Bird Migration in the Mississippi Valley. 9 



Norther broke upon us at about 4 p. m., with a velocity of thirty, and at 6 p. 

 rn. the mercury was clown to 46 dgs., and at 10 p. m. to 29 dgs. It is the 

 greatest change in temperature f within such a short time) that I remember. 



Yesterday (March 19) it was cold (19 to 32 dgs.), with a sharp northwest 

 wind, and to day it has been snowing all day with the mercury below 30 dgs. 

 I pity the poor martins which were induced to go so far north last Sunday. I 

 hope they went back a good distance, or else they must perish, as they could 

 find no food, and the nights were too cold for them. 



From March 18 to April 3, there was a perfect standstill in everything. 

 The weather being cool, gloomy, with northerly winds, and occasional snow 

 and cold rain. Birds did not move, except Fringillidw, which were found 

 more numerous on March 30. The snowbirds were found collected in largp 

 flocks, and very excited in spite of the cool rain, and in a place where twenty 

 wintered, I found an army of two hundred, singing, chasing, etc. Field spar- 

 rows, song sparrows, fox sparrows, and towhee buntings, had increased; also 

 the blackbirds, meadow-larks, and the small wintering parties of white- 

 throats and whitecrowns had swelled to about twice their numbers. April 3 

 was the first fine day. The wind had changed during the night from nortli 

 to southeast. No new arrivals on this day. Cowbirds were seen, but they 

 had probably been here before in company with blackbirds. In the evening 

 of this day (April 3) the first martins came back again (had been gone since 

 March 18), and a rough-winged swallow. At 9:20 p. m., I heard distinctly 

 the voices of wandering robins flying over the city. The sky was clear, mer- 

 cury 50 dgs., and a light southeast breeze. 



This night brought us numbers of birds. The first thing in the morning of 

 the fourth was the ditty of the chippy. The van had arrived during the 

 night. Wherever I went on the fourth there were robins and flickers, and 

 the number of blackbirds was very great (redwings and grackles). Among the 

 arrivals were also many golden-crowned kinglets and creepers. Also a troop 

 of cranes passed by at 6 p. m. The next night brought us still more birds, 

 and the fifth of April was a glorious day. 



The day had opened with a light thunder-storm, after a calm, warm night 

 (mercury at 60 dgs.). The day was sultry, with threatening clouds and light 

 variable winds, just the weather for birds and bird song. The night had 

 brought the first thrashers, the Bewick's wren, and the bulk of rubies, chip- 

 pies, towhees, more robins and flickers, etc. 



The next three days were cooler, but the afternoon of the eighth was warm 

 and the first swifts and cormorants came in advance of the new wave. 



The night of April 8 was warm, with a light south wind, clear to fair. It 

 took off the last few fox and tree sparrows, many snowbirds and song spar- 

 rows, robins and flickers, purple fincdes, etc. It brought us clouds of yellow- 

 rumps, the grand army of Peabodys, more swamp sparrows, white crowns, 

 chippies, hermits, water-thrushes, gnat-catchers, and flocks of thrashers. We 

 have had very warm weather since that. The thirteenth and fourteenth were 

 hot with high southerly winds, but few arrivals were met with ; the van of a 

 few species, such as the white-eye, the eave and barn swallow, yellow- 

 redpoll, has been seen, and others have increased, especially the swifts and 

 gnat-catchers, the snipes and yellow-rumps, and perhaps a few others. A few 

 have disappeared, namely, the snowbirds, ruby-crowned kinglets, creepers, 



