Winter Birds About Washington^ D. C. 187 



Bird Lore, 1917, p. 26). Though this bird is considered as a win- 

 ter resident the earliest recorded spring date is February 16, 1908. 



Ruby-crowned Kinglet. — Four Mile Run, Va., December 27, 1916, 

 two. 



Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. — Arlington, Va., January 1, 1917, one 

 (Miss May T. Cooke); the earliest recorded spring date is March 

 30, 1907. 



Robin. — ^January 3, 1917, one (H. H. T. Jackson). A robin fre- 

 quented the holly trees in the Smithsonian Grounds during the 

 first week in February. The species arrived in large numbers 

 from the South soon after the middle of February. 



The species observed by the authors on December 30, 191G, 

 together with those noted at other times by various observers 

 make a total of 81 species that have been seen in the vicinity 

 during the past winter. Doubtless others have been present, 

 but have been overlooked. 



Referring to the District of Columbia list (Cooke, Proc. 

 Biol. Soc. Washington, XXI, 1908, pp. 107-118), we find 

 109 species wdiich may be considered as winter residents, 

 taking the dates used by us (December 1-February 15), as a 

 basis. Of these Cooke lists 43 species as winter residents. 

 The present list includes all of these latter except 7. One of 

 them, the Wild Turkey, is now practically extirpated as a 

 District species. Two others are rare in winter, while the 

 other three are seldom fotmd here at any season. 



Of the entire number of birds observed this winter, only a 

 few can be considered as rare species about the District of 

 Columbia. Those best entitled to be so considered are the 

 Ruffed Grouse, Saw-whet Owl, White-winged and Red Cross- 

 bills, and the Pipit. The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. a common 

 summer resident, is now first added to the number that have 

 been found in winter; the Myrtle Warbler and Mourning 

 Dove are amoiig the rarer residents at this season. The Cape 

 May Warbler is of course only of accidental occurrence at 

 this time. 



