THE MIGRATION OF INLAND BIRDS. 113 



turn, on their way, often lingering long in the golden 

 sunshine of sweet September days, but never singing 

 those ecstatic spring-time notes that fairly start the echoes 

 of a bright May morning. 



In brief, the autumnal or return migratory movement 

 of our inland birds really commences in midsummer and 

 is from valley to valley, and therefore a gradual change 

 of base, along the whole northern Atlantic seaboard. 



I have frequently observed the same thing in the 

 movements and habits of the indigo bird. In this case, 

 also, there is often a well-marked interim, say from the 

 middle of July to the beginning of September. This 

 can not be explained away by suggestions of slight 

 changes of locality, as from uplands to swamps, or open 

 country to wooded districts. It is, rather, an interim 

 caused by the departure of those that nested here in May 

 and June for some more southern locality. These birds 

 seem to move with the regularity ascribed to swallows, 

 and I doubt if one in fifty of those that are seen as late 

 as September were here during the nesting-season. These 

 late birds, too, do not haunt the brier-patches, high weeds, 

 and like spots ; but stay closely among the taller trees, 

 and near their very tops at that, sometimes essaying a 

 feeble imitation of early summer warblings. More often 

 this song is now but the ineffectual efforts of young birds 

 to anticipate their future capabilities in melody. 



Other equally marked changes in habits on the part 

 of other birds may be mentioned as further evidence 

 that migration is more gradual than has been supposed. 

 As early as the beginning of August both species of 

 orioles have left their spring-time haunts. Occasionally 

 a male will be seen pausing on the top of some tall tree, 

 and whistling as he tarries for a moment ; but where are 

 now the numbers of old and young birds that nested or 



