rilE KNilLISIi SPABROW -li'i 



To get a concrete idea of the migration of a particular species let 

 us consider in detail tlie movements of the redstart. Tliis species 

 breeds from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to British Columljia. Its north- 

 ern limit in the summer is northern Canada, its southern is North 

 Carolina. It winters in the Greater and Lesser Antilles and along the 

 northern shore of South America. About March 20 the redstarts 

 reach southern Florida, having come from Cuba. The van of the 

 migrating hosts arrive, on the average, successively at Raleigh, North 

 Carolina, April 10 ; Washington, District of Columbia, April 23 : New 

 York Citjf, May 4; and Montreal, Maj' 16. They nio\'c westward 

 from Florida as well as north. They reach St. Louis, Apiil 17; 

 Chicago, May 8; Manitotja, May 14, and Athabasca, Ma)' 23. 

 Kansas City is reached alDout May 5, and British Columbia early 

 in June. B3' the middle of August the Canadian birds Ijegin to 

 migrate southward, the last being seen at Athabasca, August 14; 

 Manitoba, Septemljer 20; Chicago, October 5; New Orleans, Octo- 

 ber 27, and southern Florida, November 4. Every year this broad 

 red veil of bird life floats slowly northward, in April and May, and is 

 drawn back to the tropics in September and October. Other species 

 of birds move similarly, Ijut with great ^'ariation in speed and distri- 

 bution in their summer range. 



The peculiar charm of the study of bird migration is due to 

 the fact that the return of the birds after a long winter heralds 

 the coming of spring. We hail with delight the return of the 

 blackbird and roliin. The successive weeks show a constantly 

 increasing number of nc>w arrivals. At the latitude of New 

 York and Chicago the phajbe, field-sparrow, chipping-sparrow, 

 barn-swallow, chimney-swift, cat-bird, wood-thrush, hum- 

 ming-bird, king-bird, orioles, and wood-warblers follow in quick 

 succession. The height of the spring migration period is 

 reached in the early part of May. 



Of the species that do not migrate there is no better example 



