2Q2 Kopman, Warbler Migration in La. and Miss. \ t"\ 



This seems a more natural method than striking an ideal average 

 date upon which the species may never have arrived ! 



i. Black-and-white Warbler. — Professor Cooke calls atten- 

 tion to the lateness of the spring arrival of this species in south- 

 ern Louisiana, where it is common only in fall. It is much 

 commoner in spring at Bay St. Louis, and doubtless usually 

 arrives there about March 20, the date on which Professor Cooke 

 would expect to find it. We have but one complete spring 

 record from Bay St. Louis; this is for the year 1902, and shows 

 that the first Black-and-white Warbler came March 15, the next 

 March 24, while the bulk of transients arrived April 10. The 

 birds seen at New Orleans usually belong to the last designation, 

 and that is the reason the arrival at New Orleans nearly always 

 seems so much delayed, if it is detected at all. Professor Cooke 

 thinks that the reason the Black-and-white Warbler usually delays 

 its uncertain appearance at New Orleans is because the first 

 migrants seek higher ground. The early arrival of the species on 

 the coast of Mississippi shows, however, that this is only partly 

 true ; the difference in the character of the growth appears to 

 explain the phenomenon, though, of course, this difference is 

 partly associated with the altitude. Moreover, the Black-and- 

 White Warbler was observed at New Orleans, Mar. 19 and 20, 

 1905. 



2. Prothonotary Warbler. — Professor Cooke gives the 

 average date of arrival at New Orleans as March 18. This is 

 about as near the truth as one can come. It might be said that in 

 normal seasons they would always be found by March 20. and not 

 infrequently from one to three days earlier. In fact, there is a 

 record of March 13, another of March 15, while twice the first has 

 arrived March 19. 



3. Swainson's Warbler. — Since the publication of Professor 

 Cooke's book, we have established Louisiana records consider- 

 ably earlier than any available to him when he was at work on his 

 report. April 1, 1904, we heard about four in Jefferson Parish, 

 opposite New Orleans, in a cane brake in thick, moist woodland 

 where the species had been observed in April during several 

 springs. On this occasion we took a specimen ; several other 

 specimens had been taken previously. It is not unlikely that the 



