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CASSINIA 

An  Annual  Devoted  to  the  Ornithology  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 


CONTENTS  1901. 


PAGE 


John  Cassin  (portrait)  Wither  Stone  1 

Observations  on  the  Summer  Birds  of  Parts  of 

Clinton  and  Potter  Counties,  Pa.  Francis  R.  Cope,  Jr.  8 

Photographing  a  Nighthawk's  Nest  and 

Young,  (plate)  William  h-  Baily  22 

A  Walk  to  the  Paoli  Pine-Barrens  William  J.  Serrill  24 

The  Yellow -winged  Sparrow  in  Pennsylvania       Samuel  Wright  28 

Trespassing  of  the  Rose -breasted  Grosbeak 

in  the  Carolinian  Fauna  William  B.  Evans  32 

Nesting  of  the  Mockingbird  in  Eastern 

Pennsylvania  W.  E.   Roberts  and  W.   E. 

A  Spring  Migration  Record  for  1893-1900  Frank 

The  Spring  Migration  of  1901 

Birds  that  Struck  the  City  Hall  Tower  During  1901. 
Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 

Ornithological  Club  1901 
Bird  Club  Notes 

List  of  Officers  and  Members  of  the  Del.  Valley  Ornith. 
Index 


Hannum 

35 

L.  Burns 

37 

40 

44 

45 

53 

Club  1902 

55 

59 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  D.  V.  O.  C. 

The  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  by  Witmer 
Stone,  pp.  176  with  two  maps  and  portrait  of  Alex. 
Wilson  One  Dollar.      (Post  paid  $1.12) 

Abstract  of  Proceedings,  Full  Set  Nos.  I.  -IV.  ( 1890-1900)  pp.  98,  Fiftj'  cents 

Cassinia,  published  annually  beginning  with  1901 ;  comprising 
papers  relating  to  the  Ornithology  of  Pemisjdvania 
and  New  Jersey  and  an  abstract  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  Club.  Edited  by  Witmer  Stone.  Subscription 
price.  Fifty  cents 

Address^^  T)(>hwT^re'  Valley  Ornithological  Club, 

Care  AcadeHiy  of  Natural  Sciences, 

Logan  Square,  Philadelphia. 


j^r-^t^^<j-<^€^/^>r5^ 


CASSINIA 


n-  15KA- 


PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  DELAWARE  VALLEY 
ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB 


No.  V.  PHILADELPHIA,  PA.  1901 


John  Cassin 

BY    WITMER   STONE 

The  majority  of  America's  early  ornithologists  were  in  a 
greater  or  less  degree  identified  with  eastern  Pennsylvania,  but 
none  of  them  is  so  closely  associated  with  Philadelphia  and  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  as  John  Cassin.  Born  in  the 
vicinity  of  Chester,  on  the  Delaware,  some  ten  miles  below  Phila- 
delphia, September  6,  1813,  he  removed  to  the  latter  city  at  the 
age  of  twenty-one,  and  engaged  in  business,  eventually  becom- 
ing the  head  of  the  lithographing  establishment  where  many  of 
the  plates  illustrating  his  new  birds  were  afterwards  produced. 
He  came  of  a  Quaker  family,  although  he  was  apparently  not 
an  active  member  of  this  Society.  To  its  influence,  however, 
his  interest  in  natural  history  may  have  been  due,  as  the 
Society  of  Friends  has  ever  encouraged  and  fostered  such  tastes. 

Cassin  joined  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadel- 
phia in  September,  1842,  and  at  once  became  deeply  interested 
in  the  management  of  the  institution,  being  elected  Curator  the 
same  year,  and  Vice-President  in  1864,  both  of  which  offices  he 
held  to  the  time  of  his  death,  while  he  served  as  Corresponding 
Secretary  from  1849  to  1852. 

He  seems  to  have  been  a  good  deal  of  a  politician  both  in 


2  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

city  affairs  and  in  those  of  the  Academy,  and  served  for  a  time 
in  the  Philadelphia  City  Councils.  His  brusque  manner  and 
determination  made  him  a  number  of  enemies — temporarily  at 
least;  though  at  heart  he  was  kind,  and  to  his  friends  always 
cordial  and  genial. 

As  an  ornithologist  Cassin  occupied  a  rather  unique  position. 
Unlike  Wilson  and  Audiil)on,  his  great  work  was  done  in  the 
museum,  with  specimens  and  books,  and  his  knowledge  was 
not  limited  to  the  birds  of  North  America,  but  extended  equally 
to  those  of  all  other  parts  of  the  world. 

In  this  sort  of  study  Cassin  was  a  pioneer  so  far  as  America 
was  concerned,  and  he  was  the  first  of  our  ornithologists  to 
delve  in  matters  of  synonymy  and  nomenclature  which  figure 
so  largely  in  the  systematic  zoology  of  to-da3\  Bonaparte  was 
of  course  an  adept  in  this  branch  of  the  science,  but  most  of  his 
work  was  done  after  he  left  America. 

Cassin' s  great  pleasure  was  not  in  writing  up  the  life-history 
of  a  bird,  but  in  ascertaining  all  that  had  been  published  about 
it  and  its  near  relatives,  and  in  preparing  a  monograph  of  the 
group,  with  full  technical  descriptions  and  synonym)' — just  the 
sort  of  work,  in  fact,  that  was  most  distasteful  to  Audubon! 
Of  one  of  his  forthcoming  papers  Cassin  writes  to  Baird  in  the 
usual  familiar  strain  that  he  adopted  to  his  close  friends:  "  It 
is  a  very  astonishing  paper,  and  the  way  it  upsets,  reverses  and 
otherwise  interferes  with  everybody's  names  is  a  caution;  it  M'ill 
make  some  of  them  wonder  why  they  did  not  look  into  a  few 
of  the  old  books  a  little  sharper!  " 

Dr.  Coues  has  truly  said  of  Cassin :  ' '  He  was  the  only  orni- 
thologist this  country  has  ever  produced  who  was  as  familiar 
with  the  birds  of  the  Old  World  as  with  those  of  America." 
"\\"hat  this  meant  in  those  times  it  is  difficult  for  us  to  appre- 
ciate to-day,  when  a  glance  at  the  British  Museum  Catalogue 
will  enable  us  to  identify  a  bird  at  once  or  put  us  in  touch  with 
such  other  works  as  we  need,  while  the  Zoological  Record  keeps 
us  informed  of  what  our  contemporaries  are  doing  elsewhere. 
Cassin  had  none  of  these  aids,  nor  were  even  half  the  ornitho- 
logical works  of  the  day  accessible  to  him. 

When  he  began  his  studies  he  says  himself,  writing  in  July, 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  d 

1843:  "It  is  hard  work,  this  studying  foreign  birds — short, 
technical  descriptions,  half  the  time  in  bad  Latin,  or  at  least 
written  by  one  who  could  not  find  Latin  for  half  the  colors;  and 
then  again  nearly  all  our  books  are  old,  when  the  writers 
scarcely  took  into  consideration  the  possibility  of  other  species 
being  discovered  similar  to  the  one  they  so  pithily  characterize. 
But  I  intend  to  go  on  as  far  as  I  can,  and  would  rather  not  stop 
until  I  know  all  the  birds  in  the  Academy.  It  will  be  a  work 
of  years,  however,  solitary  and  alone  as  I  labor,  under  disad- 
vantages too — want  of  leisure  and  perplexities  of  business.  It 
would  do  very  well  was  there  no  arrangement  to  be  made  for 
insuring  the  supply  of  bread  and  butter — a  negotiation  which 
doth  most  marvellously  encroach  upon  one's  time  and  inten- 
tions." 

Just  how  far  Cassin  would  have  been  able  to  pursue  his 
studies  is  somewhat  doubtful,  had  not  Dr.  Thos.  B.  Wilson, 
afterward  president  of  the  Academy,  and  one  of  its  greatest 
patrons,  become  interested  in  developing  the  department  of 
Ornithology.  From  1846-1850  Dr.  Wilson,  by  purchase  abroad 
and  at  home,  brought  together  a  collection  of  some  25,000  birds, 
at  that  time  the  largest  in  the  world,  while  he  jirocured  for  the 
library  practically  everything  that  was  to  be  had  bearing  upon 
the  science  of  ornithology.  With  the  exceptional  opportunities 
thvas  offered,  it  is  not  surprising  that  Cassin  made  rapid  strides 
and  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  systematic  ornithologists  of 
the  world.  His  correspondence  shows,  however,  that  just  at 
the  time  that  his  opportunities  were  greatest,  his  business, 
through  previous  neglect,  demanded  his  utmost  attention,  and 
consequently  for  months  at  a  time  he  held  aloof  from  the 
museum,  where  the  attractions  were  too  great  for  him.  He 
likewise  suffered  several  attacks  of  arsenical  poisoning  from  too 
constant  association  with  the  specimens,  which  also  hindered 
him  materially.  Later  he  was  fortunately  again  able  to  devote 
most  of  his  time  to  his  favorite  pursuit,  and  before  his  death, 
on  January  10,  1869,  had  described  no  less  than  194  new 
species  of  birds.  Cassin  was  exceedingly  careful  in  his  work; 
he  studied  for  many  years  before  venturing  to  publish  at  all, 
and  afterward  only  proposed  new  names  where  all  efforts  to 


4  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

identify  his  specimens  with  some  established  species  failed. 
This  caution  and  the  absence  of  the  craze  for  new  species  so 
prevalent  of  late  years  accounts  for  the  stability  of  most  of  the 
names  for  which  he  is  responsible. 

