Michigan Ornithological Cluk 97 



were taken three miles east of here. These birds are only a rare straggler 

 and I have not observed any for a number of years. 



In looking for notes of interest in my note book I find 1 shot my second 

 Prairie Warbler (D. discolor) on April 9th. As noted in the last issue this 

 species is very rare in this vicinity. 



I should be pleased to receive from members of the Club their spring and 

 autumn notes on the warblers in Michigan for 1903. 



Norman A. Wood. 



Ann Arbor, Mich. 



SOME IRREGULARITIES IN MOLTS. 



A somewhat aged but none the less brilliant plumaged Goldfinch 

 (S. tristis), was captured in July, 1898. The bird retained its nuptial plumage 

 until January, when a part of the feathers dropped out and were not replaced. 

 Remained in this partial nude state until late April and then blossomed out 

 in full winter plumage. Summer plumage began to appear about September 

 1st and was complete by the 15th.- Commenced to change into winter plum- 

 age about October 15th, and had not acquired the full dress when found dead 

 in the cage on the 28th. 



Last July I noticed a Barn Swallow (C. crythrogaster), fluttering along 

 the ground and easily effected its capture. All the primary feathers, in the 

 right wing, had dropped out and the new growth was less than an inch long 

 rendering flight impossible. No sign of molt was visible on the left wing or 

 other portions of the plumage. The bird was in excellent condition of flesh. 



J. Claire Wood. 



Detroit, Mich. 



STRAY NOTES. 



On May 27th, 1903, I flushed a large sparrow from her nest in an open 

 meadow, near Waterford, Oakland County, Mich. She at once played "the 

 bird with the broken wing act," and incidentally displayed her plumage to its 

 best advantage. She was a Lark Sparrow (Chondcstcs gammacus) and the 

 first I had ever found nesting. The nest was easily located as it lay almost 

 at my feet and contained four young sparrows, perhaps three or four days 

 old. During the month of May and June of this year I found this species 

 abundantly scattered throughout Oakland County. Mr. C. A. Newcomb, Jr., 

 found a set of four heavily incubated eggs on the 16th of June, 1901, in the 

 same locality that I found my nest. 



We have records of the Yellow-breasted Chat (Icteria virens) breeding 

 in the west suburbs of Detroit and in the east suburbs, but I wish to record 

 the finding of a pair nesting in the north suburbs by Dr. T. H. Potter, June 

 23rd, 1900. There were three eggs heavily incubated. 



Mr. F. C. Hubel in the last issue (page 75), recorded the finding of a set 

 of Grasshopper Sparrows (Ammodramas savannarum passerinus) in St. Clair 

 County and has requested information on the subject of their distribution. I 

 have as yet to find this bird breeding, but have found them fairly abundant 

 in Oakland County during the breeding season. 



Philip E. Moody, M.D. 



Detroit. Mich. 



