Sept. 1884.] 



AND OOLOGIST. 



10? 



they had been driven by the cold, to the 

 borders of the prairie. There was scarcely 

 any increase of numbers until April 1. At 

 more northern localities the first wave was 

 marked by the arrival of more birds. This 

 wave reached 39° the last week in March, 

 but was stopped by the heavy snowstorms 

 of the first week in April and made no 

 move until the middle of the month. Out 

 of the nineteen records of arrivals at 

 stations between 39° and 45°, only two 

 mention any Yellow-rumps before April 16, 

 but on that day and the two following, 

 they appeared in large numbers over the 

 whole of this two hundred thousand square 

 miles. What an incredible number of 

 Yellow-rumps must have been moving on 

 these three days ! The same wave brought 

 the bulk to the region south of 39° and 

 another two weeks carried them up to 45°, 

 making them for the time one of the most 

 numerous birds of the upper Mississippi 

 Valley. Having now passed over the land 

 of spring time and reached a country still 

 ruled by winter, they checked the hurried- 

 ness of their flight and did not reach 47° 

 until the second week in May. A few 

 breed a short distance north of this, but 

 the bulk pass on to British America. 



A curious incident occurred in the mi- 

 gration of this species at Heron Lake, in 

 southwestern Minnesota. On March 18 

 there arrived an immense flight of Ducks, 

 all coming from the west, as if from the 

 Missouri Valley. Together with them, or 

 at least on the same day, came great flocks 

 of Blackbirds and "a large flight of Yellow- 

 rumps in fine feather and song." Where 

 they came from is a mystery. A compe- 

 tent observer, southwest of there on the 

 Missouri River, did not find the species 

 common until nearly two months later, and 

 no station south or southeast reports them 

 at all until three weeks later, nor at Heron 

 Lake was the arrival of the bulk noted 

 until thirty -three days afterward. It would 

 seem to be a case of a flock caught by 

 some upper air current and carried farther 



than they intended. While most of the 

 birds left Central Illinois the first week in 

 May, some very late migrants were seen at 

 Whitehall, 39 27 , on May 21. 



Cliff Swallow, (Petrochelidon luni- 

 frons). He who would see these birds in 

 their glory should visit some of the great 

 rivers of the western plains. Prof. Aughey 

 says that he counted in one place two 

 thousand one hundred nests. All over the 

 northern part of the Mississippi Valley it is 

 an abundant breeder. Leaving the United 

 States in winter, it does not reappear as 

 soon as the WTiite-bellied nor the Purple 

 Martin, but about the middle of March 

 they begin to return. They were very 

 plentiful at Eagle Pass, Texas, 28 43 , on 

 March 27, advanced very rapidly to about 

 latitude 40°, and then ctme to a halt. 

 One was seen at St. Louis on April 15, and 

 the species had already been noted from 

 Burlington, la., on April 10. There is some- 

 thing singular about these Swallow records 

 at Burlington and St. Louis; on three 

 species of Swallows the record at Burling- 

 ton, though a hundred and fifty miles 

 farther north, is some days ahead of St. 

 Louis. The White-bellied was seen at 

 Burlington, March 10 ; at St. Louis, March 

 24. Barn Swallow at Burlington, April 10, 

 at St. Louis, April 16. Cliff Swallow at 

 Burlington, April 10, at St. Louis, April 15. 

 Knowing the diligence with which Mr. 

 Widmann sought out new arrivals, these 

 occurrences are unesplainable. 



To return to the Cliff Swallow. After 

 reaching St. Louis and Burlington there is 

 a pause until April 25. Starting then by 

 May 1, they were all over the country south 

 of 45° and reached Oak Point, Manitoba, 

 50 30 , on May 22. There seems to have 

 been much movement April 27. On this 

 day it appeared throughout most of West- 

 ern Missouri, Eastern Kansas and South- 

 eastern Nebraska. At Caddo, Ind. Ter., it 

 was abundant in fall migration, the last 

 leaving October 9, but none had returned 

 by April 7, though the Purple Martin had 

 been there about a month. 



