ANNOTATED LIST OF THE BIRDS 369 



BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER (Polioptila cxrukd) 

 The Gnatcatcher is a southern species, which has been 

 found nesting in southern New Jersey, and Dr. Stone regards 

 it as a rare and local summer resident in the extreme south- 

 ern part of the State, North of this point it is regarded as a 

 casual wanderer. So numerous, however, are the records for 

 this little bird near New York City and on Long Island both 

 in spring and fall, that it is impossible to class it as anything 

 but a rare transient. Where the spring birds go to and where 

 the fall birds come from is a mystery, which still awaits solu- 

 tion. Practically all the records are strictly coastal; the bird 

 is very rare or unrecorded inland. It is indisputable, however, 

 that in this narrow coastal strip, the Gnatcatcher is a com- 

 moner bird than the Golden- winged or Mourning Warblers. 

 Fortunately few of our local birds are so distinctive in size, 

 color, shape and note, and the numerous sight records 

 given below can be accepted with absolute confidence. Most 

 of them, especially those in Central Park, were made by a 

 large number of people. 



Long Island. A rare transient, in spring chiefly at the west- 

 ern end, in fall chiefly at the eastern end; numerous records, 

 especially in fall; April 7 and 10, 1910, Prospect Park, Brooklyn 

 (E. W. Victor and many others) to April 18; July 1, 13 and 30 to 

 October 11. 



ORIENT. Late summer and fall visitant; one spring record, 

 April 16, 1908 at Peconic (Mrs. Frank D. Smith); July 30, 

 1908 to September 10, 1917; numerous records. 



MASTIC. One record, September 21, 1918. 

 New York State. Frequently observed in Central Park, rarely 

 in the Bronx Region, very rare or accidental elsewhere; on May 6, 

 1922 Mr. Arthur Janes found a singing male at Scarsdale; he very 

 courteously responded to my request for further information, and 

 wrote so detailed an account of his observation that there can be no 

 doubt of the correctness of his identification, although he had never 

 seen the bird in life before. 



CENTRAL PARK. A rare transient, recorded chiefly in 

 spring; seventeen records in twenty-one years; May 22, 1901 

 (C. B. Isham); May 10, 1904 (Carleton Schaller); April 24 



