36

1916.

47. Bank Swallow. Occasionally seen or heard about the farm,
for the first time on May 2 [May 2, 1916]. Noted at Ball's Hill on June 15 [June 15, 1916].
I failed to visit any of the sand pits where the species is accustomed
to breed and had no report of them through other observers. Nor were
the river meadows watched closely enough to ascertain whether or not
the bird occurred in the usual numbers there.

48. Scarlet Tanager. First noted on May 18 [May 18, 1916], when a silent [male] was seen.
No obvious passage of birds bound further north. After the local-breeding
ones had all come there were apparently only four pairs settled in
our woodland, one near the foot of the Farm lane, another in
Birch Field, a third in Prescott Pines, a fourth on Holden's Hill.
The [male] of the farm-frequenting pair sang not infrequently in elms
or other tall shade trees standing close about our house. His mate
built her nest in a small, slender red cedar growing by the side
of a cart path near the foot of the lane. Into it she certainly
flew carrying building material in her bill on June 19 [June 19, 1916] when, 
by merely looking through its flimsy walls (it was scarce above the
level of my face), I could see, apparently, that it was quite empty
and still unfinished. Similarly cursory inspection made two
days later (21st [June 21, 1916]) revealed only a single egg. Nevertheless I must
somehow have been misled in respect to both observations for when
I next visited the nest, on June 28 [June 28, 1916], it contained three young and
these at least two or three days old. Hence the full set of eggs was
doubtless laid at least as early as the date of my first visit
although how I could then have altogether overlooked them
seems rather difficult to comprehend. Elsewhere than within
the boundaries of our land I noted the Tanager this season only
near the Bigelow Road on May 28 [May 28, 1916] and in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery
on July 6 [July 6, 1916], hearing a [male] in song on each occasion.