92 
THE WILSON BULLETIN— June, 1922 
Meadowlark and Blackbird, to remain in large numbers or even 
in numbers of large docks in the case of some, or at least 
the successors of the same species from farther north. But that 
was not the case to any large extent, at least not in the imme- 
diate locality of the writer, River Forest, a western suburb of 
the metropolis. Or one would expect the hardy migrants such 
as Junco, Tree, Fox and White-throated Sparrows, also Brown 
Creeper, White-breasted Nuthatch and Chickadee to do so. But 
that again was not true to any striking degree. A few odd Flick- 
ers stayed in the neighborhood all winter, a few Creepers, too, 
which also happens other winters, and there were more Meadow- 
larks and Robins remaining all winter a few miles south than 
usual, but nothing striking. This would lend color to the the- 
ory of some that length of day is what prompts birds to leave 
or come, irrespective of temperature. At Ft. Wayne, Iml., how- 
ever, 1 was told that Blackbirds of several species remained in 
large flocks all winter. In this vicinity, in Thatcher’s woods, 
well known to people hereabout, a few Song Sparrows and Fox 
Sparrows lingered all winter, while .1 uncos and Tree Sparrows 
were slightly more in evidence than usually. The case of the 
Song Sparrow is a peculiar one. This species figured in more 
lists and more northerly ones in the Christmas bird census pub- 
lished in “Bird Lore” than ever before. Out of 78 lists from 
Canada, the New England states, New York, Michigan, Wis- 
consin and Minnesota, the Song Sparrow is given in 39, and 
from as far north as the Ottawa River, where the writer, during 
six years’ residence, never found it in winter. On the other hand, 
in the same Thatcher’s Woods there were hardly any Blue days 
in this mild winter, which usually stay there in some numbers. 
But a Black-crowned Night Heron was tempted to stay till 
January 4th at Beach, about 30 miles north of Chicago, also a 
Lincoln’s Sparrow tarried there to December 26th. A pair of 
Bluebirds seems to have wintered in the Sand Dunes, as they 
were seen there January 22nd. 
An unexpected occurrence was that of the ArcMc Three- 
toed Woodpecker. The tirsf ones were noted as early as Octo- 
ber, despite tin* unseasonable warmth. About fifteen specimens 
were reported from the city and suburbs. The writer saw three 
on one day, November 26th, at Millers, Indiana. 
However, what was the effect of the mildness of the season 
on the first spring migrants? That is what we want to get at. 
To get at this 1 drew out of my records the date of first arrival 
