146 Swales & Taverner, Birds of Southeastern Michigan. [April 



Melospiza cinerea melodia. Song Sparrow. — The Song Spar- 

 row occasionally winters with us in limited numbers and in cer- 

 tain favored places. We have three January specimens taken in 

 1906 and 1907, and though mid-winter birds, each was very fat 

 indeed when killed. Whether it is only those in exceptionally 

 good condition that can remain in winter or that those that stay 

 with us find food abundant it is hard to say. 



Cardinalis cardinalis. Cardinal. — There is no doubt but that 

 the Cardinal is on the increase with us in southeastern Michigan. 

 In the immediate past it has always been observed in singles, and 

 then generally in the winter. In the fall of 1904 we found a brood 

 of young birds, accompanied by both parents, and with the neos- 

 soptile still attached to the feathers, on the main land near the 

 St. Clair Flats. In May, 1905, two were observed at Flat Rock, 

 on the Huron River, and again January 6, 1907, we met six scattered 

 along the river between Flat Rock and Rockwood. Besides these 

 we have met single individuals in most of the spring, fall, and 

 winter months between Detroit and the mouth of the Huron River. 

 The valley of this stream seems to be the main artery of their dis- 

 tribution in this section, and they are now reported as rather com- 

 mon as far up it as Ann Arbor. Mr. Taverner was well acquainted 

 with this region and its birds from 1892-94, and at that time the 

 Cardinal held its position in the Washtenaw Co. list solely on the 

 ground of a single old record. • The same seems to have been true 

 of Wayne Co., though there seems to be good evidence that some 

 half a century ago it was a still more common feature of our land- 

 scape than it is even now. Many old residents speak of the "red 

 birds" that they used to see. We do not think that they have 

 confused the Tanager with this species, as they mention its whistling 

 powers, and, besides, the Cardinal has always been a common 

 cage bird here and was well known. If this is so it seems to indicate 

 that some large cycle is completed and the Cardinal is but regaining 

 a lost habitat. 



Dendroica striata. Black-poll Warbler. — Though one of 

 our most abundant fall migrants, this warbler has yet to be detected 

 in the spring in Wayne Co. To the west, north and east of us, 

 however, it appears to be a rather irregular but not uncommon 

 spring migrant. It is'often observed at Ann Arbor, Mr. Taverner 



