^^8 Cooke, BJeci of Altitude on Bird Migratiou. \^^^ 



the good wish of that man, the hurry he was in, and the vast many 

 heresay accounts he depended on. 



N'ov. 2^th, 1821. Since I left Cincinnati I have finished 62 

 drawings of birds and plants, 3 quadrupeds, 2 snakes, fifty por- 

 traits of all sorts, and the large one of Father Antonio, besides 

 giving many lessons and I have made out to send money to my 

 wife sufficient for her and my Kentucky lads, and to live in hum- 

 ble comfort with only my talents and industry, without one cent 

 to begin on. 



THE EFFECT OF ALTITUDE ON BIRD MIGRATION. 



BY WELLS W. COOKE. 



Surrounded by mountains, Asheville, North Carolina, is situ- 

 ated in the valley of the French Broad River, at an altitude of two 

 thousand feet. Directly east is Raleigh, at about three hundred 

 feet above ocean level. This difference in altitude causes quite a 

 difference in the climate of the two places; the average tempera- 

 ture at Raleigh is about 60° F., while at Asheville it is five degrees 

 colder. The former is in the Austro-riparian life zone, the latter 

 at the extreme upper limit of the Carolinian. A difference in the 

 avifauna naturally follows these variations in climate. The higher 

 altitude of Asheville prevents some birds from occurring there that 

 are found in summer at Raleigh. Among these may be mentioned 

 the Chuck-will's-widow, Blue Grosbeak, and the Prothonotary War- 

 bler. In a larger number of cases, birds remain through the winter 

 at Raleigh that are seldom if ever found at Asheville during this 

 season. Examples of this class are the Swamp Sparrow, Chewink, 

 Brown Thrasher, and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. These all appear 

 at Asheville as spring migrants. 



A few mountain-loving species are regular visitors at Asheville, 

 but occur as rare stragglers only at Raleigh. The Baltimore 

 Oriole is a striking example, and the same preference is shown by 

 the Olive-sided Flycatcher and the Blackburnian Warbler. 



