I IO Loomis on Birds of Chester County, South Carolina. \ xvti\ 



abundantly in the South Atlantic States and the Gray-cheeked 

 Thrush passes on to Middle America, 1 nor why the Northern 

 Phalarope is restricted to the Northern Hemisphere while 

 Wilson's Phalarope continues its flight to Patagonia. The ex- 

 planation I would advance is, that the present displacement and 

 equalization of distribution through diversity in southward 

 migration has been evolved through the process of time and is 

 perpetuated by the requirements of winter. It is well known 

 that birds can thrive far north of their usual winter habitat, 2 

 proving that extended protraction of migration is hot a necessity 

 except as there is need for general distribution, for there must be 

 dispersion, and dispersion sufficiently wide-extended as to avoid 

 the possibility of famine. All birds cannot exist in the same 

 latitude from sheer numbers, no matter how abundant food mav 

 be. 



There are extraordinary occasions where the adjustment does 

 not prevent accident. During December, 1876, and January, 

 1877, the ground was covered with snow in this locality for over 

 a fortnight, for a length of time greater than any in my experi- 

 ence. Old men recurred to many years before for a like event. 

 Toward the end, and after the temperature had risen, there was 

 great suffering among birds that find their living chiefly upon the 



1 While the Phoebe may possibly have a more plastic organism than other Fly- 

 catchers of Eastern North America and therefore be better able to accommodate its diet 

 to the food of the winter season, the Hermit Thrush does not appear to possess any 

 such advantage over the Gray-cheeked Thrush. While passing through Chester 

 County in fall, Gray-cheeked Thrushes feed, so far as I have determined, exclusively 

 upon dogwood berries. Such food evidently agrees with them for they are often so 

 fat as to be unfit for specimens. Dogwood berries are also a favorite diet with the 

 Hermit and Olive-backed Thrush. 



2 The following instances illustrating the occurrence of individual birds in the 

 colder months north of their customary limits are selected from this journal : Chim- 

 ney Swift, Ottawa, Canada, first week in February, 1883 (W. L. Scott, Auk, I, p. 161 ). 

 Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Reading, Mass., Nov. 29, 1876; "the day was so cold that 

 ice was forming rapidly in the shade" ; stomach empty; "was very fat and apparently 

 in the best of spirits" : Newton, Mass., Dec. 1, 1876 (Allen, B. N. O. C, III, pp. 101, 

 102). Baltimore Oriole, East Templeton, Mass., Nov. 15, 1885 ; "in perfect plumage 

 and condition" ; "feeding upon frozen apples" (Ingalls, Auk, HI, p. 135) : Portland, 

 Conn., Nov. 15, 1885 (Sage, ibid.). Louisiana Tanager, New Haven, Conn., Dec. 15, 

 1892; Lynn, Mass., Jan. 20, 1878 (Flint, Auk, X, p. 86). Maryland Yellow-throat, 

 Cambridge, Mass., Jan. 31,1890; "in beautiful plumage, and plump, although the 

 mercury within a week had fallen to 5 F" (Faxon, Auk, VII, p. 409). 



