16 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 110 



which were still left from the preceding year. Thus, with- 

 in the time from eight A. M. until very late in the after- 

 noon the bluebird record was reported. The eight o'clock 

 record of the morning was of interest in that some birds 

 were then past the city and were seen going in a north- 

 westerly direction. 



There were several evidences that the birds were 

 hungry for they were reported by several observers as 

 stopping long enough to pick up some dried berries, or 

 other seed food. 



The reason for the comiDaratively long pause in going 

 through the city may be found, I think, in the protection 

 which the buildings offered. The very early date of their 

 arrival may explain their deliberateness in proceeding. 



On March fifteenth, the record tells us that the sun 

 was shining brightly, and that the mercury stood at twenty 

 above zero.^ On the sixteenth, there was quite a different 

 report. " A howling blizzard. 9 :30 A. M. mercury thirty 

 degrees above zero. There had been four telephone calls 

 from persons solicitous for the welfare of the birds." ^ We 

 find on that date that three persons reported bluebirds 

 seen, but only stray individuals ; no flocks were recorded at 

 all. At twelve-thii'ty P. M. Master Harold Fredrickson 

 and his sister went in the blizzard to several evergreen out- 

 posts which are located on a point of the riverbank directly 

 in the migration route which we have followed. They ex- 

 pected that there might be some small birds there which 

 would need food. But when they reached the spot a large 

 marsh hawk flew from one of the trees. On the way to 

 school, these observers saw several bluebirds seeking 

 shelter in an evergreen. 



Later records for the bluebird during this same season 

 are to be found in the same notes. On March twentieth 

 Harold Fredrickson reported finding three dead bluebirds 

 near a brick school building against which I presume they 

 had been dashed by the violence of the blizzard. The day 



^ From Record of Mrs. Mary Button, Bureau Recorder. 



