Winter Birds in Soath-eastem Mass. 



Harry Q. White 



13. The Yellow-rumped Wurbkr. Tliis bird 

 is a regulai migrant and winter resident in 

 eastern Massaoliusetts, sometimes being 

 abundant at tliat season. Usually it is most 

 numerous late in the fall and gradually 

 becomes less i>lenty as the season advances, 

 and is fre(iuently wanting just previous to tbe 

 commencement of tbe spring migration. It 

 arrives from tlio Nortb earlier in the season, 

 in Bristol County than on [Cape Cod, and also 

 disperses earlier there, than to the eastward. 

 The following table shows the numbers 

 recorded monthly, from September to Febru- 

 ary, inclusive, at Taunton, Wood's Iloll and 

 Highland Light: 



Sejil. Oct. Nov. Dee. .ran. Feb. Total. 



Taiuitoil, CI BIG X 1!) 23 X 639 



Wood's lloll, 0 .-in Via 37 0 O 474 



No. Truro, 0 338 13 1 56 07 475 



From this data it would seem that the 

 migration was well under way at Taunton 

 some time before it was at all apparent at the 

 two other stations, but the height of the 

 season was very nearly the same at each,' 

 althougli the greatest number were seen at the 

 first named station. After tlic main body of 

 Warblers had passed, the numbers decreased 

 through tlie months of November and 

 December, to a minimum which may be con- 

 sidered to represent the number of birds which 

 would remain as winter residents. This num- 

 ber of winter birds gradually wasted away on 

 the Wood's Iloll ground, and from experiences 

 of former years, I mistrust that a similar 

 reduction occurred at Taunton, although the 

 absence of notes for February, leaves us uncer- 

 tain of the real state of things. It will also be 

 observed that when the minimum at Highland 

 Light was reached in December, a decided 

 change took place, and the numbers of Yellow- 

 ruBnps rapidly and steadily increased through 

 the remaining winter months. 



O.&O.V0I.I7, JTine,1892 p. 85 



