a 
OUR BIRDS IN THE SUMMER OF I9I4 205 
time for daily observations, and these may often wish for first- 
hand information which may answer many questions that they 
can not answer themselves. 
Another advantage to be gained by recording the facts that 
are furnished by frequent observations of our birds is the accu- 
mulation of data for a fuller life history of the different species 
in a particular locality. And the element of time is not the least 
important in these records—such as the time of nesting; when 
the young are fledged; dates of the first and last brood of certain 
species; habits of species at different periods, etc. Lastly, the 
writer's privilege of visiting deep woods in August, which few 
observers near cities can enjoy, has revealed a number of inter- 
esting ornithological secrets. 
“Daily observations also disclose some interesting facts about 
species that are very rare during certain seasons of the year. In 
I914 species that were seen not oftener than three times in one 
or more of the summer month were: Least Flycatcher, Night- 
hawk, Scarlet Tanager, Red-eyed Vireo, Purple Martin, Redstart, 
Black-billed Cuckoo, Cardinal, Hummingbird, Savanna Sparrow, 
Phoebe, Bobolink, Blue Jay, Bronzed Grackle, Crested Flycatcher, 
Loggerhead Shrike, Black and White, Canadian, Pine, Black- 
throated Green, Nashville, Magnolia, Yellow, Warblers. 
The Crow had the fewest records in June of any month of 
the year, both in 1914 and 1913—13 for the former and 12 for 
the latter. In 1914 the longest interval between any of the dates 
‘ was 7 days; in 1913, 4 days. In July there were 29 records for 
1913 and 20 for 1914. In August, 1914, the only day the species 
did not appear was on the 2d; in 1913, there were 6 days in August 
when the Crow was not found. 
In June the Blue Jay maintained a better showing than the 
Crow—17 records for 1913 and 22 for 1914. In both years the 
longest absence was 4 days. In July 1914 there were four days 
when the species was not seen; in 1913 there were no records for 
the Jay. The writer spent July at Bankson Lake, near Lawton, 
Mich. In August there were 9 records in 1913, made at Notre 
Dame, Indiana, and none before the 11th of the month, when the 
writer was in Michigan. In August, 1914 there were but two 
records—made in Indiana. As reported in a previous article, the 
Blue Jay was found formerly in small numbers at Bankson Lake, . 
