RANDOM NOTES ON NATURAL HISTORY. 



among the atmospheric conditions tliat are 

 known to exert marked effects upon their 

 movements, The opening of the leaves 

 and the flowering of certain plants, with the 

 correlative appearance of a multitude of 

 insects, are also among the factors that 

 have to do with the abundance of many 

 species. 



The time of a bird's appearance at a 

 certain place does not depend so much upon 

 the weather at that place, as upon the 

 weather at some distant point (perhaps 

 several hundred miles away) in the direc- 

 tion from which it comes. It is probable 

 that all North American birds, excepting a 

 few of the grouse family, are migrants to a 

 greater or less degree. Many resident 

 species are migrants as individuals, their 

 summer and winter ranges overlapping. 

 Most birds migrate chiefl}' b}' night. In 

 clear weather the}^ fly high, often from one 

 to two miles above the country over which 

 they are passing, thus pbtaining an unob- 

 structed view of a large extent of territory', 

 which enables them to lav out their course 

 by definite landmarks. During dark nights, 

 particularly' in foggy weather, they often 

 lose their wa}-, become confused, and fl^' 

 directly toward any light that may chance 

 to lie within the field of vision. Thus, every 

 year, many thousands dash themselves to 

 death against light-houses and light-ships. 



The great majorit}' of birds migrate b}' 

 definite routes, following the same course 

 year after year. These '' avenues of migra- 

 tion " are most strongly marked in aquatic, 

 marsh, aud I'iver-dwelling species. It is 

 also well known that, in nearly all birds, 

 the same individuals return to the same 

 identical locality, year after year. 



In the short space allotted to this article 

 it is impossible to give credit to the multi- 

 tude of individuals who have contril)uted 

 the material on which it is based. Suffice 

 it, then, to return thanks collective!}' to the 

 thirteen superintendents who have spared 

 neither pains nor expense to* make their re- 

 ports as full and valuable as possible ; and 

 to the observers, nearly one tliousand in 

 nuuiber, without whose industry and zeal 

 the committee would have nothing to re- 

 port. 



The southernmost station from which the 

 committee has received returns is the light- 

 house at Sombrero Key (near Ke}' West), 



off southern Florida. It is, from its geo- 

 grajjhicai pusitiun, a veiy important station, 

 and, forluuatel}', is in charge of a most 

 excellent keeper, Mr. M. E. Spencer, who 

 has already sent the chairman several pack- 

 ages of birds for identification — among 

 them one of the rarest of all North Amer- 

 ican species. From this point northward to 

 Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island, the 

 Magdalens, Newfoundland, Belle Isle, and 

 Greenly Island, off Labrador, numerous and 

 valuable returns have been sent in by intel- 

 ligent light-keepers, and are now in the 

 hands of the committee. 



Following are the dates at which a few 

 common aud well-known birds were re- 

 corded from various localities in North 

 America, during the spring of 1884.* 



* The data here si^en constitute but a small portion 

 of the material in hand coiiuerniny tlio species men- 

 tioned, and have been selected mi rely to show in a 

 general way the movement of the van during- the past 

 season. 



Catbird (.Mimus carDlinensia). 



Ptatesville, N. C April 16 



Tree Hill. Tenn " 15 



Buffalo, W. Va " 37 



Crtmden, Ind " 27 



Columbus, O " 26 



Petersburg, Mich " 29 



Cleveland,© May 1 



Battle Creek, Mich ... " 1 



New Le.\;ington, Penn April 29 



Philadelphia, Penn May 1 



Atglen, Penn "* 4 



Brooklyn,, Penn " 8 



Sing Sing, N. Y " 2 



Albany. N. Y " 3 



Tully.N.Y " 5 



Lockport, N. \^ " 6 



Painted Post, N. Y " S 



Locust Grove, N. 5r.... " 12 



Lowville, N. Y " 13 



Watertown, N. Y ... " 23 



Lake George, N. Y " 13 



HamraondviUe, N. Y " 18 



Montreal, Canada " 20 



Quebec, Canada June 1 



Sa\ brook. Conn May 3 



East Hartford, Conn " .5 



Holyoke, Mass " 11 



Greenfield, Mass " 12 



Wing's Neck, Mass " 17 



Thetford, Vt " 19 



Burlington, Iowa April 20 



Pierce City, -Mo ' 26 



Manhattan, Kinsas " 28 



Des Moines, Iowa '• 30 



Amos, Iowa May 8 



Vermillion, Dakota " 8 



Minneapolis, Minn ... " 9 



Fra/^ee City, Minn .. " 17 



Aliia. Neb " 14 



London, Ont. " 1 



Hamilton, Ont " 3 



Port Colborne, Ont.... " 1 



Listowel, Ont '• 8 



Leimington, Ont *' 1.5 



Presque Island, Ont. " 15 



Wolf Island, Ont June 1 



Use a la Pierre May 15 



Farther Point, P. Que., Canada " 12 



The Baltimore Oriole (Icterus ga.IMda) is 

 rather a late comer, usually waiting for 



