Merula migratoriaf Eoost at l;felrose Highlands), 1 



Last night I discovered a robin-roost v/ithin half a mile of 

 my house, and have been there again to-night. It is in a thick 

 grove of small hard-v/ood trees, mostly white birches. I believe 

 there were more than a thousand birds there this evening 



basing my belief partly on the sound of their wings as I went in 

 among them; but more on accoun t of the birds seen to enter at 

 one corner. Faxon told me a week ago of the Cambridi e Wsst, and 

 dr at once ^ifji^sw^red^that I had seen robins for some time past , ev- 

 idently flying to some rendezvous at about sunset'. Bradfor^L 



Torrey, letter of July 26, 1889. [K: h/, t^,J 



I went to my roost to-night again. When I arrived at 6.40, 

 the birds v/ere already dropping m. I took up my station at the 

 end opposite the one v/here I stayed on T^riday, and between 6.40 



j and 7.30, I counted 1,07 2 arrivals. This v/as at one end -only, 

 and e en here I no doubt missed many, especial y during t -he last 



I half hour after it had begun to^^^-^K dark. It is doubxful wheth- 



j ray observations covered a quarter of the iircuit, v/hieh v/ould in- 



I dicate that at least 4,000 robin.s entered the v/ood during that 

 50 minutes. There is no telling how many v/ent in before I ar- 

 rived, and they were still straggling along when I came away; it 



j had grown so dark that I could see only those that passed right by 

 me. If you have any knOY/ledge as to hov^ and v/hen the roost 

 breaks up in the morning, please cominunicate. 



537 birds can:ie in the first 20 minutes; 53.'3 in the last 30^tA*%*J!J* 



i 797 of the whole number arrived before the sunset gun was fired. 



I There is no doubt that many arrived before I got there.-- 



jf^Bradford Torrey of July 28, '89.J [t; h/, t^wvk, 



Went to the roost at o. 30 o'clock this, morning, getting 

 there at 3,40. The birds came out Just as they go in, singly , 

 and in flocks of two of three, or eight or ten. Nobody no cas- 

 ual passer, at least, would notice anything pe culiar. The first 

 line v/ent oujr, as far as I saw, at 3.45. At a little before 4, 

 ' there was a chorus of singing which lasted perhaps ten or fifteen 

 mi nutes only. This too v/as nothing to be remarked by an or dinary 

 observer ( I have never heard a note of song in the evening^- At 

 sunrise, I v/ent into the wo' d and found it practically empty. There 

 seemed to be no more robins there than one v/ould expect to find 

 in any such place. Almost withou t exception the birds started 

 off lOY/, as if they v/ere taking only an ordinary flighx. A good 

 number alighted in the field near me. Apparently the dispersiojn 

 is gradual in every r espect. . They make considerable cackling, 

 of course ( b eginning very soon after my arrival ). but nothing 

 to what one would have ex^; ected of so many birds; no such hubbub 

 as is made, for instance, by a large flock of hlack-birds in the 

 spring.' Bradford Torrey, letter of July 30, '89. (^^^ ■'td^^s.^j 



