66 



ORNITHOLOGIST 



[Vol. 8-No. 9 



abode they seem to have spread with re- 

 markable rapidity. Certainly not more 

 than a week or ten days was spent in pass- 

 ing from southern Missouri to central 

 Minnesota. The notes seem to show that 

 migration was very iiTegular, although 

 probably the following note by (42) on 

 their habits will explain some of the ap- 

 parent iiTegularity : 



" They appeared 4-11 and were in song, but very shy. At 

 first they uttered only a few notes, and kept entirely out of 

 sight, but 4-14 they became more bold and were seen singing 

 in the tops of the trees." 



This habit of keeping secluded is 

 quite common among the first anivals of 

 nearly all species, and it takes sharj) eyes 

 to find them. The record is (21) 4-14, (30) 

 4-5, (32) 4-9, (37) 4-10, (38) 4-5, (40) 4-14, 

 (41) 4-15, (44) 4-14, (57) 4-14. As what 

 might be called a preparatory move (16) 

 saw two pairs 3-19. The birds reached (60) 

 4-27. More irregular movements are re- 

 corded at (45) 4.23, (47) 5-1, (51) 4-28, and 

 (52) 4-25. For some unknown reason the 

 region around me here is apparently dis- 

 liked and shunned by the Brown Thrush. 

 After the first one seen, 4-25 and again 

 4-26, no more were seen until 5-3 and 5-4, 

 one each day, and on 5-6 five were seen. 

 This last date'might be called height of the 

 season for this place, as at no other time 

 have I seen more than three a day, and 

 two-thirds of the time I have seen none, 

 though in the woods hours at a time. At 

 (21) the height of the season was 4-27, 

 while (30) reports 4-9 as the arrival of the 

 bulk of the species, and from that date to 

 4-15, or even later, as height of season. 



Although in the Mississipjji Valley this 

 species usually nests on trees or bushes, 

 three nests have been reported this spring 

 as found on the ground. No. (43) found 

 one 5-17 on the ground in a little ravine. 

 There had been a rain the night before, 

 and the water had soaked the nest so 

 thoroughly that the birds left it. No. (60) 

 found his first nest 5-21, and his second 

 5.28, each with four eggs and each on the 

 ground. 



Turning now to an entirely different class 

 of birds, let us study the movements of our 

 common Black Snowbird, {J', hyetnalis.) 

 Unlike all the birds so far considered, he 

 is inseparably connected in our minds not 

 with spring, but with the winter's cold. 

 As he moves south in the fall and early 

 winter, the first ones begin to drop behind 

 in southern Minnesota and northern Wis 

 consin, but comparatively few are found 

 until we reach Iowa and northern Illinois. 

 From there to Arkansas they are the most 

 numerous winter visitants; then their 

 numbers decrease as we get into the. 

 Southern States, although they penetrate 

 even to Floiida. In northern United 

 States I have known a single one to remain 

 and brave the forty degrees below zero at 

 White Earth, Minn. 



Probably as good a place as any to be- 

 gin our study will be in central and south- 

 ern Illinois, where vast numbers of them 

 find a congenial winter home. No. (30) 

 met them everywhere : and during De- 

 cember found five hundred during his 

 week's walks. In Jan. and Feb. they 

 somewhat increased, but 2-24 he says : 



" During the week they have diminishea, probably by the 

 withdrawal of the late re-inforcements which came in the 

 first part of the month. In sunny places they begin to be 

 musical. 3-11 they are decidedly less numerous, and what 

 is more important, they are much less conspicuous than 

 during the last month. They keep silent on the ground, 

 even during the warm hours, and by disturbing them I was 

 surprised by the large proportion of light colored individ- 

 uals among them. Judging from this and from their differ- 

 ent behavior, I think that many of the old birds, which 

 were in very fine plumage in Feb. have left ; and those 

 which remain behind are the young birds. 3.14 seen in sev- 

 eral places, but not numerous. 3-16 great arrivals from the 

 south, as numerous as ever, and many old birds among 

 them. 3-80 they were found collected in large flocks, and 

 very much excited, in spite of a cool rain. In a place wh«re 

 twenty wintered I found an army of two hundred singing, 

 chasing, etc. The bulk of these departed f jr the north 4-4 

 and 4-12 the last left us." 



What Mr. Widmann says of them would 

 apply equally well to all of the central belt 

 of the United States. No. (21) found 

 them about twice as numerous at his sta- 

 tion, but they left about the same time. 

 At (32) they were still in large numbers 

 3-24. At (37) the bulk left 4-9; on 4-16 

 only 3 or 4 seen, and the last left about 



