iSgi-l Brewster and Ciiai>man on Birds of the Suwancc Rivet 



127 



the current, the banks were higher than the grouiul imniediatelv 

 adjoitiing- them and the 'hummock' growth of the shores was 

 flanked by extensive cypress swamps or sloughs running more or 

 less parallel to the river's course. 



For the first two weeks we collected largely in localities of 

 this nature. Here, in the lower growth, Cardinals, Tufted Tits, 

 and Carolina Wrens were abundant, and wnth them were associ- 

 ated Brown Thrashers and Red-eyed Towhees. The first three 

 species were preeminently the song birds of the region, and their 

 combined voices at daybreak and in the late afternoon rang 

 out in a chorus which formed a vocal background for all other 

 bird music. It was rather surprising to meet here also laro-e 

 flocks of Goldfinches. The most common Woodpeckers were the 

 Pileated and Red-bellied ; the former was slightly more numerous 

 than the latter, and it was not unusual to see eight or ten inchvid- 

 uals in one day. The long rolling call of this species is well 

 known to resemble the call of the Highhole, although louder, 

 less rapid, and more prolonged, and the similarity in their notes 

 was further noticed when on one occasion two birds on coming 

 together gave utterance to the whicker calls so characteristic of 

 Colaptes. 



Troops of exceedingly tame and noisy Blue Jays roved through 

 these woods, producing such a variety of strange, odd calls and 

 cries that, when surrounded by them and the object of their cu- 

 riosity, one could readily imagine oneself in an aviary. But our 

 interest centred in the loose flocks of passing migrants, which, 

 travelling ever northward, found in these wooded shores a natu- 

 ral pathway for migration. At least one half of each flock was 

 composed of Parula Wai-blers ; Yellow-rumped and Yellow- 

 throated Warblers and Ruby-crowned Kinglets were about one 

 third as numerous, while Blue-gray Gnatcatchers, Black-and- 

 white Creepers, Bachman's Warblers, Red-eyed and Solitary 

 Vireos, Orange-crowned Warblers and Yellow-throated Vireos 

 were represented in about the order named. As migrants these 

 birds differed decidedly from somewhat similarly composed 

 groups found at the north in the month of May. They travelled 

 very rapidly and usually, even during strong winds, remained in 

 the tops of the higher trees. For these reasons it was by no means 

 an easy task to identify, collect, and at the same time keep 

 pace with them. 



