^°!gi^^^] Williams, Birds of Leon County, Fla. 459 



I have observed or learned, the bird has made its appearance in my 

 county but once. On the 23rd of April, 1901, I was summoned to the 

 home of a lady friend to identify for her certain little birds which had 

 lately made her back yard a temporary home. Arriving there late in the 

 evening I found a number of these birds quietly feeding in the grass of 

 her lawn. Though I had not before seen the species, it was no difficult 

 task to identify them. She said they had been there for four days. I did 

 not find them elsewhere, and they disappeared in a few days as mysteri- 

 ously as they had come. I was told by reliable citizens of Apalachicola 

 that the birds were such a pest there at this time that the people of the 

 city were obliged, in their opinion, to protect their gardens by resort to 

 the gun. I can account for this unusual occurrence of the bird in 

 northern Florida upon one hypothesis only. Just at this time a fearful 

 storm raged on the Gulf coast just to the south of Tallahassee. Many , 

 vessels were wrecked, and houses destroyed in one of the seacoast towns. 

 Much of the wind and some of the rain reached my county. This may 

 have driven the birds inland during their migration. 



109. Piranga erythromelas. Scarlet Tanager. — I have but one 

 record of its occurrence in the county. 



no. Piranga rubra. Summer Tanager. — A common summer resi- 

 dent ; nests abundantly. Arrives about March 30. After the nesting sea- 

 son and before leaving in the fall they become very recluse. 



111. Progne subis. Purple Mx\rtin. — Common summer resident, 

 arriving in some numbers by February 15. Records for arrival for three 

 years: 1901, Feb. 20, 2 males; 1902, Feb. 14, 3, 2 males, 1 female; 1903, 

 Feb. S, 2. Those that come first remain. They are well established in 

 their summer quarters by the middle of March. I always erect for them 

 a house in our backyard and one of the pleasantest features of the long 

 summer is the cheerful note of this bird. They begin to quit their nest- 

 ing places about the middle of June, when they betake themselves and 

 their young to the topmost branches of the tallest oaks, there to remain 

 till the young are able to shift for themselves. They leave the county 

 about the middle of July, but occasionally large flocks may be seen pass- 

 ing over till the middle of September. My latest record is September 27 

 (1901). 



112. Iridoprocne bicolor. Tree Swallow. — Migrant, occurring at 

 irregular intervals, remaining only a few days. My records are : igoo, 

 April 29 and May 5 ; 1902, March 30; 1903, March 26. 



113. Riparia riparia. Bank Swallow. — So far as I can learn it is a 

 migrant only, visiting the county in spring and late summer. I have 

 seen it in numbers on April 16 (1900) and August 28 (1901). It is said to 

 nest abundantly at St. Marks. 



114. Ampelis cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing. — Common winter resi- 

 dent, prolonging its stay late into the spring. Arrives very irregularly, 

 sometimes in October and again not until a month and a half later. My 

 earliest record of appearance is October 19 (1901), the latest May 8 (1903). 



