76 



land) puts the time of arrival of the females as three weeks 

 later than that of the males. Baird, Brewer, and Ridgway 

 (1874) tell us that ''Early in March these large assembhes 

 break up. A part separate in pairs and remain among the 

 Southern swamps. The greater portion, in smaller flocks, the 

 male bird leading the way, commence their movements north- 

 ward. . . . They are among the earhest [in New England] to 

 arrive in spring, coming, in company with the Rusty Grakle, 

 as early as the 10th of March. Those which remain to breed 

 usually come a month later." Townsend (1905, Massachu- 

 setts) gives us a hint as to their habits during the migration 

 by stating: ''The greatest number are to be found in the late 

 afternoon, as during the day, they are foraging in the upland 

 fields." 



Brewster (1906) gives the earliest record for Cambridge 

 as February 26, 1866, with March 16 as the normal date. 

 He then gives us more definite information as to their move- 

 ments than any one prior to this time. "For several weeks 

 after their first appearance in early spring Redwings are 

 usually found in flocks composed wholly of males. At this 

 season they are seldom seen about their breeding grounds 

 excepting in the early morning and late afternoon. At most 

 other hours of the day they frequent open and often elevated 

 farming country, where they feed chiefly in grain stubbles and 

 weed-grown fields. . . . After the female Redwings arrive (I 

 seldom see them before the first week of May) the males spend 

 most of the time with them in the swamps and marshes, but 

 even at the height of the breeding season it is by no means 

 unusual to find birds of both sexes feeding, in flocks, in dry, 

 upland fields." This is by far the most detailed and accurate 

 account that has been found. As far as it goes, it agrees 

 with the observations made at Ithaca except, perhaps, for the 

 time of the appearance of the females. Very different is the 

 account of its habits given by Max M. Peet (1908) in Michigan. 

 He observes in part: "It is worthy of note that during this 

 period [spring] the red-wings are seldom met with outside of 

 the marsh and so must procure the bulk of their food in it." 



To summarize what has been written concerning its spring 



