OUR BIRDS IN AUTUMN 305 



OUR BIRDS IN THE AUTUMN OF 1913. 



BY BROTHER ALPHONSUS, C. S. C. 



The autumn of 1913 shows a larger number of species as 

 well as more records for many of them than any previous autumn. 

 Seventy-five species were found during the month of vSeptember 

 alone, which was ten less than the entire number seen during 

 the season. 



In September the Bluebird shows 6 records, with one long 

 interval of 1 5 days ; in October there are 1 2 records, with the longest 

 interval 8 days. As in most other seasons of the year, so in autumn 

 the Bluebird can not be said to be a very common species. 



The Meadowlark was recorded 6 times in September, having 

 as the longest interval 7 days; in October there were 21 obser- 

 vations, with no interval longer than 2 days; in November there 

 was one record, on the 4th — -5 days after the last record in October, 



The Cowbird was recorded 11 times in September, with the 

 longest interval between the 8th and i8th — 9 days; in October 

 5 records were made, with an interval of 4 days and no obser- 

 vations after the 15th. Between the last record in September 

 and the first in October there were 13 days. 



The Kingfisher was found on 4 days in vSeptember, the longest 

 interval being 6 days; in October it was observed once, on the 

 19th — 21 days after the last record in September; in November 

 the only observation was on the 13th or 22 days after the record 

 in October. 



The House Wren was observed 4 times in September, with 

 a long interval of 15 days between the 12th and 27th; in October 

 the species was seen twice, with an interval of 9 days. These 

 long intervals were probably due to the fact that it is very difficult 

 to find this wren in autumn. 



In September the Swift was seen 15 times, with 3 days as 

 the longest interval, no record having been made for autumn 

 after the 23rd., which is unusual for this species, whose time 

 of migration is ordinarily early in October. 



Like the vSwift, the Yellow-billed Cuckoo usually departs 

 the first week in October, but this year the species was recorded 

 last on the 23rd of September. There were 1 1 observations for 

 the month, with no interval longer than 3 days. 



