ORNITHOLOGIST 



— AND 



OOLOGIST. 



$1.00 per 

 Annum. 



Joseph M. Wade, Editor and Publisher. 

 Established, March, 1875. 



Single Copy 

 10 Cents. 



VOL. VIII. 



BOSTON, DECEMBER, 1883. 



No. 12. 



Mississippi Valley Migration. 



Note.— The stations and observers, to which the num- 

 bers refer, are given in the O. and O. for April. 



Ui:)on taking account of Btock I find 

 that notes have been contributed on 256 

 species of birds. Of these forty-four have 

 already been treated of, at length, in this 

 magazine, leaving 212 yet to be noticed. 

 As quite a large portion of these have 

 only two or three notes to the species, and 

 hence are of comparatively little value in 

 studying migration, and as it would obvi- 

 ously be impossible to treat of this large 

 number in the space of the remaining 

 number of this year, I have selected forty 

 of the more common birds and even the 

 notices of these will have to be so con- 

 densed as to be little more than a copy of 

 the notes received, with some additional 

 matter on the wintering and breeding 

 places of the several sjoecies. There will 

 then have been treated eighty-four species, 

 a study of whose movements last Spring- 

 will, it is hoped, serve as a guide to the 

 proper time to watch for their arrival and 

 departure, and also help to awaken an in 

 terest in the whole subject of migration. 

 In the following notes F will be used to 

 denote the first one seen. We will consider 

 the species in order, as they occur in the 

 Smithsonian catalogue, beginning with the 



Olive- BACKED Thkush, {H. u. svminsoni.) 

 This bird is usually considered as winter- 

 ing beyond our borders, with a few stray 

 ones remaining in the Southern States, but 

 (35) says, " During the past Winter I re- 

 peatedly found this bird wintering in 

 thickety ridges in the Mississippi bottom- 

 land. I saw from five to twenty per day. 



every day I was collecting in said thickets, 

 regardless of the weather." No. (13,) how- 

 ever, did not see any until 2-5, and on 4-25 

 they were still present with him. No. (6) 

 says, ''Do not occur." No. (21) 5-10 F: 

 (30) 4-26 F, two seen, and no more until 

 5-2, when the bulk arrived, not shy and 

 singing a little ; 5-5 height of the season ; 

 5-10 still present ; 5-14 to 18 quite numer- 

 ous: 5-24 last. No. (52,) Have lost my 

 record of F, but 5-3 a second one seen ; 

 5 12 met quite often in company with the 

 Tawny Thrush; about height of season. 

 During the next week the bulk departed. 

 On 5 19 three seen ; 5-24 as numerous as 

 any time this Spring ; 5-31 last. No. (60) 

 sends the following note : " 4-14 F and 

 4-22 height of the season, although three 

 inches of snow fell that day. About all 

 gone by 4-27." This would be very early 

 for the Olive-back and probably refers to 

 the Hermit Thrush. From (60) northward 

 the Olive-back remains to breed. 



Catbird, {G. earolinensis.) Winters in 

 Southern States and breeds from the Gulf 

 to British America. Mr. Eidgway gives it 

 as a Winter resident m Southern Illinois, 

 but (35) says he has never seen them until 

 Spring really began, and that the people 

 in general think their jiresence indicates 

 Spring. No. (16) says they do not occur 

 there in Winter. None were seen in Cen- 

 tral Illinois at (30) until 4-18, one seen, si- 

 lent and in high plumage ; 4-22, slight in- 

 crease and singing ; 4-29, are still compar- 

 atively quiet and scarce ; 5-1, scarce — a 

 morning's walk reveals less than half a 

 dozen ; 5-2, bulk arrived and many migra- 

 tingf flocks ; 5-3. manv more came last 



