THE OOLOQI8T 



129 



and darting down of the most rapid 

 kind before the Swallow continued on 

 its way and the Sandpiper settled on 

 the beach again to feed. This is an 

 instance of the actual sea-beach being 

 used as a migration line. 



Sept. 12, 1917. Ipswich. This morn- 

 ing three or four hundred Tree Swal- 

 lows flew due east over the dunes 

 toward the sea-coast. They fly wide- 

 ly separated, giving the high twitter 

 and the gutteral note as in their song, 

 flying with long periods of sailing, 

 with wings out-stretched between 

 periods of regular flight. When we 

 reach the sea, all the Swallows are 

 flying toward the south. 



Sept. 13, 1917. Ipswich. When we 

 returned from the sandhills at 5:35 

 this p. m., a great number of Tree 

 Swallows, 500 at least, were flying 

 about the steeple of the church on the 

 Town Common. Some of them sat on 

 the weather-cock; once I counted nine 

 birds clinging to the head, back and 

 tail of the gilded rooster. For ten 

 minutes or so they flew about, the 

 flock passing over an area of several 

 acres. The birds, without doubt, were 

 acting under powerful excitement. As 

 we watched them, we caught the feel- 

 ing ourselves and realized that this 

 vicinity was for a purpose. Near the 

 weather-vatie the birds flew closer to- 

 gether; many fluttered about those al- 

 ready perched and attempted to alight. 



All of a sudden the haphazard flight 

 changed to an orderly procession in 

 which about two hundred birds wheeled 

 in a great spiral and, mounting into 

 the air to a considerable height above 

 the steeple and almost over it, sailed 

 away due south. At the moment the 

 flock formed and separated from the 

 other birds, the method of flight 

 changed from an apparently aimless 

 circling of the individual birds to a 

 slow, steady progress, mainly on set 

 win^s, the birds all moving together. 



Those which went off to the south 

 moved as if under the influence of a 

 powerful magnet which had been 

 waved around the steeple and then 

 drawn slowly away, pulling the birds 

 in a steady stream after it. Many 

 were left beind, more than half the 

 original flock, I think. These continued 

 their maneuvers for ten minutes near 

 the steeple, but not around it, then 

 gradually disappeared, but not in a 

 body toward the south. 



Sept. 14, 1917. Ipswich. Some hun- 

 dred or so Tree Swallows at the pond 

 this a. m. The birds, young and old 

 in about equal numbers, sat on the 

 wire fence, splashed in the pond, and 

 flew about apparently in search of 

 food. Some sat in the roadway and 

 the grass adjoining, playing with 

 feathers, picking them up from the 

 ground and flying off with them, lett- 

 ing them fall, catching them again as 

 they drifted in the air, sunning them- 

 selves, waddling about; they disport- 

 ed in a careless fashion, evidently 

 with no thought of migration. There 

 was no gathering at the steeple in 

 the evening. 



Winsor M. Tyler, M. D., 



Lexington, Mass. 



BIRD TRAVEL NOTES 



By Ramon Graham 

 We left Ft. Worth in my tin Lizzie 

 on a journey south. I was surprised 

 at the number of Bob-Whites and 

 Doves being so plentiful along the 

 road to Waco, Austin, and San An- 

 tonio, bird life was plentiful all along 

 the way. In San Antonio at one of the 

 parks there was a fine collection of 

 birds, among them was an Albino Tur- 

 key Vulture, several Eagles and Owls 

 and Audubons Carcara. 



We took in San Antonio, along the 

 street and plazas the great tailed 

 Grackle and Inca Doves were noticed. 

 We are now camped on the Medina 



