165 



W. De Clarenze, Brant, Saginaw Connty, Mich. : Two seen April 4; next 

 seen April 10. For some reason Bluebirds are very scarce this season. 



In the vicinity of Chicago, 111., their absence was very noticeable. 



Eliot Blackwelder, Morgan Park, 111., informs me : Bluebirds have been 

 extremely scarce this year. Have seen two single birds — March 28 and May 10; 

 two 2)airs and one family of six. This makes in all twelve birds. Only one is 

 recorded by the Chicago Academy of Science for Lincoln Park, Chicago. Sep- 

 tember 11 saw a flock of eleven sitting on a telegraph wire near my home. Last 

 seen October 28. 



L. A. and C. D. Test: Last seen (at Lafayette, Ind.) October 18. Usually 

 abundant, but this year strangely rare. Have seen Bluebirds but twice, and am 

 at a loss to account for their absence 



At Brookville, Ind., they were as abundant aa usual in the fall and almost 

 every nice day through November and December, 1894. After the severe weather 

 last winter none were seen. Only a few were noted in the spring and none through 

 the summer of 1895. I do not know that any bred here. This fall they have 

 been more noticeable, but still are very rare. September 20 saw five in my gar- 

 den with flock of sparrows. September 22 saw three, one adult, two young. No- 

 vember 2 saw four. November 4, quite a flock. November 23, one, the last. 



2. Tardus migratorius (Linn.), American Kobin. 



Noticeably scarcer this year than usual. In some localities almost as few as 

 Bluebirds. 



Mrs. Jane L. Hine, Sedan, Ind., reports them not more than one-half to two- 

 thirds as numerous as last year. 



L. A. and C. D. Test, the past fall, say : Not as common as usual the past 

 fall. 



S. W. CoUett, Upland, Ind., writes: Very scarce. A remarkable year for 

 scarcity of Robins and. Bluebirds. Have not seen more than a dozen of either 

 kind. 



Reported very scarce in and about Chicago, 111. A daily paper there notes 

 that but one Robin's nest was all that vigilant search revealed in Lincoln Park 

 this year, where formerly there were hundreils of them. A single pair was seen 

 in Oakwood Cemeterv and three or four in Washington Park. 



O. B. Warren, Palmer, Mich., says they were much scarcer than in 1894. 



As to the general scarcity of certain birds, the following specific information 

 will give some idea. 



Alexander Black, Greencastle, Ind., says we did not have sucii numbers of 

 warblers as we usually have. We saw a few Black-throated Green Warblers, a 

 few Yellow-rump Warblers, and one or two Canada Warblers. 



