870 Notes on the Migrations of Birds. [ November, 
NOTES ON THE MIGRATIONS OF BIRDS. 
BY H. D. MINOT. 
ITCHFIELD is in the highland of Western Connecticut, 
from nine hundred’to twelve hundred feet above the sea, 
somewhat sparsely wooded, though well watered by southerly 
streams, running either into the Naugatuck valley or into the 
system of Bantam lake (the largest body of fresh water in Con- 
necticut, with an area of about twelve hundred acres). My 
observations there extended from October, 1880, to May, 1881, 
inclusive of both months, and suggested to me, concerning :* 
(1) Pioneer migrants: that the single temporary forerunners 
of a species, so often observed among early non-gregarious 
migrants before the arrival of their fellows in numbers, may serve 
more than a purely individual purpose. A single record will 
illustrate: April rst I observed by a particular bridge the first 
pewee, dejected, silent or petulant, and hurried, soon flying out of 
sight southward ; for a week no pewees were to be seen or heard 
there or anywhere about; April 8th was pewee-day, bringing these 
birds in numbers, and at the bridge appeared a triumphant pewee 
with his mate. : 
(2) Local differences of time—Migrant cat-birds appeared in 
outlying swamps a week or more before the resident cat-birds 
returned to their village home; and king-birds appeared down 
‘ Before remarking on migrations here, I append the following dates of arrival é 
March 12, blue birds (in numbers) ; 15, song sparrow, snow bird, fox sparrow, red- 
winged blackbird and rusty grakle; 25, meadow lark; April 1, the first pewees 
3, horned lirks; 9, downy woodpecker; 20, white-breasted swallow, Savannah 
sparrow, bay-winged sparrow, cow bird and kingfisher; 22, hermit thrush ; 23; red- 
poll warbler, martins, swamp, field and chipping sparrows, yellow-bellied woodpecker 
(among hemlocks) and golden-crowned kinglet (absent latterly in winter) 5 24 
ruby-crowned kinglet (singing), yellow-rumped warbler, barn swallow, pee 
8, 
chestnut-sided warbler, Maryland yellow-throat, Baltimore oriole (abundant © 
morning), “night hawk” (in the village) and wood thrush (probably) ; 9» es 
warbler, “ blue yellow-back,” etc., red-eyed vireo, rose-breasted- grosbeak, bo : 13) 
and Traill’s flycatcher; 10, wood pewee and whippoorwill; 12, cedar-birds; de 
yellow-throated vireo and black-and-yellow warbler (or earlier) ; 14, scarlet Pil . 
15, black-billed cuckoo, and so on, Blue birds had eggs in the last week of APF? 
robins and pewees began to lay about May Ist. 
