THE MIGRATION OF INLAND BIRDS. 103 



like the chewink, foresaw what was coming, and acted 

 accordingly. It would be most interesting ,to determine 

 if insect-life was less abundant than usual during that 

 summer, but I can only note on this point, as suggestive 

 of the fact that it was so, a marked freedom of the fruit- 

 trees and fruit itself from the attacks of their insect ene- 

 mies. 



I must confess, however, that this explanation of the 

 coincidence between the actual absence of the birds, and 

 the occurrence of a remarkably rainless summer, does 

 not lead me to believe that birds generally have a pro- 

 phetic insight, or that they are habitually led thereby to 

 prepare for the season, whatever it may prove to be. 

 My statistics, covering many years, with especial refer- 

 ence to several of our smaller mammals, show that they 

 do not possess such foretelling powers, and therefore it 

 is the less probable that any bird should be thus gifted. 

 When my remarks on migration were first written, I was 

 disposed to attribute prophetic power to migrating birds. 

 I let my notes stand as originally written, but must add, 

 in this connection, that during the past eight years I have 

 grown skeptical. 



Another feature of the migration of our inland birds 

 must here be briefly referred to ; and that is, the failure 

 of late years of certain species to come, as a rule, as far 

 north as New Jersey ; and also the habit, now fully ac- 

 quired by others, of remaining throughout the year, when, 

 but a comparatively short time ago, these same birds were 

 truly migratory. 



As an instance : the summer redbirds, twenty years 

 ago, were regular visitors to Central New Jersey, arriving 

 about the first of May and staying until October. They 

 nested on trees, frequently in appl& orchards, laying pret- 

 ty, purple-blotched, green eggs. They preferred wooded 



