THE LOON. 51 



over with a clash of merry music, in small squadrons on- 

 ly, scarcely alighting at all. 



Every observer, I imagine, can furnish similar records, 

 can tell of years when this or that bird was especially 

 numerous, and some other -species unusually scarce. It 

 seems to me the problem of these varying numbers offers 

 an interesting study to observers. It is not likely the 

 birds are -governed by mere caprice in their choice of 

 lines of travel and why should they alternately favor and 

 shun certain routes? 



I account for the falling off of the Bobolinks by the 

 fact that the wild lands here, which formerly constituted 

 their feeding grounds, have been gradually brought under 

 cultivation and so he has been obliged to change off. A- 

 gain, the long loitering and unusual numbers of the Black- 

 birds in this section during their migration for this season, 

 may be explained by the mildness of the winter and 

 the heavy spring rains which have brought the worms 

 and insects to the surface of the ground. But on the 

 other hand, the Robin, which is also a ground feeder, 

 has hustled through on double-quick this year. 



NOTES AND NEWS. 



The Summer Yellowbird. — This little warbler arrives 



