FAUNAL AREAS 1 1 



Birds which find their southern breeding limit in the Transition 

 zone, fall roughly into two classes, (i) upper Transition species 

 which are limited in their breeding range on the north by the 

 Canadian fauna and extend southward so as slightly to overlap 

 the Carolinian zone ; ( 2 ) lower Canadian species which breed 

 more or less frequently in the upper Transition zone. 



The following twelve species are examples of the first class : 



Rallus virginianus^ Porzana Carolina^ Podilymbus podiceps?, Anas 

 obscura ?, Empidonax minimus, Enipidonax traillii alnorum, Tachycineta 

 bicolor ?, Hylocichla ftiscescens, Dendrceca pennstlvanica, Dolichovyx oryzi- 

 vorus, Melospiza georgiana, Passerculus sandivichensis savanna. 



The second group includes the following eleven birds which 

 breed in Massachusetts: 



Gavia imber, Larus argentatus ?, (Weepecket Id., Auk, IX, 1882, p. 

 226), Niittallornis boreali*, Vireo solitarius, Parus atricapillus, Hyloci- 

 chla guttata pallasii, Dendrccca virens, Compsothlypis americana usnecz ?, 

 Helminthophila nibricapilla, Loxia curvirostra minor?, Carpodacus pur- 

 f. 



Cape Cod because of its peculiar character, deserves a passing 

 mention. The Gulf Stream is near enough on the south to make 

 its influence felt, and the cold Polar current flows not far away on 

 the north. Its sandy soil supports a growth of oaks and pitch 

 pine woods in many places, and cranberry bogs alternate with dry 

 fields. The long Usnea moss grows over a large part of the Cape 

 in the woods, affording thus a home for the Northern Parula 

 Warbler. Hermit Thrushes and Olive-sided Flycatchers summer 

 in small numbers in certain places. On the other hand so south- 

 ern a species as the Mockingbird has been found to probably 

 breed at Hyannis and North Truro, and the Florida Gallinule at 

 Provincetown. Bobolinks, Indigo Birds, and Rose-breasted Gros- 

 beaks are said to be entirely absent from the Cape in summer. 

 Among other interesting species of this area, the Terrapin (Mala- 

 clemys terrapin}^ a southern reptile, occurs in the waters along 



1 The Terrapin was first recorded from Massachusetts by Dr. J.A.Allen 

 (Proc. Bost. Soc. Nat. Hist., XIII, 1871, p. 260, read Mar. 16, 1870.) Speci- 

 mens were noted from New Bedford, Wareham and Nantucket. It was again 

 recorded by Mr. O. Bangs (ibid., Vol. 27, pp. 159-161, Oct., 1896) who ob- 

 tained specimens from the same region. 



