16 Kopman, Birds of Louisiana. [jan. 



extreme southeastern portion is, however, limited and local. At New 

 Orleans it is not often seen after the spring migration, and is not conspicu- 

 ous again until at least the middle of August. During the summer of 

 1909, however, being often in the commercial section of the city in the even- 

 ings, I noticed Nighthawks on numerous occasions, sailing above the taller 

 buildings, the flat roofs of which are usually covered with broken shell, 

 and the probability of the bird using such places to nest occurred to me. 

 The majority of such structures, ten and twelve story office buildings, have 

 been erected in New Orleans within the last decade, and they would furnish 

 more nearly the proper nesting sites for the Nighthawk than any other 

 character of surface in the region about New Orleans. 



The Nighthawk arrives in southern Louisiana with remarkable regularity. 

 Out of twenty or more dates of arrival, fully two thirds are April 10-12. 

 The remainder are a day or so earlier or later. In the fall, there is a decided 

 increase of transients after the middle of August. The most remarkable 

 flight I have ever seen was observed near Convent, in St. James parish, 

 about fifty miles above New Orleans on the Mississippi river, on Sept. 11, 



1894. The flight was heaviest for the half hour preceding sun-down. 

 The birds kept close to the river and were flying downstream, which at 

 that point was about southeast. The Nighthawk becomes rather incon- 

 spicuous after the 20th of September. The last are usually seen in the last 

 week of October, and the latest date of which I have a record is Nov. 3, 



1895, at Chef Menteur, La. 1 



189. Florida Nighthawk (Chordeiles virginianus chapmani). This 

 interesting subspecies has been observed on the shell reefs in the Gulf in 

 the neighborhood of the mouths of the Mississippi which furnish suitable 

 nesting sites. It is also very common in the prairie sections of central 

 southern and southwestern Louisiana. Great numbers may sometimes be 

 seen sailing low or at moderate elevations throughout the day in perfectly 

 clear weather. The same is true of its habits about the Gulf islands. 



190. Chimney Swift (Chcetura pelagica). A common summer visitor. 

 On the whole, however, I do not believe it is as abundant as formerly, at 

 least in the immediate vicinity of New Orleans, which is doubtless due 

 largely to changes in the method of construction of flues. The average 

 date of arrival is about March 18 at New Orleans, though several seasons 

 I have failed to see any until about March 25, and once or twice I have 

 noted none up to April 1. The swift usually becomes common the last 

 week in March. Several seasons its appearance became general March 26. 

 The earliest movements of which I have a record occurred in 1897, the 

 first appearing March 13, and the species becoming abundant March 19. 

 The season was well advanced, but in 1911 which was one of the earliest 

 springs I have ever known, practically nothing was seen of the swift until 



1 [According to Mr. H. C. Oberholser's ' Monograph of the Genus Chordeiles ' 

 the Florida Nighthawk is the breeding bird everywhere in the lower Mississippi 

 Valley north to southwestern Kentucky and extreme southern Illinois. It would 

 seem therefore that all notes on summer resident birds in Louisiana must refer 

 to this form and not to C. v. virginianus. Ed.] 



