490 Cooke, Winter Birds of Oklahoma. [oct. 



but none seen later than September 25, and they had not yet arrived the 

 first of April. 



83. Progne subis subis. Purple Martin. — ■ Fall migrants had for 

 the most part departed before the last of August, but a few were present 

 the first week in September and the last left September 12. A party of 

 five arrived the afternoon of March 5, but disappeared in a few minutes 

 and did not return until March 11. They were still far from common 

 March 19 and had received no further increase by April 4: evidently not 

 a common bird at any time. 



84. Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons. Cliff Swallow. — Dur- 

 ing the evenings of the last of August and early September, swallows were in 

 sight almost continuously moving southward. In August the Barn Swallow 

 was the most numerous, later its numbers decreased and the Cliff Swallow 

 became most common. In late August the flight began about 5.30 and 

 lasted an hour; on September 13, the first group passed at 5.10 and the 

 last at 6.10. In addition on September 10, probably a hundred Cliff 

 Swallows were seen during the day circling over the town. At 8 a. m. 

 September 25, about thirty Cliff Swallows passed in one flock going rapidly 

 south; and for the next two weeks Cliff Swallows were seen about one third 

 of the mornings and one half of the evenings, in numbers from five birds to 

 200, about nine-tenths of them heading straight- south and the rest flying 

 about in search of food. The last was seen October 9, and none had 

 appeared the next spring by April 7. 



85. Hirundo erythrogastra. Barn Swallow.— For several even- 

 ings the last of August, many barn swallows passed flying westward, 

 probably to spend the night at a lake not many miles distant. Their 

 numbers steadily diminished until by September 13 the Barn and Cliff 

 Swallows were about equally numerous. Three Barn Swallows on Septem- 

 ber 19 were the last of this species seen, nor had they been seen again by 

 the seventh of April, though on April 1, they appeared at Gainesville, Tex., 

 only a few miles to the southward. 



86. Iridoprocne bicolor. Tree Swallow.— Never common, but a 

 few were seen daily mingUng with the flocks of the other swallows, until the 

 last was noted September 13. It also had not appeared by the first of 

 April, though by this time it was already present as far north as Chicago. 



87. Bombycilla cedrorum. Cedar Waxwing.— The first birds, a 

 flock of about a dozen, were seen November 29. A few remained through 

 the winter, but they were quite rare and showed no increase in the spring. 



88. Lanius ludovicianus excubitorides. White-rumped Shrike. — 

 A resident, and one of the commonest birds; seen almost constantly, 

 sometimes singly, but more often in pairs and sometimes four and five. Its 

 numbers decreased decidedly after the advent of cold weather, but it 

 still remained common through the winter. 



89. Vireo griseus griseus. White-eyed Vireo. — Never common 

 and had already left before the last of August. Returned March 25 when 

 three were collected and two more seen; all were in full loud song. 



