(3 Beyer, Allison, Kopman, Birds of Louisiana. [jan. 



the parishes bordering the Mississippi in southeast Louisiana, and 

 its bird life is appreciably different from that of the typical cypress 

 and tupelo swamp. 



The alternation of these two very mobile types of woodland 

 with one another, and with the less important marshes, gives 

 another highly interesting set of problems in distribution. With 

 the gradual elevation of the country, such species as the Bob-white, 

 the Florida Blue Jay, the Southern Meadowlark, and the Towhee, 

 are gradually acquiring a wider coastwise dispersion. Some spots 

 in this region, though probably not more than eight or ten feet 

 above sea-level, have positively a slight upland cast in the ap- 

 pearance of their woodland, and the effect of this difference upon 

 bird life cannot be better appreciated than during the migrations, 

 when transient life will be largely attracted to such spots. 



The peculiarity of the delta plain region is attested in a variety 

 of ways. By virtue of its latitude, Louisiana might be expected 

 to attract a considerable number of tropical birds in summer. As 

 a matter of fact, however, it does not. But the few tropical birds 

 occurring in the State in the warmer months seem restricted to 

 the delta plain region. 



To just what extent the avifauna of southeast Louisiana par- 

 takes of a tropical nature is shown by the occurrence and status 

 of the following species: The Booby is a rather rare summer vis- 

 itor to the water-broken region of the southeast; the Scarlet Ibis 

 appears at exceedingly rare intervals; the White-winged Dove has 

 been found in limited numbers on the coast islands; the Mangrove 

 Cuckoo is alleged to occur there ; while the Ani (Crotophaga ani) 

 and the Groove-billed Ani (Crotophaga sulcirostris) are both very 

 rare. 



Another measure of the peculiarity of this region, as well as of 

 its tropical affiliation, is the coastwise wintering of species mostly 

 extra-limital at that season. But the winter conditions in even 

 the southernmost part of Louisiana are not what would be ex- 

 pected of a region popularly estimated as subtropical. The margin 

 of difference between fact and assumption in this matter may be 

 gauged with some accuracy by the following data: The White- 

 eyed Vireo and the Blue-gray Gnatcatcher winter casually in this 

 section; the Tree Swallow winters irregularly, but sometimes 