Coues  says:  "  He  was  patient  and  laborious  in  the  technic  of 
his  art,  and  full  of  book-learning  in  the  history  of  his  subject; 
with  the  result  that  the  Cassinian  period  [of  American  Orni- 
thology] ,  largely  by  the  work  of  Cassin  himself,  is  marked  by  its 
bookishness,  by  its  breadth  and  scope  in  ornitliology  at  large, 
and  by  the  first  decided  change  since  Audubon  in  the  aspect  of 
the  classification  and  nomenclature  of  the  birds  of  our  country. 
The  Cassinian  period  marks  the  culmination  of  the  changes 
that  wrought  the  fall  of  the  Audubonian  sceptre  in  all  that  re- 
lates to  the  technicalities  of  the  science,  and  consequently  repre- 
sents the  beginning  of  a  new  epoch." 

Cassin  worked  entirely  at  the  Academy,  spending  his  even- 
ings, Sundays  and  holidays  in  the  Museum  when  business  de- 
manded his  attention  at  other  times.  During  the  last  years 
nt  his  active  work  he  is  described  as  occupying  the  back  room 
jf  the  library  in  the  old  Academy  building  at  Broad  and 
Sansom  streets,  where  mounted  birds  and  ornithological  books 
were  gathered  together  in  large  numbers,  and  where  they  re- 
mained accumulating  dust  until  his  work  upon  them  was  com- 
pleted, guarded  meanwhile  by  an  unwritten  though  well  under- 
stood law  of  "hands  off."  His  jealousy  of  others  in  the  same 
lield  who  might  be  about  the  Academj',  and  his  prior  claim 
upon  the  pri^dleges  of  the  Wilson  collection  evidently  accounted 
for  the  absolute  monopoly  in  matters  ornithological  at  the  in- 
stitution which  he  maintained  throughout  his  career. 

Notwithstanding  the  fact  that  it  is  the  technical  systematic 
side  that  is  emphasized  in  all  Cassin' s  writings,  we  would  be 
wrong  to  assume  that  he  was  solely  a  "  closet  naturalist."  The 
claims  of  business  and  the  opportunities  offered  by  the  Museum 
undoubtedly  deterred  him  from  taking  extended  trips  or  even 
ilevoting  much  time  to  field  work  in  the  vicinity  of  his  home. 
The  love  of  nature  was  ever  present,  however,  and  a  large  part 
of  his  earlier  years  must  evidently  have  been  occupied  in  gain- 
ing that  thorough  knowledge  of  the  birds  of  Pennsylvania  and 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  !) 

New  Jersey  which  he  possessed.  He  writes  to  Baird  one  day 
in  early  spring:  "You  have  scarcely  an  idea  of  the  engrossing 
character  of  an  active  business  life  in  the  city,  in  which  I  have 
the  misfortune  to  be  merged.  I  long  for  the  country,  and  could 
I  make  it  at  all  compatible  with  my  interests  I  should  get  out 
of  this  quickly;  being  penned  up  in  a  city  is  not  what  it  is 
cracked  up  to  be,  especially  in  the  glorious  spring-time.  1 
hope  you  will  shortly  have  the  satisfaction  of  welcoming  your 
(and  let  me  add  my)  old  friend  Merula  carolinensis  Esq  [cat 
bird],  Rev.  Pipilo  erythrophthalnius  [chewink],  the  amiable 
family  of  the  Sylvias  [warblers],  with  all  the  uncles,  aunts, 
(cousins  and  brothers,  to  which  give  my  respects  and  the  compli- 
ments of  the  season." 

To  Cassin,  however,  just  as  to  Audubon,  the  gun  was  a  most 
important  part  of  the  ornithologist's  outfit,  and  the  collector  and 
observer  were  intimately  mingled  in  his  ideas  of  a  field  natural- 
ist. To  quote  his  own  words:  "  Bird  collecting  is  the  ultimate 
refinement — the  ne  plus  ultra  of  all  the  sports  of  the  field.  It  is 
attended  with  all  the  excitement,  and  requires  all  the  skill  of 
other  shooting,  with  a  much  higher  degree  of  theoretical  infor- 
mation and  consequent  gratification  in  its  exercise.  .  .  .  Per- 
sonal activity,  coolness,  steadiness  of  hand,  quickness  of  eye 
and  ear  will  be  of  service,  and  some  of  them  indispensable,  to 
successful  collecting.  The  main  reliance  is,  however,  on  the 
ear  for  the  detection  of  birds  by  their  notes.  Whether  in  the 
tangled  forest,  the  deep  recesses  of  the  swamp,  on  the  sea-coast 
or  in  the  clear  woodlands,  on  the  mountain  or  in  the  prairie,  it 
advises  one  of  what  birds  may  be  there,  and  we  recognize  no 
more  exquisite  pleasure  than  to  hear  a  note  that  we  are  not  ac- 
([uainted  with." 

His  local  researches  resulted  in  the  discovery  of  one  bird 
unknown  to  Wilson  and  Audubon,  the  Philadelphia  Vireo, 
while  he  also  demonstrated  the  distinctness  of  our  Merganser 
Duck  from  the  European  species,  bestowing  upon  it  the  name 
Americanus.  From  the  south-west  he  described  a  number  of 
new  species,  secured  by  various  early  collectors,  but  it  was  from 
Africa  that  most  of  his  new  birds  were  obtained.  He  had 
always  made  a  specialty  of  African  birds,  and  formed  a  con- 


b  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

siderable  private  collection,  while  the  large  collections  made  by 
DuChaillu  came  later  to  the  Academy  and  were  described  by 
Cassin. 

Besides  his  numerous  contributions  to  the  publications  of  the 
Academy,  Cassin  prepared  the  reports  on  the  ornithological 
collections  made  by  all  of  the  early  government  expeditions: 
The  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition — revised  edition,  Japan  Ex- 
pedition, and  the  Gilliss  Astronomical  Expedition.  He  also 
prepared  a  portion  of  the  volume  on  Birds  in  the  Pacific  Rail 
Road  Series,  and  published  a  work  on  ' '  The  Birds  of  Texas  and 
California." 

During  the  time  of  his  greatest  activity  Cassin  was  easily  the 
first  ornithologist  in  America.  Of  his  contemporaries  Baird  and 
Lawrence  were  most  closely  associated  with  him,  but  both  did 
their  most  important  work  a  little  later  than  Cassin.  Baird  was 
ten  years  his  junior,  and  from  the  first  seems  to  have  consulted 
him  on  all  ornithological  questions,  and  the  relations  between 
them  were  always  most  intimate  and  cordial.  Later  when  the 
duties  of  the  secretaryship  of  the  Smithsonian  Institute  occupied  a 
large  part  of  Baird' s  time,  he  left  to  Cassin  the  descrijation  of  large 
numbers  of  new  birds  which  came  into  the  National  Institution. 

Audubon  had  just  returned  from  his  Missouri  river  trip  and 
was  making  his  last  contribution  to  ornithology  at  the  time  that 
Cassin' s  career  began,  so  that  they  were  hardly  contemporaries. 
They  met  I  believe  but  once,  at  the  Academy  in  June,  1845, 
when  Audubon  was  on  a  visit  to  his  old  friend,  Edward  Harris, 
of  Moorestown,  N.  J.  Little  or  no  correspondence  seems  to 
have  passed  between  them,  which  is  not  surprising,  since  they 
looked  upon  ornithology  from  totally  different  sides. 

With  Cassin  technic  was  the  all-prominent  feature,  and  there 
was  none  of  the  artistic  or  poetic  temperament  which  character- 
ized his  predecessors.  On  this  account  his  work  appeals  but 
little  to  the  popular  school  of  bird  students  which  has  grown  up 
within  the  last  generation,  and  his  name  is  consequently  less 
familiar.  We  must,  however,  remember  that  the  exact  knowl- 
edge and  comprehensive  books  of  to-day  have  been  made  pos- 
sible by  the  combined  work  of  both  kinds  of  ornithologists. 
Cassin  himself  says:  "It  is  by  no  means  desirable  to  be  ex- 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  7 

clusively  a  naturalist  of  the  woods,  and  in  fact  the  greatest  de- 
gree of  accomplishment  that  can  be  acquired  in  this  line  entitles 
one  to  but  a  very  humble  rank  as  a  cultivator  of  Zoology. 
There  must  be  a  combination  of  theoretical  and  practical  ac- 
quirements and  the  gratification  of  the  practical  naturaUst,  or  the 
collector  will  be  exactly  in  proportion  to  his  scientific  or  system- 
atic information  to  be  obtained  only  in  the  museum  and  the 
library.  Great  is  life  in  the  woods,  say  we,  and  the  greatest  of 
all  sports  is  bird  collecting;  but  to  become  a  scientific  ornitholo- 
gist is  quite  another  business,  and  a  very  much  more  consider- 
able consummation."  That  John  Cassin  reached  this  "con- 
summation" there  is  no  question,  and  among  those  who  have 
contributed  to  the  development  of  the  science  of  ornithology  his 
name  must  be  included  in  the  foremost  rank. 


