INTRODUCTION 27 



Dr. Chapman's List enumerated 353 species and sub- 

 species. Of these, four are here removed to the hypothetical 

 list, and three more, the European Woodcock, Louisiana 

 Tanager, and Carolina Chickadee occurred in territory now 

 extralimital. The additional thirty species are chiefly 

 accidental visitants, the majority recorded from eastern 

 Long Island (beyond the fifty mile limit) before the publica- 

 tion of his list. Ten species only have been added since 

 1910, and three of these additions are based on old specimens, 

 now correctly determined. The Western Willet is the only 

 form obviously not of accidental occurrence. The addition, 

 however ; of a few more accidental visitants, is of no real 

 importance. The actual measure of progress in knowledge 

 which has taken place is, perhaps, best found in the fact that 

 nearly one-third of our local species appear in a different 

 group from that in which they were placed in Dr. Chapman's 

 list. Again the discovery of several Canadian Zone species 

 breeding in New Jersey is of far greater scientific value than 

 the recording of all 66 accidental visitants. 



THE MIGRATIONS AND MOVEMENTS OF LOCAL BIRDS 



The fact that there is seasonal variation in bird-life means 

 that only a part of the 377 species which have been recorded 

 from this vicinity are present in any one season or month, or 

 are likely to occur. Within general limits every bird, other 

 than the ever-present Permanent Residents, has an appointed 

 time for arriving and departing. It is idle to look for Warblers 

 in January or Ducks in July. Not only must we know that 

 a given species is a transient in order to make its acquaintance ; 

 we must also know in what part of the spring and fall it 

 passes through, or we are certain to miss it. 



There are perhaps only a few weeks in the year when some 

 bird or birds are not moving north or south in our territory. 

 Bird-life is unquestionably at its minimum, however, in 

 January and February, and is composed of the permanent 



