MIGRATION. OF OUR BIRDS 167 
MIGRATION OF OUR BIRDS IN THE SPRING OF 1o11. 
By BROTHER ALPHONSUS, C, 5. C. 
A number of species showed during three successive seasons 
great regularity in the dates of their arrival. The Bluebird’s dates 
were: ’o9, Mar. 1; ’10, Feb. 22; ’11, Feb. 23. The Robin’s were: 
"09, Mar. 2; ’10, Mar. 4; ‘11, Feb. 25; The Killdeer’s were: ’oo, 
Mar. 9; ‘10, Mar, 4; ’11, Mar. 9. The Purple Grackle’s were: 
’o9, Mar. 7; ’10, Mar. 6; ’11, Mar. 9. The Meadowlark’s were: ’og, 
Mar. 5; ‘10, Mar. 6; ’11, Mar. 9. The Song Sparrow’s were: ’o9, 
Mar. 6; ’10, Mar. 5; ’11, Mar. 9. It will be noticed that the above 
species in the several seasons, from ’og to ’11, arrived on dates 
relatively near each other. This fact would seem to indicate that 
those species were in their migrations governed by the same 
conditons in the weather. I think that the observations of all 
ornithologists have convinced them that the state of the weather 
is the determining cause of the movements of all migratory birds. 
In the following list, several species showed during the same 
seasons considerable difference in the dates of their arrival. The 
Kingfisher’s dates were: ’o9, Apr. 3; ’10, Mar. 30; ’11, Mar. 22, 
with 12 days between the earliest and latest dates. The Vesper 
Sparrow’s were: ’o9, Apr. 5; ’10, Mar. 26; ’11, Apr. 9, with a 
difference of 14 days. The Flicker’s were: ’o9, Apr. 5; ’10, Mar. 
24; 11, Apr, 5, difference of r12days. The Red-headed Woodpecker’s 
were: ’o9, Apr. 20; ’10, Apr. 4; ’11, Mar. 18, a difference of 33 
days. When the time is longer then 14 days, I think the observer 
has failed to note the actual dates of arrival. 
An interesting fact disclosed itself to the writer last winter 
in the absence of the Snowbird, from Jan. 29 to Mar. 18, 51 days. 
Did the bird migrate during this time from a large region or was 
it only locally absent? Of course, as my observations covered only 
a small extent of territory, I can not answer this question. Neither 
could I assign a reason for such a migration of this species. 
The reader will wonder, probably, at the small number of 
warblers seen by the writer this spring. One of the reasons, doubt- 
less, why he saw so few was the extremely warm weather of May, 
which, he thinks, caused these species to hasten their northern 
migration. Even during other springs, most of the warblers 
were seen only for a few days. 
