218 



597. Guiraca caerulea (Linn.), [246.] Blue Grosbeak. 



The Blue Grosbeak is a southern species. Both it and the Black- 

 headed winter in Mexico, but while in spring the bulk of the latter 

 migrate north to Colorado and Utah, the present species moves a short 

 distance north and a long distance east, sometimes even to New Eng- 

 land. In middle and western Kansas it is a common summer resident. 

 In its migration it reaches southern Illinois and southern Nebraska. In 

 the spring of 1884 it arrived at Gainesville, Tex., April 25; at Pierce 

 City, Mo., May 9, and was very common. At Manhattan, Kans., the 

 first was seen May 10, but it was not common until the last of the 

 month. It was seen at Ellis, Kans., May 13 ; at Lawrence, Kans., July 

 5,1884. Col. N. S. Goss saw a pair of Blue Grosbeaks followed by 

 three fledged young. 



In the spring of 188') the records of the migration of the Blue Gros- 

 beak were unaccountably irregular. They are as follows : The first was 

 seen at San Antonio, Tex., May 8; at Mason, Tex,, April 20; at Gaines- 

 ville, Tex., April 18; at Pierce City, Mo., May 9; at Emporia, Kans., 

 May 12; and at Manhattan, Kans., May 2. At Manhattan they had 

 become common by May 12. In Texas it is a ll tolerably common mi- 

 grant in fall from the Pecos Eiver to the Colorado River ; breeds abun- 

 dantly farther west n (Lloyd). In southeastern Texas it is a u regularly 

 distributed summer resident, bat nowhere abundant" (Nehrling). 



598. Passerina cyanea (Linn.). [248.] Indigo Bunting ; Indigo Bird. 



The Indigo Bird is found all over the Mississippi Valley, east of the 

 plains. Elk Biver, Minn., is very near the northern limit of its range ; 

 north of this it only occurs locally (in three years' residence at latitude 

 47°, in Minnesota, it was not seen). It usually leaves the United States 

 in winter Mr. Bibbins says he has seen it as an occasional winter visi- 

 tant at Mermenton, La. In the spring of 1884 it had advanced up the 

 valley to Pierce City and Saint Louis, Mo., by April 29. May 3 it was 

 seen at Carliuville, 111., and two days later at Glasgow, Mo., while on 

 the same day it was noted at Manhattan, Kans. Its presence is thus 

 very accurately fixed at this date, but for the next two weeks the records 

 were so at variance that it is probably the nearest approximation to say 

 that on May 10 the normal van was in northern Illinois and northern 

 Iowa. May 15 it was reported in Minnesota from Lake City and Pine 

 Bend; May 23 from Minneapolis, but not until June 2 from Elk Biver. 

 It may not be out of place here to give Mr. Widmann's full record from 

 Saint Louis, as showing how many changes take place in the individ- 

 uals present at different times. His record reads: 



April 28, first, a male in song ; April 29, an increase, a small flock of males; April 

 30, males in song in a few places; May 5, the bulk of the males and the first female 

 arrived ; May 6. males everywhere in noisy flocks and mauy transients. These two 

 days (May 5 and 6) were the height of the season for males. May 9, the bulk of 

 young males and the bulk of females arrived; birds mating; May 21, nest building ; 

 May 31, they were one of our most industrious songsters. 



