86 



Bird -Lore 



Six new records were established for late departures of winter birds, namely: 

 Loggerhead Shrike, April i ; Fox Sparrow, April 6 ; American Pipit, April 6 ; 

 Brown Creeper, April 19; Song Sparrow, April 28, and White-throated Sparrow, 

 May 19. Two former records were duplicated and seven of the remaining four- 

 teen species noted were from four to fourteen days later than the average. It 

 is plain that species which leave normally before the sixth of April could have 

 been delayed a few days by the severe weather of late March and early April; 

 but it is not easy to understand how it could have affected, to any marked 

 extent, the species which depart in late April and in May. 



The migration at Raleigh was also characterized by an unusually great 

 variety of species, including a number of very rare birds. A Black-crowned 

 Night Heron taken on April 4 and a Bay-breasted Warbler observed on May 5 

 constitute new local records. Other rare or uncommon species worthy of especial 

 mention are the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, Black-throated Green 

 Warbler, Yellow-legs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Bartramian Sandpiper, Cape May 

 Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, 

 Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Wilson's Warbler. The total number of species 

 whose arrival was observed amounted to no less than sixty-eight in all, which is 

 the largest number yet recorded at Raleigh during a single season. This fact 

 can probably in no way be attributed to the abnormal weather conditions 

 before mentioned (except possibly in the case of the Night Herons), but rather 

 to the large amount of time spent in making observations. Also the fact that 

 two observers were in the field did not play so large a part in this as might be 

 expected, as one of them alone observed all but one of the sixty-eight species 

 recorded. 



A. COMMONER SPECIES 



I. Species normally arriving before April i. 



Name 



Chipping Sparrow 



Yellow-throated Warbler . . 

 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher . . . 



Blue-headed Vireo 



Pectoral Sandpiper 



Louisiana Water-Thrush . . 

 Maryland Yellowthroat . . . 

 Black-and- White Warbler . . 

 Black-throated Green Warbler 



White-eyed Vireo 



American Osprey 



II. Species normally arriving from April i 



Tree Swallow 



Lesser Yellowlegs 



Barn Swallow 



Green Heron 



Parula Warbler 



Whip-poor-will 



Average 



date of 



arrival (i) 



Arrival 1915 



Days later 

 or earlier 

 than aver- 

 age. 



March 7 



March 19 



12 late 



March 24 



April 7 



14 late 



March 24 



April 7 



14 late 



March 25 



April I 



7 late 



March 25 



April 13 



19 late 



March 26 



April 7 



12 late 



March 26 



April 7 



12 late 



March 27 



April 6 



10 late 



March 27 



April 10 



14 late 



March 31 



April 9 



9 late 



March 31 



March 28 



3 early 



to 10 inclusive. 





April 3 



April 13 



ID late 



April 3 



April 13 



10 late 



April 7 



April 13 



6 late 



April 9 



April 14 



5 late 



April 10 



April 15 



S late 



April 10 



April 18 



8 late 



