330 BIRDS OF THE NEW YORK CITY REGION 



and the first half of September, after which only stragglers 

 remain. During this period one can often find the Bay- 

 breasted the commonest species of Warblers when there is a 

 flight. 



Contrary to a general impression, fall adults are readily 

 identifiable by anyone who knows what to look for, who can 

 differentiate between whitish or yellowish and yellowish 

 buff, and can see the marked tinge of reddish brown on the 

 sides. All that is required is a good light. In other respects 

 this species and the Blackpoll are exactly alike in the fall. 

 The immature are almost impossible to distinguish however. 

 The Bay-breasted is usually tinged with buff, and has buff 

 instead of white under tail-coverts. On rare and exceptional 

 occasions only is it possible to determine these points 

 positively. The identification of the adults is one of those 

 cases where no satisfactory mental picture of relatively 

 slight differences can be gained from a book. Specimens must 

 be examined, and the student should put them side by side in 

 a good light, and look at them from a distance. Needless to 

 say, those who cannot distinguish these two species never 

 took this trouble, or made any effort to identify birds in 

 the field year after year. 



Long Island. Rare transient, more common recently; May 

 2 to June 5; August 28 to October 6; casual June 23, 1870. 



ORIENT. Uncommon transient; May 12, 1911 to June 5, 

 1917; average arrival May 15; August 28, 1912 to September 

 30, 1908. 



MASTIC. Uncommon transient. 



LONG BEACH. Casual on migration; Mr. Bicknell has one 

 spring and three fall records; May 18, 1916; September 2, 

 1920 to October 1, 1918; it was common on September 10, 

 1914. 



New York State. Now a common transient in our section; 

 recorded August 5 to September 26 at Ossining (Fisher). 



CENTRAL PARK. Common transient; May 4, 1913 (Anne 

 A. Crolius) and May 10, 1911 (Anne A. Crolius) to June 7, 

 1907 (Hix); August 20, 1914 (Hix) to September 26, 1921 

 (Griscom). 



