^S'*^ AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 



1013 — was 13 days ahead of the earliest date of the other three 

 years; while the Myrtle Warbler was 26 days earlier in 191 1 

 than any other of its dates. Perhaps the early date of the Snowbird 

 may be accounted for as the result of greater diligence on the 

 part of the writer; but such an explanation would not be correct 

 for the Myrtle Warbler. In 1911 this species was frequently seen 

 after Sept. 11, which is 14 days earlier than the earliest date of 

 any other year; and the characteristic call-note of the species 

 always makes its presence practically certain. 



In the Red-breasted Nuthatch we have' a species that is not 

 recorded often enough to ascertain its approximate date of migra- 

 tion. The records obtained show great disparity, with 52 days 

 between the extrem.e dates. 



When the Tree Sparrows first arrives from the north, the 

 birds are neither numerous nor in song, and consequently may be 

 overlooked unless the observer is both experienced and diligent. 

 My records^ for the species fall into two sets — two in November 

 and two in October, but I think that the latter dates may be taken 

 as the more exact, and so in the fourth week of October the careful 

 observer will be sure to find a few Tree Sparrows. 



Mv records for the Robin do not give conclusive evidence 

 about the correct time of migration for the species. Two dates 

 fall close together and two others are almost five weeks apart. 

 This great irregularity is likely due to the habit which the Robin 

 has of moving about a good deal in autumn in search of fruit — 

 wild or cultivated — for food. 



The writer has usually omitted from his comparison those 

 species for which he has but a single date, hoping that future 

 observations will furnish a sufficient number of records for a 

 comparison. 



