THE OOLOGIST 



275 



On the evening of the 13th a heavy 

 wind from the southeast prevailed and 

 tlie meclaanism of tlie mill became dis- 

 engaged from the heavy strain and it 

 was necessary to carry a light upon 

 the tower to the point of trouble and 

 repair the damage before a far greater 

 trouble might arise. We found that 

 it required several hours of hard and 

 constant labor to get things back into 

 shape. While thus engaged during 

 the first hour I was hit about the legs 

 and body by several small birds, but 

 in each case they righted themselves 

 and continued their flight. Close on 

 to midnight this flight increased in 

 immense numbers, and, as the light 

 which we had was apparently drawing 

 the birds towards it, they were con- 

 tinually striking against mine and my 

 helper's body and on all parts of the 

 wheels. As it was very dark and the 

 high wind made it rather difficult to 

 maintain our foothold and together 

 with the trouble in hand, we were 

 given but little opportunity to think 

 of anything but our own and the 

 wheels' safety and but little attention 

 was paid to the migrating birds. 

 When, after two hours and a half of 

 haz'ardous labor we had fixed things 

 up temporarily for the night we both 

 went to the house and retired. 



I arose shortly after sunrise the 

 next morning and immediately went 

 to the windmill to see if any further 

 trouble had arisen, but found things 

 in the same condition as left the night 

 before. 



But on the ground at the foot of the 

 mill I beheld a sight which was indeed 

 very heartrending. All about were the 

 bruised and maimed bodies of Warl)- 

 lers and other small Passerine birds. 

 On gathering them up found thirty- 

 two all together. There were six 

 Chestnut-sided, two Black-throated 

 Blue, four Black-throated Green, four 

 Magnolia, two Parula, five Canadian 



and five Myrtle Warblers, two Marj-- 

 land Yellowthroats, an Indigo Bunt- 

 ing and a Savanna Sparrow. On the 

 platform near the tank were six more 

 Canadian and four additional Myrtle 

 Warblers. 



Since that time I have often visited 

 this mill to see if any further trage- 

 dies of this kind had occurred, but 

 have never found another occurrence 

 in the vicinity. 



Louis S. Kohler. 

 Bloomfield, New Jersey. 



Notes From the Lower Connecticut 

 Valley. 



The following records from my note 

 book may be of some interest to the 

 readers of THE OOLOGIST: 



Aug. 16, 1911. At Saybrook Point 

 and up the valley. Warm and clear. 

 Thousands of Swallows, mostly Tree, 

 some Barn and Bank, were perched 

 in rows along the wires. The pass- 

 ing trains would send clouds of them 

 into the air. Blackbirds were as 

 abundant. These consisted of Red- 

 winged, Bronzed and Purple Grackles 

 and Cowbirds. Kingfishers, Green 

 Herons, Meadowlarks, Savannah and 

 Sharp-tailed Sparrows, Ducks — too 

 distant to identify — and Semi-palmat- 

 ed and Least Sandpipers were com 

 mon. The very extensive marshes at 

 this point, and the numerous creeks 

 connected with the river, make it an 

 ideal resort for marsh loving birds. 



Aug. 6, 1912. Warehouse Point, 

 Conn. Hot and clear. Great flocks 

 of Tree Swallows were noted, flocking 

 for their southern movement. Six 

 Sparrow Hawks observed in the val- 

 ley and as many Nighthawks were 

 zig-zagging over Hartford last even- 

 ing, uttering their peculiar and char- 

 acteristic notes. 



Aug. 14-15, 1912. Saybrook Point, 

 warm and a little fog. Tree and Barn 

 Swallows abundant. Red-wings, 



