330 Taverner and Swales, Migration of the Saw-whet Owl. [july 



Coues. "Fitted to endure great cold, it is resident in cur 

 northern districts." l 



Bendire. " It is a constant resident throughout the greater 

 portion of its range within the United States, only migrating from 

 its more northern breeding grounds and passing the winter mainly 

 in the Middle States where it is met with at times in considerable 

 numbers." 2 



Nuttall. " In the United States it is not uncommon as far south 

 as Pennsylvania and New Jersey where it is resident." 3 



Other authorities could be quoted but the above is sufficient to 

 show the general trend of opinion on this subject. Some of our 

 late experiences, however, in southern Ontario and adjoining 

 territory, have caused us to alter our mind on the residential status 

 of this species and we believe that it migrates more extensively and 

 generally than has heretofore been supposed. 



The fact is, that our recent observations at Point Pelee have 

 induced us to believe, that in resident species, migration is the 

 rule with its component individuals rather than the exception. 

 The mere accident that the northern limit of the winter range 

 overlaps the southern limit of the summer range is no indication 

 that migration is not the fixed habit of every individual of the 

 species even though the movement is not observable, because as 

 summer birds leave and winter ones from the north come in| the 

 average population remains unchanged and the movement there- 

 fore unnoticed. 



The first indication we received of any strong migratory move- 

 ment in this species was when W. E. Saunders of London, Out., 

 received word from Mr. Tripp of Forest, Ont., of a migration 

 disaster on the shores of Lake Huron, October 18, 1906. His 

 investigation of this occurrence was reported in 'The Auk'. 4 He 

 discovered the shore of the lake in the vicinity of Port Franks 

 covered with the water-washed bodies of birds that had been over- 

 whelmed in a storm, likely while crossing the lake; and though he 



1 Coues. Birds of the Northwest. 1874. 316. 



2 Bendire. Life Histories of North American Birds, Vol. I, 1892. 350. 



3 Nuttall. A Popular Handbook of the Ornithology of Western North America 

 Chamberlain ed.. Vol. I, 1872, 72. 



* Saunders. Auk, 1907, 108-110. 



