OUR BIRDS OF RHODE ISLAND. 
BY JAMES M. SOUTH WICK. 
I desire to submit to you some rather disconnected remarks upon 
our birds of Rhode Island and their general habits. 
Our little State, from its arrangement of land and water, both 
salt and fresh, its situation as the southern limit of certain north¬ 
ern fauna and flora, and the northern limit of some forms com¬ 
mon to a warmer climate, approached to within twenty miles by 
the gulf stream, and containing within the waters about Newport 
many remarkable marine forms, has always offered inducements 
to the student of Natural History, especially in ornithology. 
I have been denied the time to investigate as carefully as I 
could wish, but so far, I must note a remarkable lack of literature 
on bird matters, as also upon nearly all Rhode Island zoological 
subjects. 
Elsewhere much time has been devoted to ornithology; as 
early as 1755 and 175S, Edwards wrote upon the American Ruffed 
Crouse and the Phalaropes, and in 1759 upon Wild Pigeons. 
In 1792, Jeremy Belknap wrote on the birds of New Hamp¬ 
shire. 
In 1794, Samuel Williams described those of Vermont and in 
1853 Zadoc Thompson in a natural history of Vermont recorded 
the birds of that State. 
Rev. J. H. Linsley compiled a catalogue of the birds of Con¬ 
necticut, in 1S43, and W. O. B. Peabody wrote a treatise on the 
birds of Massachusetts, in 1S39. 
We must rest contented that it is more than probable, that 
whatever has been found in Massachusetts or Connecticut belongs 
likewise to Rhode Island. 
In our sister States it has been and is considered both pleasura¬ 
ble and profitable, to expend time, talent, and money, upon this 
subject, and many zealously guarded collections, both public and 
private give tangible evidence to what is or has been. 
In the published proceedings of this Society I find a list by 
Col. John Hare Powel, of one hundred and one birds, shot near 
Newport and a valuable article on the “ Birds of Newport” by 
Poc. 6, July, 1SS7. 
