CONCORD 
1893 
Chimney 
Swifts 
flying 
at ni ght 
I was restless during the night and awoke many 
times. At about 2 A. M. (I did not look at my watch) I was 
surprised to hear Chimney Swifts twittering outside the 
window. There seemed to be a good many of them and the 
sound of their voices indicated that they first circled 
about the house several times a.nd then went off towards 
the South. When I first heard the twittering there were 
also several birds making their peculiar rumbling in the 
chimney but this soon ceased and was not again repeated. 
The night was dark and still at the time, with rain 
falling gently and steadily. My impression is that these 
Swifts were starting on migration and that several birds 
roosting in our chimney emerged and joined the larger 
throng. 
Thoughts 
on 
Migration 
The chirping of Warblers passing overhead a few 
nights since (July 30th and August 2nd) has set me to 
thinking about migration. On talking with Faxon about the 
matter I find that he fully agrees with me in regard to 
the following pointst 
1. That the first southward nocturnal flights of 
small land birds -- especially of Warblers— start 
in the most southern localities where the species 
breed. Good evidence of this is the fact that 
many migrants occur on the Florida Keys at dates 
earlier than they are ever or often seen in 
Massachusetts. (Cf. Atkins’ and Scott’s papers 
and my collection). The reason is obvious: 
southern breeding birds nest earlier than those 
which breed further nofcth. 
2. That the first movements in any given locality are 
composed chiefly if not wholly of local birds, 
individuals as well as species. In Eastern 