Observations  on  the  Summer  Birds  of  Parts  of  Clinton 
and  Potter  Counties,  Pa 

BY  FRANCIS  E.   COPE,  .IK 

The  chief  value  of  such  observations  as  Mr.  Stewardson 
Brown  and  myself  were  able  to  make  during  our  recent  trip 
through  certain  sections  of  Clinton  and  Potter  Counties,  Penn- 
sylvania, June  21-28,  1900,  lies  largely  in  the  additional  data 
which  they  may  furnish  regarding  the  geographical  distribu- 
tion of  the  birds  of  our  State  during  the  breeding  season,  and 
the  reasons  for  such  distribution.  In  a  short  paper  of  mine 
published  in  the  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia  for  1898,  I  tried  to  show  that,  while 
the  avifauna  of  Susquehanna  County  was  doubtless  originally 
composed  largely  of  the  Canadian  element,  it  was  now  gradually 
changing,  the  northern  birds  giving  way  to  species  which  must 
be  considered  typical  of  the  AUeghanian  and  even  of  the  Caro- 
linian f.aunas.  Furthermore,  it  seemed  to  me  that  this  change 
was  largely  caused  by  the  cutting  away  of  the  original  primeval 
forest  and  thereby  destroying  the  favorite  breeding  haunts  of 
many  of  our  northern  birds. 

Now  these  conclusions  were  not  new.  They  were  in  the 
main,  I  think  I  may  fairly  say,  those  already  reached  by  Mr. 
Stone  in  his  observations  regarding  the  "Summer  birds  of  Har- 
vey's Lake,  Luzerne  County,  Pa."  in  1891  (Proc.  Acad,  of  Nat. 
Sci.  Phila.,  1891,  pp.  431-438),  by  Dr.  Dwight  in  his  study  of 
the  "Summer  Birds  of  the  Crest  of  the  Pennsylvania  AUe- 
ghenies,"  in  1892  (Auk,  April,  1892),  and  by  Mr.  Baily  in  his 
paper  on  the  "Summer  Birds  of  Northern  Elk  County,  Pa.," 
pubUshed  during  1896  (Auk,  Oct.,  1896).  And  they  have 
been  further  confirmed  by  the  more  recent  observations  of  Mr. 
Stone  and  the  Messrs.  Behr  on  North  Mt,  Pa.  (See  the  "Ab- 

(8) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  9 

slract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  D.  V.  0.  C.  of  Phila."  for  1898 
and  1899),  and  by  other  observers. 

The  trip  taken  last  June  by  Mr.  Brown  and  the  writer  seems 
to  show  that  this  same  change  of  fauna  is  by  no  means  confined 
to  the  eastern  section  of  the  mountains  of  Pennsylvania. 
Rather  it  is  going  on  at  just  as  rapid  and  alarming  a  pace 
farther  to  the  west,  on  the  ridges  and  plateau-land  of  Tioga, 
Potter  and  Clinton  Counties.  Wherever,  indeed,  the  original 
forest  is  disappearing  under  axe  and  fire,  especially  in  those 
sections  where  the  hemlock  and  other  coniferous  trees  are  being 
cut  away,  there  just  as  surely  we  may  also  look  for  the  dis- 
appearance of  most  of  our  boreal  birds  and  plants.  A  more 
striking  illustration  of  this  dependence  of  the  more  northern 
plants  and  animals  on  the  original  primeval  forests  could  hardly 
be  cited  than  under  the  conditions  which  we  found  to  prevail 
last  summer  in  certain  sections  of  Potter  and  (Clinton  Counties. 
The  immense  value  of  those  forests,  too,  in  preserving  the 
water  suijply  of  the  countrj'  and  thus  helping  the  farmers  of 
our  State  to  withstand  the  long  and  disastrous  droughts  to 
which  we  seem  to  have  been  peculiarly  subject  in  recent  years, 
was  amply  proved.  Perhaps  also  one  of  the  primary  causes  of 
those  droughts  was  manifested. 

Take,  for  example,  the  conditions  as  we  found  them  prevail- 
ing at  Tamarack  Swamp  in  the  northern  part  of  Clinton  County. 
This  swamp  was  truly  like  a  little  oasis  in  a  desert.  And  why  ? 
Simply  because,  as  must  be  clear  to  even  the  casual  observer, 
the  dense  growth  of  hemlocks,  spruces,  balsams  and  other 
heavy  foliaged  forest  trees  keeps  out  the  hot  rays  of  the  summer 
sun  and  affords  a  cool  retreat  both  for  birds  and  plants.  As 
proof  of  this  we  have  but  to  look  at  the  character  of  the  bird 
and  plant  life  existing  in  the  Swamp.  Everywhere  we  find 
beautiful  beds  of  sphagnum  mosj,  all  cool  and  moist.  And 
everywhere,  too,  one  sees  little  pools  of  icy-cold  water  collected 
around  the  roots  of  the  trees,  while  here  and  there  we  come 
upon  more  open  woodland  glades  where  the  sun  seems  hardly 
to  penetrate  on  account  of  the  thick  foliage  of  the  coniferous 
trees  overhead.  It  is  here  that  we  find  such  boreal  plants 
as    Waldsteinia   fragarmdes,    Coptis   trifolia,    Rubus   amerkanvs, 


10  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Clintonia  horcalia,  and  others.  Here  also  we  find  many  liirds 
typical  of  the  Canadian  fauna,  such  as  Olive-backed  Thrush, 
Brown  Creeper,  Winter  Wren,  Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  Crossbills, 
and  many  of  the  northern  forms  of  Warblers,  including  the 
Blackburnian,  Magnolia,  Canadian,  Black-throated  Blue,  and 
Black-throated  Green. 

Now  contrast  these  conditions  with  those  prevailing  in  certain 
sections  of  the  Swamp  which  were  ravaged  by  fire  in  1897,  or 
in  those  parts  of  the  surrounding  country  from  which  the 
original  timber  has  been  removed.  Instead  of  the  greenness 
and  the  cool,  refreshing  beds  of  moss,  all  is  parched  and  dry. 
Where  the  fire  has  been  there  is  no  longer  any  shade  to  exclude 
the  fierce  rays  of  the  sun:  no  water  anywhere;  only  blackened 
stumps  and  logs,  and  dry,  powdery  beds  of  sphagnum.  These 
are  conditions  under  Avhich  no  life  can  exist.  Hence  we  find 
neither  plants  nor  birds,  but  only  a  barren  waste.  Even  where 
the  fire  has  not  penetrated,  but  the  original  green  timber  has 
been  supplemented  by  a  second  growth  of  oaks  and  other  purely 
deciduous  trees — as  in  the  country  immediately  surrounding 
the  Swamp — there  too  conditions  are  completely  altered.  The 
soil  is  more  dry  and  parched,  and  there  is  the  absence  of  that 
coolness  and  freshness  so  characteristic  of  the  primeval  forest  of 
hemlocks  and  birches.  Accordingly,  instead  of  the  boreal 
plants  and  birds  which  are  so  abundant  in  those  portions  of 
Tamarack  Swamp  still  untouched  by  axe  or  fire,  we  find  Song 
Sparrows,  Chipping  Sparrows,  Catbirds,  Robins,  Goldfinches, 
Kingbirds,  Yellow  Warblers,  and  other  species  characteristic  of 
a  more  southern  fauna. 

The  same  story  might  be  told  of  the  Kettle  Creek  Valley 
region  in  Potter  County.  Here  the  transition  from  one  fauna 
and  flora  to  another  is  even  more  striking.  The  first  seven 
miles  of  the  road  leading  up  this  valley  from  Cross  Forks  to 
Oleona  are  marked  by  an  entire  absence  of  the  original  green 
timber.  For  several  miles  back  from  the  road,  the  hills,  with 
few  exceptions,  are  absolutely  stripped  of  woodland.  Ever^'- 
thing  is  dry  and  barren,  and  except  along  the  creek  bed  the 
land  is  practically  unfit  for  cultivation.  Here  and  there,  also, 
one  notices  the  traces  of  a  recent  forest  fire.     Not  soon  shall  I 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLDB.  11 

forget  our  walk  up  the  first  seven  miles  of  that  valley!  We 
left  Cross  Forks  about  9  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  making 
due  allowance  for  an  hour  and  a  half's  rest  in  the  shade  of  a 
farm  house,  while  we  refreshed  our  weary  bodies  with  a  good 
lunch  of  milk  and  pie,  it  took  us  tiU  2  o'clock  to  reach  the  edge 
of  the  forest  land.  And  during  those  four  odd  hours  the  heat 
was  terrific,  the  dust  was  fearful  and  the  shade  was  nil.  In- 
deed, if  it  had  not  been  for  two  or  three  little  roadside  springs 
— remains  of  the  original  primeval  forest,  and  the  cooling  condi- 
tions which  it  always  brings  with  it — we  would  hardly  have  had 
the  heart  or  courage  to  continue.  Scarcely  a  bird  was  to  be 
heard  or  seen.  But  suddenly,  when  some  three  miles  south  of 
Oleona  we  struck  the  edge  of  the  green  timlier,  all  this  was 
changed.  The  scenery  now  became  wild  and  beautiful.  For 
the  most  part  the  hills  rise  steeply  on  either  side  of  the  creek, 
but  here  and  there  the  valley  widens  and  the  road  takes  us  past 
green  meadows  and  a  group  of  neat  little  farm  buildings.  Back 
across  the  hills  for  miles  stretches  the  unbroken  primeval  forest. 
Here  everything  at  once  became  cool  and  green  again.  More- 
over, hardly  had  we  entered  the  woodland  before  we  heard  the 
cheery  little  song  of  the  Snowbird,  and  a  beautiful  little  nest 
with  four  eggs  was  found  in  the  bank  along  the  road-side.  This 
species,  as  well  as  most  of  the  northern  warblers  which  we  had 
observed  at  Tamarack  Swamp,  continued  to  increase  in  num- 
bers, until,  in  the  four  miles  of  timber-land  between  Oleona  and 
New  Bergen,  they  became  very  common.  At  Oleona,  rather  to 
our  surprise,  we  again  heard  a  whippoorwill.  It  was  not,  how- 
ever, until  we  had  passed  this  little  village,  which,  by  the  way, 
consists  of  a  small  country  tavern  and  two  houses,  and  was 
named  after  the  famous  Ole  Bull  who  settled  in  the  County 
about  1852 — that  we  met  with  perhaps  the  most  interesting  of 
our  discoveries  in  the  bird  Line.  This  was  the  Mourning 
Warbler,  which  proved  to  be  a  conmion  species  along  the  road- 
side and  up  the  mountain  divides  all  the  way  between  Oleona 
and  New  Bergen.  In  this  magnificent  stretch  of  woodland  we 
also  observed  Rose-breasted  Grosbeaks  and  a  single  Water 
Thrush,  both  species  not  heretofore  noted.  Winter  Wrens  were 
also   occasionally   heard.     On    the    other    hand,  Olive-backed 


