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the first, which had been seen there February 27. February 28 they 

 were seen also at Mount Oarmel aud Fayette, Mo. The next warm 

 wave (March 3) brought them to Paris and Griggsville, 111., and the 

 next day they reached Ferry, Iowa, and Aledo, 111. March & was a 

 great day for the movement of Bluebirds in southeastern Iowa, where 

 they were reported at Morniug Sun, Richmond, and Ooralville, though 

 they had been seen the day before at Des Moines and Newton, in the 

 center of the State. They were seen also March 9, at Peoria, 111., but 

 the real movement in this part of Illinois took place March 14, at which 

 date they reached Tampico (both observers), Fern wood, and Chicago, 

 and also Clinton, Wis. At this time the van rested at latitude 4l<! 30', 

 in Illinois and Iowa, remaining there during more than a week of freez- 

 ing weather, until March 26, when, according to the testimony of the 

 reports, they spread to Williamstown, Iowa; Stoughton, Milwaukee, 

 Leeds Center, and New Cassel, Wis. ; and Lake City and Excelsior, 

 Minn. Hardly a note was made during the next five days, and then a 

 strong movement was noted. March 31 they reached Ripon, Wis., and 

 Hastings, Minneapolis (two observers), and Saint Cloud, Minn. Further 

 advance in eastern Wisconsin was strangely delayed, and the three 

 stations in the vicinity of Green Bay did not report a Bluebird until the 

 last w T eek in April. In the western part of the district migration was 

 still slower. The first was reported from Linwood, Nebr., April 27; 

 Huron, Dak., May 16, and Oak Point, Manitoba, May 26, thus showing 

 the peculiarity already noted in the spring of 1884, namely, that the 

 Bluebird, after traveling in company with Robins, Blackbirds, Killdeers, 

 Ducks, and Geese from its winter home to latitude 44°, then drops be- 

 hindhand and occupies a month longer than they in performing the rest 

 of its journey. 



In the fall of 1885 the last Bluebird was reported from Elk River, 

 Minn., October 16; from River Falls, Wis., October 13; Lanesboro, 

 Minn., October 23; Milwaukee, Wis., October 10; Grinnell, Iowa, No- 

 vember 4; Fern wood, 111., October 10; Des Moines, Iowa, October 24- 

 Iowa City, Iowa, October 24, and Mount Carmel, Mo., October 30 

 Three troops of Bluebirds were seen going south at Saint Louis, Mo., 

 September 9, and a flock of over 300, October 7. 



767. Sialia mexicana Swains. [23.] Western Bluebird. 



A straggler from the Rocky Mountain region. In Concho County, 

 Tex., it is a rare winter visitor (Lloyd). At Boerne, Tex., Mr. Kathan 

 Clifford Brown shot two specimens, each from a small flock, January 

 28 and March 1, 1883 (The Auk, Yol. I, 1884, p. 121). Stragglers have 

 been recorded from Minnesota and Iowa. 



768. Sialia arctica (Swains.). [24.] Rocky Mountain Bluebird, 



This species is seldom found in the Mississippi district except on the 

 high plains of the West and Southwest. It breeds in the mountains, 

 from latitude 36° northward far into British America, and winters from 





