The Season 



20I 



normal April 23-24) ; Pigeon Hawk (e. April 

 13, n. April 25). April 25, Solitary Vireo (e. 

 April 24, n. April 28); Black-and-white 

 Warbler (e. April 19, n. April 28); Black- 

 throated-green Warbler (e. April 26, n. May 

 6). April 26, Chimney Swift (e. April 24, n. 

 May 2); Indigo Bunting (e. April 19, n. May 

 16). April 27, Catbird (e. May i, n. May 6); 

 Ovenbird (e. April 25, n. May 2); Prairie 

 Warbler (e. May 2, n. May 4). May 2, Yel- 

 low Warbler (e. April 18, n. April 30). May 

 3, Grasshopper Sparrow (e. April 21, n. M^y 

 9); Parula (e. April 25, n. May 9); Wood 

 Thrush (e. April 13, n. April 30). May 7, 

 Black-throated Blue Warbler (e. May 4, n. 

 May 10). May 8, Kingbird (e. April 21, n. 

 May 2); White-eyed Vireo (e. April 29, n. 

 May 6); Blue-winged Warbler, (e. May 2, 

 n. May 11). May 9, Hummingbird (e. May 

 3, n. May 13). May 10, Least Flycatcher 

 (e. May 5, n. May 11); Baltimore Oriole 

 (e. April 28, n. May 7); Nashville Warbler 

 (e. May 4, n. May 9); Magnolia Warbler 

 (e. May 5, n. May 11); Chestnut-sided 

 Warbler (e. May i, n. May 8); Maryland 

 Yellow-throat (e. April 20, n. May 7); 

 Hooded Warbler (e. April 30); Redstart (e. 

 May 2, n. May 8) . In ten arrivals from April 

 24 to 27, four are within three days of the 

 normal, three are earlier than this and within 

 two days of the earliest, two are still earlier, 

 respectively four and five days ahead of 

 previous records, and only one intermediate 

 between earliest and normal but approaching 

 neither. In sixteen arrivals from May 2 to 

 10, twelve are within three days of the nor- 

 mal, three (Grasshopper Sparrow, Parula, 

 and Hummingbird) earlier than this and 

 intermediate between earliest and normal, 

 but it would seem that for just these three 

 too late a normal had been obtained by 

 our method. One, the Kingbird, is six- 

 days behind the normal. Space has been 

 taken for the above detailed statistics, 

 because they indicate the importance of 

 actual calendar dates in the northward 

 movement of these birds, not only the nor- 

 mal date, but apparently the earliest date 

 also having significance. This should be an 

 important principle in interpreting migration 

 if it can be definitely established. 



The warm night of May 13 a heavy flight 

 of birds reached this latitude. Encountering 

 thick, showery weather over the city the 

 ensuing dawn, they became confused, and 

 many were killed by striking the Metro- 

 politan Tower while others descended to the 

 city yards and small open squares. — J. T. 

 Nichols, New York City. 



Washington Region. — ^Bird migration 

 about Washington during Apiil and May, 

 1921, was decidedly unusual. The weather, 

 particularly during the latter half of April 

 and the first half of May, was generally cool, 

 part of the time more so than is ordinarily 

 the case, while the very few hot days occurred 

 only at intervals, thus reversing conditions 

 obtaining in the preceding months of Feb- 

 ruary and March. These meteorological 

 conditions had apparently a very peculiar 

 effect on the movements of migratory birds 

 in this region, and this peculiar migration is 

 the most notable ornithological happening 

 of the present spring. 



Notwithstanding the generally cool 

 weather, the arrivals of a number of migrants 

 were in advance of normal, some of them by 

 many days. Among the most important of 

 these are the Grasshopper Sparrow, which 

 arrived on April 3 (average spring appear- 

 ance, April 22); Rough-winged Swallow, 

 April 3 (average, April 10); Henslow's Spar- 

 row, April 7 (April 19); Black and White 

 Warbler, April 7 (April 16); House Wren, 

 April 5 (April 18); Yellow- throated Warbler, 

 April 12 (April 18); Yellow Warbler, April 

 15 (April 22); White-eyed Vireo, April 15 

 (April 22); Maryland Yellow- throat, April 

 15 (April 21); Green Heron, April 15 (April 

 21); Wood Thrush, April 19 (April 25); 

 Long-billed Marsh Wren, April 23 (April 30) ; 

 Black-throated Blue Warbler, April 24 (May 

 i); Magnolia Warbler, April 24 (May 5); 

 Olive-backed Thrush, April 25 (May 4); 

 Nashville Warbler, April 26 (May 3); and 

 Chestnut-sided Warbler, April 26 (May 2). 



One species, the Northern Water-Thrush, 

 was detected earlier than ever before in the 

 spring, by Miss M. J. Pellew, on the Ana- 

 costia River, near Washington, April 16, its 

 earliest previous record being April 18, 1920. 