12  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Thrushes,  which  were  so  abundant  at  Tamarack,  became  scarce, 
while  Wood  Thrushes  and  Wilson's  became  rather  more 
abundant.  We  looked  carefully  for  Hermit  Thrushes,  but  not 
a  single  one  was  heard  or  seen.  Neither  were  any  Brown 
Creepers  met  with.  In  the  latter  case,  however,  their  presence 
might  easily  have  escaped  our  notice,  as  in  no  instance  did  we 
have  time  to  push  back  into  the  forest  more  than  a  mile  from 
the  road. 

Enough  has  been  said,  I  think,  to  show  pretty  clearly  the 
close  relationship  between  the  geographical  distribution  of  the 
summer  birds  belonging  to  the  Canadian  fauna  and  the  original 
primeval  forests  which  once  covered  the  mountains  of  Pennsyl- 
vania. Where  those  forests  still  exist  in  large  tracts,  as,  for 
example,  they  did  a  few  years  ago  on  North  Mountain,  there  we 
find  a  very  strong,  if  not  a  predominating,  tinge  of  the  Canadian 
fauna.  On  the  other  hand,  where  they  have  been  entirely  de- 
stroyed or  broken  vip  into  isolated  patches,  those  birds  which 
may  be  regarded  as  typical  of  the  Alleghanian  fauna  are  in  the 
majority.  In  the  latter  case,  even  where  the  altitude  is  above 
1,200  ft.,  certain  Carolinian  species  are  beginning  to  find  their 
way  north.  Such  at  least  is  the  only  good  explanation  which 
we  can  offer  for  the  presence  in  recent  years  of  the  Chat  in  a 
mountain  region  where  it  was  never  before  known.    [See  below.] 

In  the  case  of  the  forest  regions  of  Potter  and  Clinton  coun- 
ties, with  which  the  present  paper  deals,  I  am  inclined  to  think 
that  the  fauna  is  rapidly  changing  from  Canadian  to  Alle- 
ghanian, with  a  tinge  of  the  Carolinian.  To  be  sure,  most  of 
the  birds  noted  at  Tamarack  Swamp  must  be  regarded  as  be- 
longing to  the  former  (i.  e..  Canadian),  but  there  the  whole 
environment  is  pecuUarly  suited  to  their  habits.  In  the  south- 
ern part — indeed,  throughout  the  whole  of  Potter  county — we 
find  an  interesting  transition  going  on.  The  large  bodies  of  un- 
cut timber  which  still  exist  in  the  Upper  Kettle  Creek  Valley 
can  no  longer  be  regarded  as  typical  of  the  conditions  prevailing 
throughout  the  entire  county;  rather,  they  are  exceptions  to  the 
general  rule.  As  such  their  fauna  naturally  contains  a  large 
percentage  of  northern  species,  yet  it  is  already  becoming  more 
southern  in  its  character.     What  will  be  the  fate  of  manv  of 


DELAWARK    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  13 

our  northern  warblers  'and  thrushes,  which  up  to  the  present 
time  seem  to  have  been  unable  to  adapt  themselves  to  their 
rapidly  changing  environment,  is  an  interesting  question.  It 
would  certainly  seem  that,  if  the  beautiful  forests  of  our  State 
continue  to  perish  at  the  present  alarming  rate,  their  fate  as 
summer  residents  in  Pennsylvania  is  doomed. 

The  following  list  includes  only  those  species  which  were 
actually  observed  by  us  either  in  Potter  or  CHnton  counties. 
In  the  case  of  the  more  rare  and  interesting  species  the  exact 
locality  and  date  has  been  given;  in  all  others  the  birds  may  be 
regarded  as  having  occurred  throughout  the  entire  region  visited. 

List  of  Birds  Observed  During  a  Trip  to  Clinton  and  Potter' 
Counties,  Pa.,  June.  21-28,  1900. 

1.  Ardea  herodias.  Great  Blue  Heron. — A  single  bird  was 
seen,  June  25,  on  Kettle  Creek,  just  south  of  Oleona,  Potter  Co. 

2.  Ardea  virescens.  Green  Heron. — Several  scattered  indi- 
viduals were  noted  in  the  Valley  of  the  Little  Kettle  Creek, 
Potter  Co. 

3.  Philohela  minor.  American  Woodcock. — Reported  to  be 
common  in  Tamarack  Swamp,  where  the  conditions  certainly 
seemed  admirably  suited  to  its  habits.  Only  a  single  individual, 
however,  was  observed  by  us,  on  .June  24. 

4.  Aclltis  macidaria.  Spotted  Sandpiper. — Not  common,  al- 
though a  few  were  noted  along  all  the  large  streams. 

5.  Bonasa  uinbdlus.  Ruffed  Grouse. — Undoubtedly  this  bird 
was  common  throughout  all  sections  where  the  primeval  forest 
yet  remained  uncut.  It  was  reported  by  residents  to  be  abun- 
dant in  certain  sections  of  Clinton  Countj',  and  also  in  the 
forest  region  around  Oleona  in  Potter  Count}'.  Only  a  single 
individual  was  noted  by  us  in  the  deep  woodland  along  the 
upper  Kettle  Creek  Valley. 

6.  Zenaidura  macroura.  Mourning  Dove. — Rather  curiously, 
my  notes  bear  no  record  of  a  single  dove. 

7.  Accipitcr  rchr.  Sharp-shinned  Hawk — Seen  only  once  in 
the  Kettle  Creek  Valley,  near  Oleona. 

8.  Accipiter  cooperi.     Cooper's  Hawk.— Met  with  twice,  once 


14  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

at   Tamarack    Swamp    on    June  23,   and   again  in  the   Kettle 
Creek  Valley  on  June  25. 

9.  Buteo  borealis.  Red-tailed  Hawk. — A  single  individual 
was  observed  on  June  23,  in  the  depths  of  Tamarack  Swamp. 

10.  Megascops  asio.  Screech  Owl. — Heard  frequently  during 
the  evening  in  and  around  Tamarack  Swamp. 

Mr.  Campbell,  at  whose  farm  house  we  stayed  on  the  edge  of 
the  Swamp,  informed  us  that  there  were  several  different  species 
of  owls  resident  there.  He  mentioned  especially  the  Great- 
horned  Owl,  with  which  he  seemed  to  be  perfectly  familiar. 

11.  Ceryle  alcyon.  Belted  Kingfisher.  Tolerably  common 
along  Little  Kettle  Creek  in  Potter  County. 

12.  Dryobates  villoms.  Hairy  Woodpecker. — Fully  as  abun- 
dant as  the  Downy,  but  confined  largely  to  the  deep  forest. 

13.  Dryobates pubescensmedianu.s.  Downy  Woodpecker. — Com- 
mon everywhere,  both  in  the  deep  woods  and  in  the  open  country. 

Ceophloeus  pileatus  abieticola  and  Sphyrapicus  varius  were  not 
observed  either  at  Tamarack  Swamp  or  in  Potter  County,  and  if 
they  do  occur  as  breeders  must  be  confined  largely  to  the  deepest 
portions  of  the  primeval  forests  in  Stewardson  township,  into 
which  we  did  not  penetrate. 

14.  Colapjtes  auratus  luteus.     Flicker. — Common  everywhere. 

15.  Antrostomus  vociferus.  Whip-poor-will. — This  species 
seemed  to  be  not  uncommon,  several  being  heard  around  Tama- 
rack Swamp  every  evening.  Also  observed  at  Oleoua  on  the 
evening  of  June  25,  where  it  seemed  to  be  rather  out  of  place 
amidst  the  primeval  forest.  Doubtless,  however,  just  as  at 
North  Mountain  (Stone),  and  other  localities  in  the  northern 
part  of  Pennsylvania,  this  species  has  onlj'  become  common 
since  lumbering  began. 

