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southern portion. In winter it is abundant in Louisiana and in eastern and southern Texas, it al 
winters irregularly over most of its United States range. It seems to be the best known bird in the 
Mississippi Valley, and many more notes were contributed on it than on any other species. It 
should be possible, therefore, to determine its movements with considerable accuracy. All through 
December, 1883, it was found in abundance throughout southern Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas, but 
the extreme cold of the first week in January, 1884, drove it farther south into its real winter home. 
During the larger part of this month the bulk of the Robins (probably even 90 per cent. of them) 
were south of the parallel of 37^. This is south of the usual winter limit of the species, the northern 
boundary for ordinary winters being about latitude 39°. It must not be supposed, however, that 
Robins never spend the winter farther north. The fact has been repeatedly demonstrated that 
nature has bestowed on them strong constitutions, so that if food is plenty they can withstand 
severe cold. Every year some of the northern observers report Robins wintering about their stations, 
and the winter of 1883-84 was no exception. One was seen, January 1, in north-western Indiana ; 
another, January 11, at Vermillion, Dak.; and finally, at Hastings, Minn., 500 miles from his 
brethren, one was seen December 28, 1883, with a flock of Pine Grosbeaks (Pinicola enucleator), 
apparently at home and determined to spend the winter. It was seen repeatedly, and actually 
remained till spring with the same flock of Grosbeaks. 
“The distribution of the Robin in its winter home depends entirely on the food-supply ; 
where food is plenty, there the Robin remains, though observers a few miles away may not see one 
all the winter. At Manhattan, Kans., berries are abundant, and during the winter of 1883-84, 
as in previous years, flocks of five hundred or more individuals were constantly seen, while observers 
at stations but a short distance away reported no Robins from December until February. 
Manhattan, Kans., is the most northern station at which flocks of Robins remained during the 
winter. So far as can be learned, but few wintered in Indian Territory, nor did northern Texas 
fare much better ; but they were reported as wintering in immense numbers along 300 miles of the 
cañon of the Nueces River in south-western Texas. In Concho and Tom Green Counties, Mr. Lloyd 
states that they are tolerably common in spring and fall, and that a few winter in the river bottoms. 
They were reported from all the Southern States, at some points as abundant, at others as rare. 
*In the early spring of 1884, as if disliking winter quarters, the Robins pushed north at the 
first breath of warm weather. Regardless of the certainty of being overtaken by cold, they hurried 
on, and from January 21 to February 3 occupied all the country from which they had been driven 
by the low temperature of the first of the year. This movement was confined to comparatively 
few individuals, and while the scouts had advanced to latitude 39°, or even a little farther north— 
single birds having been seen at Burlington, Iowa (lat. 40° 50, and at Lake Mills, Wis. (lat. 43° 06)— 
the main body still remained in camp three or four hundred miles to the south. Then followed а 
whole month of waiting, during which time adventurous birds pressed northward, only to be 
driven back by snow and ice; nor was the real advance commenced until March 9. From that date 
until they had passed our northern boundary their advance was constant and more or less uniform. 
'The regular advance of the van appears to have been as follows :—From March 9 to 15 they spread 
over Illinois and eastern Nebraska to latitude 41^ 51'; March 16 there was a slight advance in Iowa ; 
March 17 and 18, no record ; March 19 and 20, an advance to latitude 43^ in Iowa, Illinois, and 
Wisconsin, but not in Nebraska ; March 21, a sudden spreading over Wisconsin to latitude 45”. 
* By March 24 the rest of the stations in Wisconsin had reported, and an equal advance had 
taken place in Minnesota, so that by this date the van was at latitude 45^ along the whole line. North 
of this all the stations are in the valley of the Red River of the North. In this valley the first 
arrivals reached latitude 47? April 3, and just one week later appeared at Oak Point, Manitoba 
(lat. 50° 30. Тһе fact that the spring migration on the Western plains in 1884 was several days 
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