The Season 



365 



there was a marked wave of Sparrows, the 

 White-throated predominating, a few of 

 the rare White-crowns mixed with them, 

 and the first Fox Sparrow on October 12. 

 October 13, a sparklingly clear northerly 

 morning following a rainy day, the writer 

 had the pleasure of spending two or three 

 hours in the field with Mr. W. L. Sclater, 

 of London. White-throated Sparrows and 

 Myrtle Warblers were perhaps the two 

 most abundant migrants, if one does not 

 count the quantities of Song Sparrows in 

 the outskirts of a swamp, where the 

 Swamp Sparrow was also much in evidence. 

 A few Phoebes and Thrushes had probably 

 come in the night before, and, strangely 

 enough, the only one of the latter definitely 

 identified was an Olive-back, though most 

 likely the others were Hermits. Three 

 Pied-billed Grebes were gone from a pond 

 where they had been present the afternoon 

 before. Two considerable flocks of Pine 

 Siskins were found feeding, one under some 

 birches, the other in weed-tops; a Purple 

 Finch in the streaked plumage of female or 

 young gave a snatch of half-song from high 

 up in a tree; a Goldfinch was still calling 

 the double baby cry and fluttering with 

 its wings. 



It is interesting to try and explain un- 

 usual dates of occurrence. Such are a couple 

 of Myrtle Warblers, September 14, at 

 Mastic, which is as early as we have record 

 of the species on Long Island. Probably 

 seasons when a given species is particularly 

 abundant there is a greater chance of see- 

 ing it very early or very late, and these 

 early Myrtle Warblers are in a sense ex- 

 plained by the considerable flight which 

 came weeks later. This October 1 2 , Garden 

 City, chances as well to be our earliest pre- 

 vious Long Island date for the Fox Spar- 

 row. Will there also be a considerable flight 

 of this species later? — J. T. Nichols, 

 New York City. 



Philadelphia Region. — This region ex- 

 perienced the usual weather conditions 

 prevalent during late summer and early 

 fall. A driving northeast storm occurred 

 on August 13, the wind continuing in that 

 quarter until the 17th, on which date a 



flock of ten Common Terns were observed 

 on the Delaware River. These birds are 

 very rarely seen as far up the river as 

 Philadelphia, and their presence was no 

 doubt due entirely to stormy weather. 



Several trips to the New Jersey coast 

 were made during August and September, 

 with the view of looking up shore-bird 

 conditions primarily. As a possible basis 

 for future comparisons, the name and 

 approximate numbers of each species ob- 

 served are here given: Sea Isle City, N. J., 

 August 10 — -Dowitcher, 3; Least and Semi- 

 palmated Sandpipers, 1,000; Knot, i; 

 Yellow-legs, 20; Sanderling, 100; Black- 

 bellied Plover, 10; Semi-palmated Plover, 

 30; Piping Plover, i; Turnstone, 6. Cape 

 May, N. J., August 25 — Yellow-legs, 10; 

 Willet, i; Sanderling, 50; Semipalmated 

 Plover, 10; Piping Plover, i. Two- Mile 

 Beach, August 29 — -Least and Semi- 

 palmated Sandpipers, 30; Knot, i; Sander- 

 ling, 40; Black-bellied Plover, 18; Semi- 

 palmated Plover, 20; Piping Plover, 2; 

 Turnstone, 8. Cape May, N. J., Septem- 

 ber 4 — Dowitcher, i; Pectoral Sandpiper, 

 5; Yellow-legs, 50; Sanderling, 40; Semi- 

 palmated Plover, 15; Piping Plover, 4. 

 Two-Mile Beach, September 6 — ^Sander- 

 ling, 20; Knot, 25; Black-bellied Plover, 2; 

 Semi-palmated Plover, 10; Turnstone, 7. 

 Perhaps it is well to add that clear weather 

 prevailed on all these trips. Other birds, 

 deserving mention, noted: Sea Isle City, 

 August 10 — Least Tern and Egret. Cape 

 May, August 25 — Little Blue Heron; Aug- 

 ust 26, 6 Loggerhead Shrikes and a Blue- 

 gray Gnatcatcher. At Camden, N. J., 

 September 14, two young Black-billed 

 Cuckoos were found, apparently just out of 

 the nest. One being unable to fly very well, 

 was easily caught. Although Cuckoos are 

 notably late nesters, the foregoing record 

 seems to be pretty near the limit for the 

 successful raising of the young for this 

 species. 



The fall migration of Warblers, to all 

 appearances, was well up to normal, and 

 at the time of this writing (October 8) 

 seems to be about over. More common 

 south-bound winter residents observed to 

 date are as follows: Herring Gull, Septem- 



