244 AMERICAN MIDI^AND NATURALIST 



to; in October, i. After the loth of September, there were but 

 3 records, very widely apart. A probable explanation of the 

 great difference between these three records is the following. 

 Before the loth of September most of this species that were res- 

 ident here during summer migrated south, while those seen after 

 this date were birds from farther north. 



In September the Yellow-billed Cuckoo was recorded 5 times, 

 the greatest difference between any two of the dates being 13 days. 

 No doubt the species was abundant in our locality until the date 

 of its departure on Sept. 25.; and should, therefore, have been 

 seen often during the first half of the month. No satisfactory 

 explanation offers itself for such a long period of absence. 



The Bluebird shows no records for August, 3 for September, 

 none for October, i for November. In autumn this species is 

 known to gather in considerable flocks, which feed in favorable 

 localities. Should the observer not visit such a place, he may 

 not see a single individual of the species for many weeks. There 

 were 48 days between the last two dates on which the writer 

 saw the Bluebird this autumn. 



In the Meadowlark we have a species that disappears in 

 late summer for more than a month. This year the time of migra- 

 tion was from August 2 to Sept. 19 — 48 days. After its reappearance, 

 the species may be found regularly until its final migration. 



After August i6th, the Vesper Sparrow was recorded but 

 once — Sept. 29th. It is difficult to record this species when the 

 song season is over. Being a bird that resorts to outlying fields 

 and pastures, the observer has to go out of his usual way to find 

 the species. I was fortunate to make this one accidental record, 

 for otherwise I should have missed the date of migration by a 

 big margin. 



The Mourning Dove was regularly seen in August and in 

 September until the 8th. After this date there were two irregular 

 records for vSeptembcr and none during the rest of the season. 

 In other years I have made fortunate records of this species in 

 October, which, I think, is the month when the Dove finally 

 departs. As the species is not abundant, the observer must find 

 it difficult to record toward the end of its stay in the north. 



The Phoebe was recorded 3 times in September and October. 

 These dates are late in September and early in October. Like the 

 Meadowlark this species migrates in summer. This year the 