16.  Chordeiles  virginianus.  Nighthawk. — Noted  only  twice, 
on  June  23  and  24,  at  Tamarack  Swamp. 

17.  Chaetura  pdagica.  Chinniey  Swift. — Common  through- 
out the  open  country. 

18.  Trochilus  colubris.  Ruby-throated  Hummingbird. — Com- 
mon. 

19.  Tyrannus  tyrannus.  Kingbird. — Noted  in  the  open  coun- 
try, especially  between  New  Bergen  and  Germania,  Potter 
county. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  15 

20.  Myiarchm  crinitus.  Crested  Fl3'catcher. — Rare.  Only 
one  or  two  seen  around  farm  buildings. 

21.  Sayornis  phoehe.  Phoebe. — Observed  only  in  the  more 
open  and  settled  portions  of  the  country  traversed. 

22.  Contopus  virens.  Wood  Pewee. — Abundant,  particularly 
in  the  deep  woodland,  where  it  was  the  most  characteristic  Fly- 
catcher. 

23.  Contopus  horealis.  Olive-sided  Flycatcher. — A  Flycatcher 
thought  to  be  this  species  was  observed  June  23  at  Tamarack 
Swamp,  perched  on  the  dead  top  of  a  tall  hemlock.  Unfortu- 
nately I  failed  to  get  within  gun-shot,  but  as  far  as  Mr.  Brown 
and  I  could  observe  through  the  opera  glass,  we  felt  certain  of 
the  identity.  It  was  certainly  a  Flycatcher,  and  not  one  of  the 
conmion  species. 

24.  Empidonax  minimus.  Least  Flycatcher. — Very  common 
along  the  roadsides,  about  houses,  and  in  the  open  clearings, 
where  it  seemed  to  be  one  of  tlie  characteristic  birds. 

25.  Otocoris  alpcstris  praticola.  Prairie  Horned  Lark.  —  An 
adult  male  was  shot  in  the  open  country  between  New  Bergen 
and  Germania,  Potter  Co. ,  June  27,  while  another  was  observed 
the  same  day  in  an  upland  meadow  near  Germania.  As  further 
evidence  of  the  increasing  abundance  of  this  bird  in  the  eastern 
part  of  the  country,  it  may  be  of  interest  to  note  here  the  occur- 
rence of  another  pair  at  Dimock,  Susquehanna  Co.,  on  July  4, 
1900.  This  makes  the  second  record  for  the  county,  the  first 
being  a  bird  observed  near  Dimock,  July  6,  1896. 

26.  Cyanocitta  cristata.     Blue  Jay. — Tolerably  common. 

27.  Cumus  americanus.  American  Crow. — Common  every- 
where. 

28.  Dolichonyx  oryzivorus.  Bobolink. — Not  a  single  individual 
was  observed  during  our  entire  trip,  though  one  would  expect 
to  find  it  in  the  high  upland  meadows  around  Germania,  Potter 
Co. ,  where  the  elevation  is  about  1900  feet. 

29.  Agelaius  phaniceus.  Red- winged  Blackbird. — Several 
pairs,  evidently  breeding,  were  observed  in  some  cleared 
meadows  along  the  lower  Kettle  Creek  Valley.  These  and 
another  pair  near  New  Bergen  were  the  onlj^  ones  noted  during 
the  trip. 


16  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

30.  Stumelia  magna.  Meadow  Lark. — Rather  common  in 
the  cleared  land. 

31.  Icterus  galbula.  Baltimore  Oriole. — Pkare.  One  or  two 
pairs  noted  about  houses.* 

32.  Carpodacus  purpureus.  Purple  Finch. — Rather  rare.  Ob- 
served several  times  in  Tamarack  Swamp,  but  only  once  in 
Potter  Co.  This  last  record  was  in  the  forest  region  between 
Oleona  and  New  Bergen,  June  26.  Several  also  at  Galeton, 
Jime  22. 

33.  Astragalinus  tristU.  American  Goldfinch. — Rather  com- 
mon in  the  open  country. 

34.  Pocecetes  gramineus.  Vesper  Sparrow. — Common  in  the 
open  pasture-land  around  Germania. 

35.  Ammodramus  sandwichensis  savanna.  Savanna  Sparrow. 
— A  few  noted  near  Tamarack  Swamp,  and  at  Germania  and 
Galeton,  in  Potter  Co. ;  but  the  bird  was  not  common. 

36.  Spizdla  socialis.  Chipping  Sparrow. — A  few  were  ob- 
served at  Galeton  and  Germania.  in  Potter  county,  and  near 
Tamarack  Swamp  in  Clinton  county. 

37.  SpizeUa  pusilla.  Field  Sparrow. — Tolerably  common  in 
clearings  and  over-grown  pastures. 

38.  Junco  hyemalis.  Junco. — Found  only  where  large  tracts 
of  the  original  primeval  forest  remain  uncut,  as  along  Little 
Kettle  Creek  between  Oleana  and  New  Bergen,  Potter  Co. 
Here  it  was  abundant,  although  not  noted  at  Tamarack  Swamp 
or  in  the  more  open  country,  except  a  few  scattered  pairs  near 
Germania.  It  was  most  interesting  to  see  how  closely  this 
species  was  limited  by  the  timber  Une.  Not  a  single  bird  was 
noted  until  we  entered  the  upper  part  of  the  Kettle  Creek 
Valley,  near  Oleana.  Here,  however,  they  suddenly  became 
common,  increasing  in  abundance  with  the  forest  and  decreas- 
ing again  as  we  emerged  from  the  green  timber  at  New  Bergen. 
Not  that  the  birds  were  found  in  the  dense  woodland.  On  the 
contrary,  they  seemed  rather  to  prefer  the  roadsides  in  the 
midst  of  the  forest  region;  but  the  species  was  at  no  time  ob- 
served in  the  really  open  coimtry. 

*  Xo  grackles  of  any  kind  were  obserred  during  the  trip. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  17 

39.  Melospiza  melodia.  Song  Sparrow. — Unusually  abundant 
everywhere. 

40.  Melospiza  georgiana.  Swamp  Sparrow. — Rare.  A  single 
bird  observed  singing  in  a  clearing  on  the  outskirts  of  Tamarack 
Swamp,  June  23. 

41.  Pipih  crythrophlhnlmus.  Towhee. — Common  in  the 
scrubhj'  timber  land,  especiallj'  on  the  road  between  Cross  Forks 
and  Tamarack  Swamp,  in  the  northern  part  of  Clinton  county. 

42.  Zamelodia  ludoviciana.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  —  Not 
observed  at  Tamarack  Swamp,  but  found  to  be  quite  common 
in  the  forest  region  between  Oleana  and  New  Bergen,  Potter 
county. 

43.  Oyanospiza  cyanea.  Indigo  Bird. — Not  observed,  except 
in  the  more  open  country  around  Germania. 

44.  Pira»ga  erylhromdas.  Scarlet  Tanager. — Very  common, 
especially  in  the  forest  region  along  the  Kettle  Creek  Valley, 
but  observed  also  at  Tamarck  Swamp  and  at  Galeton. 

45.  Pctrochelidon  lunifrovs.  CMS  Swallow. — Decidedly  the 
most  abundant  of  the  Swallows,  being  noted  not  only  in  the 
farming  countrj',  but  also  in  the  more  recent  clearings  wherever 
there  happened  to  be  a  few  buildings. 

4(1  Hirundo  erythrogastra.  Barn  Swallow. — Not  common. 
Several  pairs  were  breeding  in  Mr.  Campbell's  barn  on  the  edge 
of  Tamarack  Swamp,  and  scattered  pairs  were  also  found  at 
various  localities  in  the  more  open  portions  of  the  country. 

47.  Ampelis  cedrorum.     Cedar  Bird. — Common  throughout. 

48.  Vireo  olivaccus.     Red-e5'ed  Vireo.  — Abundant  everywhere. 

49.  Vireo  fiavijrons.  Yellow-throated  Vireo. — Several  birds 
were  heard  at  Tamarack  Swamp,  and  it  was  again  noted  in  the 
deep  woods  near  Oleona  on  June  26. 

50.  Vireo  solitariu.^.  Blue-headed  Vireo. — At  Tamarack  Swamp 
this  species  was  fully  as  common  as  the  Red-eyed,  but  in  Potter 
county  it  did  not  seem  to  be  nearly  so  plentiful,  though  it  was 
several  times  noted  near  Oleona. 

51.  Mniotilta  raria.  Black  and  White  Warbler. — In  Clinton 
county  it  was  seen  only  on  the  outskirts  of  Tamarack  Swamp, 
but  in  Potter  county  it  was  tolerably  common  in  the  Upper 
Kettle  Creek  Valley. 


18  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

52.  Compsolhlypis  americana  usnese.  Parula  Warbler. — Com- 
mon at  Tamarack  Swamp,  but  less  plentiful  in  Potter  county, 
where  it  was  seen  several  times  at  Galeton  and  sparingly  in  the 
Kettle  Creek  region. 

53.  Dendroica  mstiva.  Yellow  Warbler. — Rare.  Seen  only 
occasionally  in  the  open  country. 

54.  Dendroica  casndescens.  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler. — 
Very  abundant,  both  at  Tamarack  and  in  Potter  county  where- 
ever  the  hemlocks  remained  uncut.  Perhaps  the  most  abun- 
dant Warbler  in  the  forests  around  Oleona. 

55.  Dendroica  macidosa.  Magnolia  Warbler. — This  species 
was  even  more  abundant  at  Tamarack  Swamp  than  the  preced- 
ing. Indeed  in  those  portions  of  the  Swamp  where  the  hem- 
lock predominated  among  the  coniferous  trees,  it  might  almost 
be  said  to  swarm,  many  adult  birds  with  food  in  their  bills 
being  observed. 

