360 



Bird - Lore 



light on through the night. — Julian K. 

 Potter, Camden, N. J. 



Washington Region. — Ornithological 

 happenings about Washington during 

 June and July were scarcely out of the 

 ordinary. A very hot wave during the 

 last week of May sent practically all the 

 northern migrants in search of a more con- 

 genial climate, so that by June i almost 

 none but summer resident birds remained. 

 A few notes, however, seem worthy of 

 mention. 



The Least Bittern appears to be rather 

 unusually numerous this summer, for many 

 were seen at Wellington, Va., and Dyke, 

 Va., by Mr. and Mrs. L. D. Miner on 

 June 24 and July 6. An American Bittern 

 was also heard by them, pumping in a' 

 marsh at Wellington on June 24, an occur- 

 reace of some interest, since this species 

 has been uncommon here in summer dur- 

 ing recent years. The same observers 

 report a Pied-billed Grebe seen at Chevy 

 Chase, Md., on July 2; and an adult male 

 Horned Grebe at Wellington, Va., on 

 June 24, the latter doubtless a crippled 

 bird. They also saw the Prothonotary 

 Warbler at Dyke on June i, and observed 

 it at Warwick, Va., June 15, which dates, 

 taken together with reports from other 

 observers this summer, seem to indicate 

 that the species is breeding in this vicinity. 



On July 19 the writer found several 

 Long-billed Marsh Wrens in an unim- 

 proved part of Potomac Park. The ground 

 here is entirely dry, with no ponds or cat- 

 tails, but is covered with a rank growth of 

 weeds 4 to 7 feet in height, composed 

 chiefly of various species of goldenrod, in- 

 cluding the giant species, Solidago altis- 

 sima. Here the Wrens were quite at home 

 and in full song, though it is a place much 

 more suited to the Short-billed Marsh 

 Wren than to the other species. These 

 birds have been here through June and 

 July, and inquiry among local ornitholo- 

 gists developed the fact that many years 

 ago birds of the same species inhabited 

 the same place when it was damper than 

 at present and interspersed with a few 

 little ponds that had a sparse growth of 



cattails. Thus it appears that the Wrens 

 have clung to the same habitat ever since, 

 notwithstanding the changes that it has 

 undergone, or returned to it on account of 

 the destruction of much cattail marsh by 

 the dredging operations now reclaiming the 

 river-flats in the vicinity of Washington. 

 The Purple Martins have again begun 

 to roost in Washington, somewhat earlier 

 than last year. They first appeared on 

 July 19, and since that time have been 

 steadily on the increase in numbers. — 

 Harry C. Oberholser, Biological Survey, 

 Washington, D. C. 



Minneapolis, Minn., Region. — The 

 portion of the summer covered by this 

 report has been unusually cool and delight- 

 ful, broken by only an occasional really hot 

 day or two. Rain has fallen in sufficient 

 quantity so that the whole state has been 

 green and beautiful, and, as a result, crops 

 of all essential kinds have developed be- 

 yond the ordinary, both in quantity and 

 quality, and are just now, when of all 

 times they are rpost welcome, being gar- 

 nered in glorious abundance. 



It may be interesting to note a curious 

 freak spell of weather that occurred July i 

 up along the northwestern border of our 

 state. Snow fell there on that date to the 

 depth of 4 inches, and photographs pub- 

 lished in the papers at that time show men 

 shoveling the snow from the sidewalks and 

 streets of Fargo as in wintertime. 



Much of my last report was devoted to 

 a consideration of the exceptional scarcity 

 of birds in this locality the present year. 

 Further observation confirms this impres- 

 sion. Certain usually common summer 

 residents have been almost entirely absent 

 hereabouts. As examples: The writer has 

 not seen or heard this year a single Tow- 

 hee, the notes of which ordinarily come 

 from almost every suitable woodland; and 

 the frequent haunts of the Oven-bird have 

 been silent and deserted. True, an occa- 

 sional lonely individual of these species 

 has been reported, but the normal resident 

 population failed to appear. A careful 

 observer reports that the White-throated 

 Sparrow and the Junco were much lesg 



