96 DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



at night. Bonaparte's Gulls were noted in numbers July 24 

 in Essex County, Massachusetts. Warblers were seen in north- 

 ern New Hampshire flocking in preparation for migration on 

 July 25. A few Red-breasted Mergansers, Old-squaws and 

 Scoters were reported on Cape Cod. On the 20th a Red- 

 breasted Nuthatch boarded a steamer in the Gulf of St. Law- 

 rence, and a little later birds of this species began to appear 

 in Maine in places where they had not been noted all summer. 

 This marked the beginning of a large and early southward 

 migration of the species. 



An Early Flock of Canada Geese. — On the 18th a flock of 13 

 Canada Geese appeared in northern Middlesex County, Massa- 

 chusetts. These birds were the forerunners of an early and 

 immense migration of ducks and geese. 



August, 1921. 



There were warm days in August, but much of the latter 

 half of the month was cool, with occasional light frosts in 

 various localities. The cold weather of the month, together 

 with an early movement of Canada Geese, induced the seers to 

 prophesy a hard winter. The season in the North had been 

 dry as a whole, and August ended with a great scarcity of 

 fruit, cones and nuts in striking contrast to August, 1920. 

 This was caused in part by the dryness of the season and 

 partly, perhaps, by late spring frosts when blossoms were 

 maturing. This scarcity of food, with early autumn frosts and 

 cold north winds, apparently tended to start the birds south- 

 ward earlier than usual. By the 15th unusual numbers of 

 Blue-winged Teals began to appear in Massachusetts. 



More Geese. — Canada geese to the number of 750 were re- 

 ported during the month. Many northern warblers appeared 

 in migration during the latter part of August in New Eng- 

 land or on Long Island. Nighthawks, Kingbirds, Bobolinks 

 and Tree Swallows began moving southward about the 15th. 

 Birds were heard flying over at night all through the month. 

 Barn Swallows were seen August 10 migrating westward along 

 Long Island Sound and on the night of the 12th there was a 

 considerable movement of land birds over the Sound. On the 

 14th, at Williamstown, Massachusetts, thousands of migrating 



