in making as careful records as con- 

 ditions warrant while one is racing across country in a sleep- 

 ing-car. No small part of the value to the individual concerned 

 lies in thus lessening the monotony of the jottrney; as every- 

 one who has attempted this sort of pastime can testify. But 

 there is another value which must not be overlooked, which 

 lies in the comparison of the numbers of individuals of each 

 species which it has been, possible to record with certainty. 

 It has been said that any record made from a car window 

 must be taken with a certain degree of mental reservation. 

 I am inclined to challenge that statement and make the con- 

 trary assertion that it is entirely possible to be as certain of 

 some birds from a car window as it is from any vantage 

 point. Of course this will be true of a limited number of 

 species whose individual characteristics are very marked, or 

 else they must not be recorded except during the time when 

 the train is standing still and the observer is able to make free 

 use of his field-glasses. 



In making the list which follows I have admitted only 

 records which are beyond question in my own mind. This has 

 resulted in the rejection of many records which may have been 

 good but lacked the element of certainty. The list represents 

 much less than half of all of the species actually recorded. 

 Only those are given which seem to be of interest from the 

 standpoint of comparisons. In this list no account is taken 



