114 MICHIGAN SURVEY, 1908. 



strain on their frail bodies in even so short a flight. This was vividly 

 shown in the number of exhausted young found after every bird wave. 

 During September, imma.ture warblers and sparrows were often found 

 in the morning in an almost completely exhausted condition after their 

 night's flight. This was especially evident among the Tennessee and 

 Blackpoll ^VaI•blers. On the morning of September 13, folloAving tke 

 day which witnessed the largest bird wave, I picked up many dead 

 birds. Nearly all were warblers, the Tennessee seeming to have suffered 

 most, although tlie Palm was a close second. A few immature Savan- 

 nah Sparrows, one adult Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, and several young 

 Flickers were also found dead. These dead migrants were seen in the 

 clearing, along the roads, and on the banks of the stream. An ex- 

 amination of these victims showed no outward indieaition of the cause 

 of their death. Only a few were emaciated to any extent. It was a 

 noticeable fact, however, that none of the birds found dead were in 

 the prime, fatty condition of most of the other migrants taken. The 

 conclusion therefore seems probable, that the birds must be in the 

 best condition possible to miake a successful mjigration flight, aud that 

 the greatest mortality among the migrants lies in that class which for 

 some unknown reason are not in prime condition. As there were no 

 other reasons evident which could have brought on this high death rate, 

 it is probable that death had been caused by severe exertion, coupled 

 perhaps in a few instances with lack of food and unfavorable weather 

 conditions in which to recuperate. This seemed the more plausible 

 considering the fact that in only a comparatively few cases were the 

 victims adult birds, while, as before stated, many of the immature 

 warblers and sparrows had only been able to fly for a, short time. 



After heavy storms, especially those from the southeast, many adult 

 as well as young birds were found in an exhausted condition, their 

 plumage presenting a dilapidated appearance, the wing and tail feathers 

 broken, and showing general evidence of a hard struggle with the wind. 

 Some of these birds may have been caught by the storm while cross- 

 ing from the north shore to the island, but as the birds appeared to 

 be blown before the wind I think that at least part of themi were over- 

 taken while crossing the lake considerably to tlie east of Isle Eoyale, 

 perhaps toward Keweenaw Point. Overtaken, by the storm and with 

 no place to take refuge they were gradually blown in the direction 

 of the island where they were found the succeeding morning in such 

 an exhausted condition. Some of these birds would even allow them- 

 selves to be picked up and handled without showing any fear. The 

 birds which suffered most were the Palm and Tennessee Warblers. 

 Michael Hollinger, a resident on the island for several years, told me 

 that often, especially im spring, he had seen Washington Harbor "liter- 

 ally covered" with floating birds which had succumbed in their struggle 

 against the storms and had drifted in fromi the open lake. The peculiar 

 shape of the harbor and the lake currents tends to mass floating bodies 

 at this point. But the loss as shown by those collected at the harbor 

 could be but ai slight proportion of the vast numbers which must have 

 perished in the open lake. 



Several fishermen said that after heavy gales in late fall and early 

 spring, the shore at Washington Harbor would be strewn with the life- 



