150 



rare. Mermen ton, La., near the Gulf coast, was the only station report- 

 ing it to be a permanent resident. Farther west, at San Angelo, Tex., 

 a single bird was taken February 1, 1882. A single bird appeared at 

 Gainesville, Tex., as early as February 27, 1884. At Caddo, Ind. Ter., 

 one was seen March 8, and eleven days later the first arrived at Saiut 

 Louis, Mo. These were several males and females, the advance guard" 

 of the scattered army that moved northward a few days later. 



The appearance of the Pewee at any locality is usually an indication 

 that it will breed there. I have never yet seen a transient visitor in 

 migration, and the notes received from the different stations confirm 

 my opinion that they do not linger along the way while migrating. 

 Whether their flight is maintained for long distances at a very great 

 height, or whether they stop for rest and food, I do not know, but I 

 have never seen any arrive in spring whose breeding locality was not 

 easily found. True, I have known a pair to appear for a few days dur- 

 ing warm weather and then disappear for a fortnight during a cold 

 snap. But later the same birds returned and nested under the eaves 

 of the old barn. They may have sought the shelter of some near forest 

 or ravine, or may even have gone southward for a time during the cold 

 weather. From March 20 to March 28, 1884, the great wave of migra- 

 tion occurred. During those eight days the species spread throughout 

 Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Missouri. There does not 

 seem to have been any regularity in this advance. The birds seem to 

 have left their winter homes and to have passed directly to their breed- 

 ing stands, where nesting began within a few days. Thus, at Newton, 

 Iowa (latitude 41° 42'), they were -building March 28. 



On fhe western line of migration there was more delay in the advance. 

 Thus on March 29 the first was seen at Pierce City (latitude 36° 56'); 

 April 2 the first appeared at Manhattan, Kans. (latitude 39° 12'). April 

 7 they became common at Gainesville, Tex.; three days later were com- 

 mon at Manhattan. April 5 they were first seen at Fridley, Minn, (lati- 

 tude 45° 05'). The last record of arrival was from Oak Point, Manitoba 

 (latitude 50° 30'), where they are rare and were first seen May 15. 



In the fall of 1884 the last Phoebe left Des Moines, Iowa, September 

 24. The bulk left Mount Carmel, Mo., October 1, while the last was 

 seen there October 10. At Gainesville, Tex., the first came October 27. 



In the spring of 1885 about half of the notes contributed on the Pewee 

 mention its movements on two consecutive days, so that it evidently 

 was migrating in great numbers at that time. Previously several dates 

 were recorded, the earliest of which was its arrival at Fayette, Mo., 

 March 4. It reached Shawneetown, 111., March 5; Saint Louis, Mo., 

 March 10 (and on the same date was seen the second time at Fayette); 

 Richmond, Kans., March 11; Manhattan, Kans., and Glasgow, Mo., 

 March 14. 



During the next nine days no movement was recorded, which may 

 be explained by the fact that from Saint Louis northward a second 

 winter set in with the temperature below freezing almost every night. 