56.  Dendroica  pensylvanica.  Chestnut-sided  Warbler.— Not 
found  in  Tamarack  Swamp  or  in  the  forest  region  of  the  Kettle 
Creek  Valley,  but  observed  at  Galeton,  and  wherever  there  was 
second  growth  timber. 

57.  Dendroica  blackburnias.  Blackburnian  Warbler — Abun- 
dant, both  at  Tamarack  and  around  Oleona,  but  always,  like 
the  other  northern  Warblers,  confined  to  the  primeval  forest. 

58.  Dendroica  virens.  Black-throated  Green  Warbler. — Not 
so  plentiful  as  D.  cserulescens,  maculosa  or  blackburnix,  but  still 
tolerably  common  in  the  deep  woodland. 

59.  Seiurm  aurocapillus.  Oven-bird. — Unusuall}'  abundant, 
both  at  Tamarack  Swamp  and  along  Little  Kettle  Creek. 

60.  Seiuriis  noveboracensis.  Water  Thrush.  A  single  bird  with 
nest  and  four  eggs  was  found  near  Oleona,  June  26.  The 
nest  was  beautifully  situated  among  the  roots  of  a  large  beech 
tree  on  the  banks  of  what,  in  spring,  must  be  a  beautiful  little 
mountain  torrent,  and  although  it  was  not  collected,  I  feel  no 
doubt  of  the  identitj\  Indeed  this  whole  locality  was  admir- 
ably suited  to  the  habits  of  this  bird,  and  doubtless  a  more 
thorough  seaich  would  have  revealed  it  as  not  an  uncommon 
breeder. 

61.  Geothlypis    Philadelphia.     Mourning   Warbler. — Not    ob- 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  19 

served  at  Tamarack  Swamp,  but  one  of  the  characteristic  birds 
of  the  primeval  forest  region  between  Oleona  and  New  Bergen. 
Here  it  was  very  common  and  evidently  had  young.  A  brood 
of  three  young  birds,  hardly  able  to  fly,  was  found  along  the 
same  beautiful  little  mountain  divide  where  the  Water  Thrush 
was  observed,  but  such  a  diligent  search  as  the  swarms  of 
'"black-flies"  would  permit,  failed  to  reveal  the  nest.  As  a 
rule,  however,  this  species  seemed  to  be  more  abundant  in  the 
underbrush  bordering  the  well-traveled  road  between  Oleona 
and  New  Bergen  than  a  few  hundred  yards  back  in  the  midst 
of  the  primeval  forest. 

62.  Geothlypis  trichas.  Maryland  Yellow-throat. — Very  com- 
mon everywhere,  both  in  the  clearings  and  in  the  deep  woodland. 

63.  Icteria  virens.  Yellow-breasted  Chat. — The  unmistakable 
notes  of  this  bird  were  plainly  heard  on  a  partially  cleared  hill- 
eide  near  the  town  of  Galeton,  Potter  county,  on  June  22,  1900. 
They  seemed  hardly  in  keeping  with  the  mountainous  surround- 
ings, and  yet  after  all  it  is  entirely  natural  that  this  species, 
which  is  generally  regarded  as  typical  of  tlie  Carolinian  fauna, 
should  gradually  find  its  way  northward,  as  the  topography  of 
the  country  is  rapidly  changed  by  the  removal  of  the  original 
forest — evidence  of  the  very  close  connection  between  the  fauna 
and  flora  of  a  locality,  rather  than  between  the  fauna  and  mere 
latitude:  It  may  be  of  interest  to  note  the  occurrence  of  this 
species  in  recent  years  during  the  breeding  season  at  Harvey's 
Lake,  June,  1891  (Stone);  at  Lopez,  North  Mountain,  June  18, 
1898  (Stone),  and  finally  at  Dimock,  Susquehanna  countj',  June 
28, 1900.  In  the  last  case  the  birds  remained  in  the  same  locality 
all  summer,  and  undoubtedly  bred  there,  as  they  probably  did 
also  at  Harvey's  Lake  and  at  North  Mountain.  Furthermore, 
in  all  these  instances,  while  the  Chats  were  confined  to  open  clear- 
ings, one  had  but  to  go  a  few  hundred  feet  to  where  the  primeval 
forest,  with  its  more  or  less  boreal  flora,  still  remained  uncut,  in 
order  to  find  most  of  the  typical  northern  Warblers.  A  clearer 
example  of  the  strong  influence  of  environment  on  our  bird  Ufe 
could  hardly  be  found. 

64.  Wilsonia  canadensis.  Canadian  Warbler. — Of  all  the 
warblers  noted  during  our  trip,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  this 


20  PKOCEEDIKGS   OF   THE 

one  was  most  abundant  at  Tamarack.  It  was  not  only  found 
in  the  more  open  portions  of  the  swamp,  but  in  those  parts 
where  the  rhododendron  and  the  black  spruce  grew  the  thickest 
it  seemed  to  outnumber  all  other  birds.  Noted  also  throughout 
the  forest  regions  of  Potter  county. 

65.  Galeoscoptes  caroUnensis.  Catbird. — Not  common,  and 
found  only  in  the  open  country. 

66.  Harporhynchvs  riifiis.  Brown  Thrasher.  — Rare.  Seen  only 
once  in  the  farming  country  around  Germania,  Potter  Co. 

67.  Troglodytes  aedon.  House  Wren. — Common,  both  about 
houses  and  in  clearings  on  the  outskirts  of  the  forest  region. 

68.  Anorlhnra  hiemalis.  Winter  Wren. — This  species  was 
tolerably  common  in  the  densest  portions  of  Tamarack  swamp, 
and  in  certain  localities  along  the  Kettle  Creek  Vallej-,  where  it 
was  also  confined  to  the  deep  woods.     Not  met  with  elsewhere. 

69.  Cei-thia  familiaris  americana.  Brown  Creeper. — Very  rare. 
A  single  pair  noted  by  Mr.  Brown  on  June  23  in  the  depths 
of  Tamarack  swamp  is  our  only  record  for  this  trip. 

70.  Siita  carolinens-is.  White-breasted  Nuthatch. — Common 
throughout. 

S.  canadensis  was  not  observed  anywhere,  although  I  see  no 
reason  why  it  and  such  a  species  as  the  Golden-crowned  Kinglet 
should  not  be  found  in  a  locality  like  Tamarack  Swamp. 

71.  Parus  atricapillus  Black-capped  Chickadee. — Very  abund- 
ant; its  soft  whistle,  so  characteristic  of  the  breeding  season, 
being  heard  everywhere. 

72.  Hylockhla  mmtelina.  Wood  Thrush. — Only  tolerably 
common  at  Tamarack  swamp,  but  in  the  forests  along  the 
Kettle  Creek  Valley  it  was  the  characteristic  thrush.  Several 
nests  with  eggs  were  found. 

73.  Hylockhla  fusccscens.  Wilson's  Thrush. — This  thrush 
seemed  to  be  rare  in  Tamarack  Swamp,  but  became  more 
|ilentiful  around  Oleona,  in  Potter  Co. 

74.  Hylodchla  vshilataincahisonvi.  Olive-backed  Thrush. — Far 
.and  away  the  most  abundant  of  the  thru.sh  family  in  Tamarack 
Swamp,  where,  indeed,  it  seemed  to  be  one  of  the  characteristic 
birds.  Its  characteristic  song  could  be  heard  all  day  long  up 
till  eight  o'clock  in  the  evening.     The  bird  was  shy  and  very 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLDB.  21 

hard  to  approach,  and  as  the  song  was  new,  both  to  Mr.  Brown 
and  myself,  we  were  at  first  in  some  doubt  as  to  the  identity  of 
the  bird.  On  the  afternoon  of  June  23,  however,  while  in  the 
depths  of  the  swamp,  among  a  dense  tangle  of  rhododendrons 
and  spruces,  one  of  these  birds  unconsciously  lit  almost  by  my 
side  and  immediately  began  singing.  Of  course  I  had  an  ad- 
mirable chance  to  observe  it,  and  at  once  felt  no  doubt  about  its 
being  an  Olive-backed  Thrush.  Later,  we  had  a  fine  chance  to 
hear  both  this  species  and  the  Wilson's  near  Oleona,  and  the 
difi'erence  between  the  two  songs  was  very  striking. 

75.  Hylockhla  aonalaschkas  pallasii.  Hermit  Thrush. — For 
some  unknown  reason  this  bird  was  neither  seen  nor  heard 
during  our  entire  trip.  Why  it  should  have  been  absent  where 
both  the  Olive-back  and  the  Wilson's  were  common,  certainly 
seems  strange.  Yet  in  this  connection  it  may  be  of  interest  to 
state  that  the  Hermit  Thrush  was  absent  this  summer  (1900) 
in  Susquehanna  Co.  from  localities  where  I  have  never  failed  to 
find  at  least  three  or  four  pairs  breeding  in  previous  years.  In 
fact,  during  the  whole  of  June  and  July  I  heard  but  one  Hermit 
Thrush  near  Dimock.  Has  any  one  else  noted  the  scarcitj''  of 
this  bird  during  the  past  breeding  season,  and  if  so  how  can  it 
be  accounted  for?  Is  it  not  possible  that  it,  like  other  repre- 
sentatives of  the  Canadian  fauna,  is  being  slowly  driven  away 
by  those  very  changes  in  environment  caused  by  the  ravages  of 
axe  and  fire,  which  in  turn  are  attracting  such  southern  types 
as  the  Chat? 

