Part I.] REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 99 



A Bureau of Information regarding the Distribution 

 AND Migration of Massachusetts Birds. 



The office of the State Ornithologist has become perforce a 

 bureau of information regarding birds and the means for their 

 protection, but has not specialized on distribution and migra- 

 tion. The act establishing the office of the State Ornithologist 

 assigned to the incumbent as one of his duties the investigation of 

 bird distribution in the Commonwealth. It is impossible for the 

 State Ornithologist himself to conduct a survey of the State, as 

 the requisite means and assistance have not been provided. House 

 No. 175, now chapter 75 of the General Acts of 1917, was en- 

 acted to secure some assistance for this purpose. Under this 

 chapter a large corps of observers, representing every county of 

 the State, has been organized; blanks containing a provisional 

 list of the birds of the State have been prepared with spaces 

 for observers to fill out with information regarding bird dis- 

 tribution, migration, food, habits and other important data. 

 No adequate record of the movements of migratory birds in the 

 Commonwealth has ever been kept. It is now purposed to ex- 

 tend the organization into contiguous States, that observers here 

 may be warned of unusual ffights of birds that are moving in 

 this direction, so that all may be on the lookout for them. Thus 

 a more complete record of such flights may be secured. All 

 who are interested in this undertaking are requested to address 

 the State Ornithologist, Room 136, State House, Boston, Mas- 

 sachusetts. Already some new and interesting information about 

 certain species has come in. 



Increasing Birds and Unusual Flights. 

 Recently there seems to have been a considerable increase in 

 the numbers of mockingbirds and house wrens in the State. 

 An unprecedented number of Tennessee warblers was observed 

 in the spring migration of 1917, and Cape May warblers were 

 unusually numerous. Little blue herons and egrets were re- 

 ported during the summer. The largest flight of swans on 

 record in recent years passed along the coast in October and 

 November. Following a great scarcity of northern hares in the 



