32 AVIFAUNA COLUMBIANA. 



witnessed ourselves was a great troop of a hundred or more Orchard 

 Orioles in the Smithsonian Grounds, rambling with a few Baltiinores 

 over the new-mown grass like a flock of Blackbirds, while at the same 

 moment, on turning the head, the black, white, and rose-color of the 

 beautiful Grosbeak was seen contrasted with the green over head; 

 Summer Warblers, Black-and-yellow Warblers, and Chestnut-sided 

 Warblers were skipping together through the tender foliage ; Hermit 

 Thrushes were hiding in the evergreen shrubbery, and the ubiquitous 

 Sparrows were chaffering and dickering on every hand. 



The rare birds were in due proportion more numerous than ever before. 

 We have knowledge of nine Cape May Warblers taken this season. 

 The Golden-winged, Blue-winged Yellow, and Nashville Warblers were 

 all not uncommon. Several specimens of the Connecticut Warbler, 

 never seen here before in the spring, and the rare Mourning Warbler, 

 seldom known to have been captured in the District, were also taken. 



The weather was unquestionably the cause of this apparition. Con- 

 sidering the country at large, it held the birds back; they could not 

 make their usual headway against so protracted a storm; and even 

 after it ceased here, there was a cold wave north of us which retarded 

 their advance. It also seemed to have deflected the ordinary line of 

 migration from the highway of the Appalachian chain to the lower-lying 

 land between these mountains and the sea-coast. In a word, a broad 

 stream of birds flowing northward was contracted between compara- 

 tively narrow banks and then obstructed in its course, the District 

 happening to fall just in the main channel. This seems sufficient to 

 account for the phenomenon. As to the multitudes of birds in the city 

 itself — for we cannot imagine the whole country round about to have 

 been equally overcharged — we must suppose them to have been driven 

 in by cold and hunger. They acted for the most part as though chilled 

 and starved, showing no more fear of man than the Sparrows them- 

 selves, and some that were shot being found greatly emaciated. 



Evidence of the correctness of this view of the case will be found by 

 consulting the weather charts for the period in mention. Paragraphs 

 in relation to the weather as affecting birds appeared in various north- 

 ern journals, though nothing like the "tidal wave" we witnessed here 

 seems to have been elsewhere noted. 



With these cursory remarks we proceed to the annotated list of the 

 species which have been ascertained to occur in the ] Hstrict. Our obser- 

 vations, from which this paper has been prepared, extend over a period 

 of about twenty-five years, during which such time as could properly be 

 spared from other pursuits has been devoted to the study of birds. No 

 species has been admitted which has not actually been taken in the Dis- 

 trict or its immediate vicinity. We indicate the probable occurrence of 

 a few more, none of which,' however, are included in the enumeration. 

 The dates given for the arrivals and departures of the non-residents are. 

 in any case the mean of those recorded during successive years, since they 



