8 BULwELIN: OPE HE 
THE OCCURRENCE OF BEWICK’S WREN, Thryomanes bewickii 
(Aud.), AT GRAND RAPIDS. 
BY LPONI COLE: 
There are a number of birds which are interesting to Michigan ornithol- 
ogists on account of the northward extension of their range in this State 
within a comparatively few years. As striking examples may be mentioned 
the Cardinal and Dickcissel, probably the Carolina Wren, and undoubtedly 
Bewick’s Wren should be added as another. 
Butler, in his “Birds of Indiana’ (22d Report of the Department of 
Geology and Natural Resources of Indiana, 1897) gives a good record of 
the progress of this bird through Indiana, so that, as it fortunately happens, 
we are able to trace the successive steps to the northward of the Ohio River 
with considerable fullness. It is to be regretted, however, that the records are 
not much more complete than they are; for in that case it might be possible 
to trace the exact lines along which the extension has taken place, if, as 
seems very probable, it has occurred in such a regular manner. To show 
the course through Indiana I cannot do better than quote the words of Butler 
(loc. cit., p. 1117): “ . . . The recent extension of the range of this species 
is notable. In 1879 Dr. Wheaton announces it had not been authentically 
reported from Ohio (Birds of O., p. 230); it was unknown to him that Mr. 
Chas. Dury took it that year at Cincinnati. It was almost wholly unknown 
in Franklin County, Ind., until recent years. In 1869 Dr. Rufus Haymond 
had seen but a few specimens. None were noted from that year until 1877, 
when Mr. E. R. Quick identified several specimens. From that date to 1881, 
an occasional one was seen. Since the last mentioned year, however, when 
they became common, they have been annually increasing in number, and 
now they are abundant. The spring of 1897, I found six pairs breeding in an 
area of one-half mile by a mile, in Brookville. Up to 1890 it had reached 
Vigo and Putnam counties, where it was rather comimon, and had been te- 
ported from Marion County. North of the points named it was unknown. 
“It was first noted at Lafayette in 1890, where a pair bred (Dr. F. C. 
Dest), and they became \commony in 1892 "Clee annd: C71) est): salutes: 
were first reported from Wabash in 1891, and were common in 1894 (Wal- 
lace). One was seen at Springport, Henry County, April 29, 1894 (William- 
son). They were first reported and said to breed at Petersburg, Mich., May 
15 and 16, 1894. They were still rare there in 1897 (Trombley). The first 
record from Richmond, Ind., is in the spring of 1897, and it is given as 
Gare Citadlecye) ea = en ee! 
Here there seems to be some evidence to indicate two lines of pro- 
gression, one from the region of Cincinnati up the valley of the White Water 
River, the other up the valley of the Wabash; and it probably is by this lat- 
ter route that the birds have come into Michigan. It must be remembered, 
however, that as in the case of all similar observations, the distribution of 
records is largely dependent upon the distribution of field observers. 
Butler states it as his belief that the species is extending its range of 
winter residence northward as well, and that north of that limit the date 
of its spring migration is becoming earlier. He gives some data in support of 
this view, which seems quite to be expected. 
It will be noticed that, upon the authority of Trombley, Butler reports - 
this wren from Petersburg, Michigan, in 1894, adding that it was still rare 
