10 Beyer, Allison, Kopman, Birds of Louisiana. [jan* 



tering sparrows, which are practically limited to an abundance of 

 Swamp, White-throated, and Savanna Sparrows. The Song Spar- 

 row is practically unknown in this region. As has been stated 

 already, the Chipping Sparrow does not occur at any season. 

 White-crowned and Fox Sparrows are decidedly rare, and Vesper 

 and Field Sparrows are about equally uncommon. The Myrtle 

 Warbler, on the other hand, is remarkably abundant in winter. 

 The Orange-crowned Warbler is often abundant in mid-winter, 

 but never, of course, to the same degree as the Myrtle W T arbler. 

 The Pine Warbler invades this area from the pine regions. The 

 Blue-headed Vireo is a characteristic, though not particularly com- 

 mon, mid-winter bird. The Purple Finch is seen chiefly in winters 

 when there has been unusually severe weather, this species being 

 somewhat of an exception to the statement made previously in 

 this connection. The Junco, however, rarely reaches to the low- 

 land. There is nothing especially peculiar in the winter distribu- 

 tion of Kinglets, Hermit Thrushes and Robins; Brown Creepers 

 are more apt to be found in the pine region. 



Several special topographical developments in the flood plain of 

 the Mississippi may properly be treated with an account of the ex- 

 tension of the delta plain, for the lands bordering both banks of 

 the Mississippi towards the south, and those bordering the west 

 bank practically throughout the length of the State, display about 

 the same characteristics in this entire distance. Of the special 

 developments referred to, the most noticeable in the south is the 

 formation of land outside the levees; in many cases, this land is 

 subject partly or wholly to annual overflow. Such formation in 

 southeast Louisiana is known as 'batture' (land that has been 

 built by the river). Its principal tree growths are willow, cotton- 

 wood, and hackberry, with a varying amount of the other species 

 characteristic of the drier soils of the lowland, but especially syca- 

 more and honey-locust. These battures become perfectly dry, 

 and, in fact, very well drained after the spring rises are past, but 

 their moist and often partly flooded condition in spring and early 

 summer makes them attractive to many birds. The manner of 

 tree growth on the pure silt here deposited by the Mississippi is 

 substantially different from that in the swamp lands away from 

 the river. The even and somewhat open river bottom woodland 



