48 J. A. ALLEN, CATALOGUE OF 



IV. Catalogue of the Birds found at Springfield, Mass., 

 with Nofes on their Migrations, Habits, fyc. ; together 

 with a List of those Birds found in the Stale not yet ob- 

 served at Springfield. BY J. A. ALLEN. 



( Communicated May 2, 1864. ) 



Nearly all the land birds known to inhabit New England are 

 found in the Valley of the Connecticut, at one season or anoth- 

 er ; and during spring and fall the number of passengers from 

 the northern to the Southern parts of the country, and vice 

 versa, is immense ; even some of those species usually esteemed 

 quite rare occur in considerable numbers. The number of in- 

 dividuals of land birds, during the periods of migration, seems 

 to be much greater at Springfield than at most localities in the 

 eastern part of the State ; yet some species are more numerous 

 in Eastern Massachusetts than at Springfield ; and some are 

 common there through the breeding season, which at Spring- 

 field are almost unknown, or at least occur in much fewer num- 

 bers. Among such may be mentioned Coccyzus americanus, 

 Hirundo bicolor, Carpodacus purpureus, the Ammodromi, 

 &c. The rapacious birds, owing to the absence of extensive 

 woods, are comparatively rare, especially in summer and win- 

 ter, and the water birds are limited to the fresh water or river 

 Ducks and Grallae, which are, with few exceptions, far from 

 numerous. 



Among some of those species noticed as of very rare occur- 

 ence here, may be mentioned Nyctale Richardsonii, Picoides 

 arcticus, Centurus carolim/s, Helminthophaga peregrina, 

 H. celata, Dendroica tigrina, Icteria viridis, Mimus poly- 

 glottus (found breeding), Melospiza Lincolnii, Coturniculus 

 Henslowii, Corvus carnivorus, &c. The " Turdus alicice^ 

 of Baird, I have found to be not rare ; and from a careful exam- 

 ination of many specimens of both T. alicice and T. Swainso- 

 nii, have found alicice to be based on faintly colored specimens 

 of Swainsonii, and not to be a distinct species, as heretofore 