76.  Merula  migrator ia.    Robin. — Found  about  cleared  ground. 


Photographing  a  Nighthawk's  Nest  and  Young 
(Chordeiles  virginianus) 

BY  WILLIAM  L.    BAILY 

While  crossing  a  barren  field  at  Paoli,  Pa.,  on  June  3, 
1900,  where  the  serpentine  rock  thrusts  through  the  soil,  I 
unexpectedly  flushed  a  Nightha^k  about  ten  feet  in  front  of 
me,  exposing  two  gray-spotted  eggs,  laid  on  the  bare,  stony 
ground,  scantily  dotted  with  sickly  tufts  of  grass,  where  there 
was  little  soil  from  which  to  draw  nourishment.  This  was  an 
ideal  spot  for  a  Nighthawk's  nest,  on  a  gentle  slope  not  far  from 
an  old  worm  fence,  inclosing  a  thick,  low  wood  bordering  on 
Crum  Creek,  just  below  its  main  source. 

The  bird  fluttered  noiselesslj'  but  a  few  yards,  when  she 
dropped  down,  spreading  her  wings  on  the  ground.  I  could 
not  get  my  camera  ready  in  time  to  take  her  picture  before  she 
flew  onto  the  top  rail  of  the  neighboring  fence,  where  again  she 
led  me  further  awaj'  just  as  I  was  about  to  snap  the  shutter. 
Returning  to  the  eggs,  which  I  had  some  difficulty  in  re- 
locating, I  noticed  they  were  placed  lengthwise  side  by  side, 
about  an  inch  apart,  as  usual.  When  the  Nighthawk  spreads 
over  them  her  breast  bone,  probably  touches  the  ground  between 
them,  and  one  egg  is  held  against  the  flufTy  side  of  each  breast 
by  the  thickly-feathered  wings. 

Six  days  later,  accompanied  by  Mr.  Serrill,  who  was  anxious 
to  see  a  pair  of  nighthawk's  eggs,  the  spot  was  revisited,  and 
as  the  bird  again  left  the  nest,  much  as  she  had  done  before, 
two  little  balls  of  gray  down  which  had  but  an  hour  or  two 
before  taken  the  place  of  the  eggs  were  revealed.  The  shells 
had  already  been  removed,  and  the  little  birds  were  in  exactly 
the  same  position  as  were  the  eggs,  about  one  inch  apart,  but 
looking  in  opposite  directions.     After  watching  the  single  par- 

(22) 


NIGHTHAWK  ICHORDEILES  virginianus). 
EGGS    AND    YOUNG. 

PHOTOGRAPHED,  JUNE,    1901,   BY  WM.   L.   BAILY. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  23 

ent  bird  through  our  glasses  with  conbiderable  interest,  a  pic- 
ture was  taken. of  the  young  in  their  natural  position  and  then 
one  in  Mr.  Serrill's  hand.  We  found  their  eyes  open,  just  a 
squint,  and  their  legs  quite  strong  enough  to  enable  them  to 
walk,  which  they  did  when  we  placed  them  back  on  the  ground. 
Though  apparently  but  an  hour  or  two  old,  they  were  probably 
off  to  shelter  not  many  hours  later. 


A  Walk  to  the  Paoli  Pine-Barrens 

BY  WILLIAM  J.   SEKRILL 

One  day  last  summer,  the  9th  of  June,  1900,  Wm.  L.  Daily 
and  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  so-called  Paoli  Barrens.  We  started 
from  Paoli,  and  enjoyed  one  of  the  finest  walks  of  the  season. 

If  you  look  upon  a  geological  map  of  Chester  and  Delaware 
counties,  you  will  notice  it  is  pretty  liberal!}'  spotted  with  green 
blotches,  looking  for  all  the  world  as  if  tlie  map-maker  had  at- 
tempted to  i^rint  in  the  naines  of  the  townships  with  a  bad  pen, 
which  had  splattered  the  ink  all  over  the  page.  These  blots 
represent  areas  of  serpentine.  The  farmer  whose  land  extends 
within  the  limits  of  one  of  these  green  spots  is  not  envied  by 
his  neighbors,  as  the  soil  is  sterile  and  barren,  as  different  as 
may  be  from  the  fine  farming  and  grazing  acres  of  Chester 
county. 

One  of  the  largest  of  these  serpentine  tracts  extends  from  a 
point  about  a  mile  and  a  half  southwest  of  Paoli  station,  in  a 
southwesterly  direction,  across  the  townships  of  Willistown  and 
East  Goshen,  Chester  county.  This  strip  of  land  is  half  a  mile 
to  a  mile  wide,  and  about  five  miles  long.  The  eastern  end  of 
this  strip  is  the  part  of  the  Barrens  included  in  our  visit. 

The  countr}'  at  this  point  is  comparatively  flat,  forming  part 
of  that  table  land  which  is  known  to  geologists  as  South  Valley 
Hill,  to  the  north  of  which  is  the  majestic  sweep  of  the  Chester 
Valley,  while  on  the  south  the  high  ground  breaks  away  later- 
ally into  the  valleys  of  those  streams  which,  rising  on  the  table 
land  in  Chester  county,  flow  mainly  through  Delaware  county, 
forming  its  chief  glory,  and  making  it  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing regions  in  the  State.  These  streams  are  Cobbs,  Darby, 
Crum,  Ridley,  and  Chester  Creeks. 

Flowing  through  a  delightfully  fertile  and  rural  land,  they 

(24) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  25 

Iiave  cut  out  tortuous  beds,  with  steep  wooded  sides,  separated 
by  rounded  interloclcing  liills. 

Crum  Creelv  is  the  particular  stream  which  has  its  rise  in  the 
pine-barren  region,  and  my  companion  and  I  drank  from  two 
spring-houses  which  can  vie  with  cacli  other  in  gentle  rivalry 
for  the  honor  of  being  the  onl}'  original  source  of  this  lovely 
stream. 

Crum  Creek  begins  in  this  wild  barren  region,  and  it  seems, 
more  than  its  sister  streams,  to  carry  a  trace  of  this  wild  origin 
throughout  its  course.  Always  its  slopes  seem  a  little  steeper, 
its  glens  and  woodlands  a  little  wilder,  and  its  ripples  a  little 
louder  and  merrier,  than  any  of  the  others;  the  rarest  plants 
grow  upon  its  hillsides — I  have  found  the  yellow  cypripedium 
and  the  round-leaved  violet  only  there — and  the  birds  seem 
more  abundant  and  of  sweeter  voict  within  the  shelter  of  its 
valleys.  And  it  was  a  pleasant  surprise,  when  the  map  was 
consulted  on  my  return  from  our  walk,  to  find  that  we  had  been 
at  the  headwaters  of  my  favorite  stream. 

Now  to  describe  our  walk.  Almost  as  we  left  the  station,  a 
Baltimore  Oriole  sang  in  a  large  maple,  but  we  could  not  see  the 
nest.  After  a  brisk  walk  for  about  a  mile,  we  left  the  road,  and 
approached  a  spring  house.  As  Baily  was  scooping  the  water,  I 
had  my  glasses  fixed  on  two  or  more  Kildeer  Plovers  which  ran 
over  the  field.  I  became  so  interested  in  their  antics — swift 
runs  with  sudden  squats  behind  the  clods  of  the  field — that  I 
had  to  be  reminded  that  we  had  a  considerable  round  to  make, 
and  could  not  afford  to  spend  all  afternoon  at  the  spring  house. 
So  I  regretfully  relinquished  the  Plovers,  and  after  climbing  a 
couple  of  fences,  and  approaching  the  woods,  wns  well  repaid. 
For  here,  out  in  the  open,  we  came  upon  the  Nighthawk,  with 
young,  on  the  nest,  about  which  you  have  heard.. 

Baily  had  been  here  the  week  before  our  visit,  and  had  been 
lucky  enough  to  run  across  this  nest,  with  two  eggs.  He  had 
noted  its  position  carefully,  and  when  we  were  within  about 
fifteen  feet  of  where  he  thought  it  was,  he  spoke  of  it,  and  we 
tip-toed  slowly,  straining  our  eyes  in  an  endeavor  to  see  the 
bird  before  she  flew.  But  so  inconspicuous  was  she,  that 
neither   succeeded,   for   suddenly  she    was   on    the    wing,   but 


26  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

alighted  again,  almost  at  our  feet,  with  her  wings  spread,  a 
truly  beautiful  sight.  Baily  began  to  prepare  liis  camera,  but 
she  flew  again,  alighting  on  the  top  rail  of  a  fence,  a  few  yards 
away,  sitting  lengthwise  on  the  rail.  She  made  several  other 
short  flights  and  finally  disappeared,  without  allowing  us  to 
secure  her  picture. 

When  we  turned  from  the  mother  bird,  we  approached  the 
spot  from  which  she  had  risen,  but  the  little  birds  were  so 
inconspicuous,  that  they  were  found  with  difficulty.  You  have 
seen  their  pictures,  and  I  will  not  describe  them.  These  Night- 
hawks  were  quite  the  event  of  the  excursion. 

