Birds and Seasons 99 



hawk, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Kingbird, Crested Flycatcher,* 

 Phoebe, Wood Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Bluejay, Crow, Bobolink, Cowbird, Red-winged 

 Blackbird, Meadowlark, (Orchard Oriole), Baltimore Oriole, Bronzed Crackle, Purple 

 Finch, American Goldfinch, Vesper Sparrow, Savanna Sparrow,* Grasshopper Sparrow,* 

 Henslow's Sparrow,* Sharp-tailed Sparrow,* Chipping Sparrow, Field Sparrow, Song 

 Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow, Towhee, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bird, Scarlet Tan- 

 ager. Purple Martin,* Cliff Swallow,* Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, Bank Swallow, 

 Cedarbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Yellow-throated Vireo, [Solitary Vireo], 

 (White-eyed Vireo), Black-and-White Creeper, Golden-winged Warbler, Nashville 

 Warbler, Parula Warbler,* Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, [Blackburnian 

 Warbler], Black-throated Green Warbler, Pine Warbler, Prairie Warbler, Ovenbird, 

 Maryland Yellow-throat, (Yellow-breasted Chat), [Canadian Warbler], American Red- 

 start, Catbird, Brown Thrasher, House Wren, Short-billed Marsh Wren,* Long-billed 

 Marsh Wren,* White-breasted Nuthatch, Chickadee, Wood Thrush, Wilson's Thrush, 

 [Hermit Thrush], Robin, Bluebird. 



* Rare, or very locally distributed. 

 [ ] Rare, commoner to the northward. ( ) Rare, commoner to the southward. 



JUNE AND JULY BIRD-LIFE NEAR NEW YORK CITY 



By Frank M, Chapm.an 



For the students of birds in nature June in this latitude is the most 

 important month of the year. The distractions of the migration no 

 longer prevent us from careful, continuous study of the home life of 

 birds, with its innumerable illustrations of highly developed instincts and 

 interesting evidences of intelligent adaptation to the demands of the hour. 



The nesting season may be said to begin with the spring migration 

 itself, when, about March i, the Great Horned Owl, and, a little later, 

 other birds of prey go to housekeeping; the time of a bird's nesting 

 being more or less closely related to the character of the food of its 

 young. June, however, is the true home month, and either in building, 

 incubating, in feeding or training their young, fully ninety per cent of 

 our breeding birds are then occupied with domestic affairs. An early 

 lesson in forming orderly and regular habits is found in the establishment 

 of roosts, to which the young, with one or both parents, of such early- 

 breeding birds as Crackles and Robins repair each night. 



The song season reaches its height late in May before most birds 

 are occupied with care, and inspired males have little to do but give 

 expression to their emotions and eloquently, if unconsciously, voice the 

 joy of the season. It is a merry time, all too quickly ended, as the one- 

 brooded birds soon drop from the choir to begin at once preparations 

 for the first stages of the journey to their winter quarters, Bobolinks, 

 Red-winged Blackbirds, Veeries, and Orchard Orioles and some others 

 being rarely heard after July 15. 



By July I the tide of the birds' year begins to ebb. Then we look 

 for the returning Tree Swallow, a bird which does not, as a rule, nest 



