175 



reported to be more abundant in whiter than in summer, but there 

 seems to be a gap daring the winter between this State and Mexico. 

 It appears to slum the whole State of Texas, passing- on to Mexico. 

 Mr. Nehrliog did not find it in southeastern Texas, and distinctly says 

 that it "arrives in the spring from its more southern winter home." 

 Mr. y. C. Brown did not find it at Boerne, Tex.; Mr. Lloyd says that 

 only a few stragglers are seen at San Angelo in winter: Mr. Henry re- 

 cords it as a rare winter bird at Mason, and even so far south as Eagle 

 Pass Mr. Xegley gives it as arriving in the spring from the south. The 

 case is not without parallel, for much the same thing occurs with the 

 Phoebe [Sayornis phcebe) and the Turkey Buzzard (Cathartes aura). At 

 Caddo, Iud. Ter., two hundred miles south of its ordinary wintering 

 place on the Mississippi, none were seen after Xovember 12. 



In the spring of 1831 the first warm wave brought the Crow Black- 

 birds back to Saint Louis February 2. and to one or two other places; 

 but winter returned and no real movement took place until after the 

 warm weather came again. At Saint Louis the general thaw began 

 March 10. and March 11 the real migration began. March 12 several 

 flocks arrived at Alton, 111.; thousands passed over Hillsborough, 111.; 

 many were seen at Carlinville, 111., and the first arrived next day at 

 Mount Carmel. Mo., and at Gainesville, Tex. By March IS the species 

 had advanced to a little beyond latitude 12° in southern Wisconsin and 

 in Iowa, with no irregular notes beyond these points, while in the west 

 tney had not been seen north of latitude 35°. During the next week 

 (to March 25) great progress was made, and the van was brought fairly 

 up to latitude 44° 45' in Wisconsin and Minnesota, but in the west it 

 reached latitude ll c only. In Indian Territory, Kansas, and Xebraska 

 most of the movement took place March 20 and March 21 j but in Min- 

 nesota and Wisconsin the Purple Grackles helped to swell the ranks of 

 the multitudes of birds that were migrating on March 23 and March 21. 

 This species was reported at Minneapolis and Elk Biver, Minn., March 

 2S and March 29, and the bulk about April 1. Thus in the Mississippi 

 Kiver region it had extended well up toward our northern border before 

 the storms of early April set in, and since it reached Oak Point. Mani- 

 toba, April 10, it may be supposed that some representatives of the 

 species were north of the storm center, which was in central Dakota, 

 and hence were not delayed in their northward journey. In the west 

 the case was different. A single individual had reached Vermillion, 

 Dak.. April 1, but it was far ahead of its fellows, which had been 

 caught and stopped by the snow-storms which continued from about 

 March 20 to April 10. Then they moved again, and from April 16 to 

 April 18 were seen as far north as Argusville, Dak. At Larimore, 

 Dak., out on the prairie, they were not seen until May 4, and far west, 

 at Ellis, Kaus., they did not come until April 19. 



From the early date of the appearance of this species at Oak Point. 

 Manitoba, and from several other early dates— early as compared with 