We  did  not,  as  I  recollect,  see  or  hear  many  birds  in  the  pine 
woods.  On  the  ground  we  found  an  egg  of  the  oven  bird,  which 
had  somehow  been  displaced  from  the  nest.  We  took  a  circular 
course,  entering  the  wood  at  the  north,  and  emerging  at  the 
south-east,  and  on  our  way  passed  through  several  open  glades; 
the  ground  covered  with  ston}-  shale,  interspersed  with  a  few 
thin  weeds,  the  whole  exactly  similar  in  character  to  such  places 
on  Pocono  Mountain,  or  in  the  pine  barrens  of  New  Jersey.  The 
pine  tree  that  is  characteristic  of  this  region  is  the  Pitch  Pine 
(Pinus  rigida),  and  it  is  abundant. 

Upon  leaving  the  woods,  we  came  upon  a  sort  of  pasture  field 
or  waste  land,  dotted  with  clumps  of  white  thorn,  alder,  and 
black-berry  bushes.  A  brook  divided  the  field  from  the  woods. 
Just  the  place  for  birds,  and  they  were  here  in  abundance. 
One  of  the  most  beautiful  and  touching  sights  was  a  Wood 
Thrush,  within  ten  feet  of  us,  sitting  on  her  nest,  and  gazing  at 
us  with  unblinking  eyes.  We  passed  by  with  reverent  steps. 
While  I  was  holding  back  some  branches  to  enable  Baily  to 
photograph  a  nest  of  young  Catbirds,  the  cries  of  the  parents 
brought  around  us  a  great  variety  of  birds — so  many  that  I  felt 
tempted  to  drop  the  branches  and  devote  all  my  attention  to 
them.  There  were  the  Cardinal,  the  Towhee,  the  Brown 
Thrasher,  the  White-eyed  Vireo,  the  Kentucky  Warbler,  the 
Blue-winged  Warbler,  the  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo.  We  were 
led  to  the  nest  of  the  White-eye  by  seeing  the  old  bird  leave  the 
bush  with  a  piece  of  excrement.  As  long  as  we  stayed  at  the 
place,  we  saw  birds,  and  I  have  not  doubt  that  an  indefinite 
stay  would  have  added  indefinitely  to  the  list. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  27 

We  turned  away  with  regret.  Our  cour.se  led  us  along  an 
old  race  bank,  past  a  ruined  mill,  in  a  stone  arch  of  which  we 
saw  a  Phoebe's  nest,  and  along  the  edge  of  a  fine  pond.  This 
little  lake  is  much  larger  than  the  ordinary  dam  or  mill  pond, 
and  is  a  great  addition  to  the  attractions  of  this  wild  region. 

The  afternoon  was  now  wearing  away,  so  we  started  on  a 
brisk  pace  for  the  station,  crossing  several  farms,  beyond  the 
range  of  the  serpentine,  and  reached  our  train  in  good  time. 
We  saw  in  all  forty-five  species  of  birds,  and  can  recommend 
to  all  bird  lovers  a  visit  to  the  Paoli  Pine  Barrens. 


The  Yellow-winged  Sparrow  (Ammodramus  savan- 
narum  passerinus)  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania 

BY    SAMUEL    WIUGHT 

There  is  found  a  slight  streak  of  sentiment  in  all  lovers  of 
birds,  and  it  is  very  ajjt  to  cause  us  to  fancy  some  one  bird 
above  all  others.  I  believe  with  most  of  the  bird  men  with 
whom  I  have  been  acquainted,  the  American  Robin  is  the 
species  holding  this  position,  for  in  looking  over  collections  I 
have  found  very  few  skins  of  this  bird,  and  attribute  the  lack  of 
specimens  to  sentiment  on  the  part  of  the  collectors.  This 
spirit  is  to  be  commended,  and  in  some  ornithologists  it  covers 
the  entire  bird  population,  but  often  not  until  they  have  formed 
excellent  collections. 

Just  why  I  should  have  singled  out  the  Yellow-winged  Spar- 
row I  know  not,  for  as  a  bird  to  study  in  detail  it  has  very  few 
points  of  interest,  and  I  think,  without  exception,  it  has  the 
least  individual  variation  of  any  common  species.  Moreover, 
although  I  have  made  a  study  of  it  for  many  years,  I  have 
probably  found  out  but  little  of  its  habits  not  already  known. 
I  am  obliged  to  say  to  begin  with,  that  the  most  interesting 
point  about  this  bird  I  have  never  been  able  to  solve,  and  that 
is  its  requirements  for  a  nesting  place. 

Very  often  when  you  approach  some  little  patch  of  woods  or 
meadow,  j'ou  think  this  is  just  the  place  for  a  Wilson's  Thrush 
or  Swamp  Sparrow.  Such  thoughts  do  not  usually  occur  to  tlie 
mind  in  connection  with  the  commoner  species,  but  if  they  did 
and  you  were  to  pick  out  suitable  places  for  the  occurrence  of 
the  Yellow-wing,  you  would  meet  with  many  more  disappoint- 
ments than  realizations. 

For  many  years  I  have  noted  the  places  where  I  have  found 
them,  and  where  they  were  lacking,  and  have  endeavored  to 
work  out  some  solution  as  to  their  non-appearance  in  certain 
localities,  but  have  never  reached  any  satisfactory  conclusion. 

(28) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  29 

At  Perldomcnville,  situated  on  the  Perkiomen  Creek  about 
six  miles  from  the  Schuylkill,  a  careful  search  on  three  succes- 
sive years,  in  July,  failed  to  reveal  the  bird;  while  at  a  point 
similarly  located  on  the  French  Creek  the  same  distance  from 
the  river,  there  were  several  colonies.  It  is  not  strictly  correct 
to  speak  of  these  birds  being  in  colonies,  but  I  have  never  found 
a  single  pair  breeding  in  any  place  that  I  can  recall.  The 
general  character  of  the  two  localities  above  referred  to  were 
very  similar,  and  nearly  all  my  lists  taken  at  the  two  places 
were  similar,  with  the  cxcei)tion  of  the  Scarlet  Tanager,  which 
I  did  not  find  on  the  French  Creek.  If  on  an  ordinary  trip  the 
non-appearance  of  this  bird  would  merely  indicate  that  it  had 
been  overlooked;  but  I  was  at  Perkiomen ville  in  each  instance 
for  more  than  a  week,  and  sought  carefully  for  the  bird  over  a 
considerable  area. 

Near  Conshohocken,  where  I  have  made  my  most  careful 
investigations,  it  is  only  found  in  two  places,  one  of  which  is 
very  close  to  the  town;  but  I  have  never  seen  a  bird  in  the  town 
proper.  There  are  five  fields  in  which  they  alternate  as  the 
farmer  alternates  his  crops.  The  birds  of  course  choosing  the 
one  planted  in  grass.  None  of  these  fields  are  more  than  two 
hundred  yards  from  a  gun  club,  and  many  people  are  sure  to 
pass  through  everj'  day,  so  it  seems  certain  that  the  birds  do 
not  look  for  quiet.  These  fields  do  not  present  the  dry  appear- 
ance that  has  been  described  as  the  home  of  this  species, 
although  most  places  where  I  have  found  them  do.  There  are 
in  this  location  usually  from  four  to  six  pairs  nesting,  but  they 
never  build  very  close  together. 

The  other  location  is  about  a  mile  from  town  in  a  very 
secluded  piece  of  natural  grass  land,  with  a  few  scattered  bushes 
bordering  on  a  small  piece  of  woods.  The  birds  on  being  flushed 
will  never  fly  to  the  woods.  I  have  often  tried  to  drive  them 
into  the  woods,  but  they  will  only  approach  to  a  certain  dis- 
tance, and  then  make  a  circuit  back  again.  From  a  superficial 
examination,  these  two  localities  are  as  different  as  they  could 
well  be,  and  although  there  are  many  spots  near  Conshohocken 
that  are  apparently  exact  duplicates  of  either  of  those  above 
described,  I  have  never  found  the  birds  elsewhere.     In  one  the 


30  PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE 

ground  has  never  to  my  knowledge  been  ploughed  up,  while 
the  other  is  ploughed  up  at  least  every  two  years;  this  fact  alone 
I  should  think  would  produce  a  great  difference  in  the  food 
supply. 

I  regret  to  say  that  I  am  a  very  poor  entomologist,  and  con- 
sequently cannot  give  the  names  of  any  of  the  insects  found  in 
the  stomachs  of  those  individuals  that  I  have  examined,  but  I 
can  say  that  so  far  as  my  observations  go  the  Yellow-wings  are 
almost  wholly  insectivorous,  although'  in  some  specimens  taken 
in  the  early  sj^ring  I  have  found  a  small  quantity  of  seeds. 

The  Yellow-wing  is  very  uncertain  in  the  time  of  its  arrival 
in  the  spring.  I  have  found  them  as  early  as  the  middle  of 
April  some  years,  while  in  one  season  they  did  not  arrive  until 
May  10.  I  have  never  been  able  to  identify  migrating  birds, 
although  large  quantities  must  go  through  both  in  spring  and 
fall.  Early  in  October  I  have  noticed  larger  numbers  than 
at  any  other  time,  but  have  attributed  it  to  the  young  birds 
which  have  been  raised  in  the  immediate  vicinity.  The  song 
of  the  Yellow-wing  is  peculiar,  and  no  doubt  most  observ- 
ers have  noticed  the  ventriloquistic  qualities  of  their  rather 
weak  note.  On  entering  a  field  occupied  by  the  birds,  their 
note  at  first  will  sound  as  if  at  your  feet  or  a  few  yards  away, 
while  on  advancing  it  sounds  so  far  off  j'ou  will  mistake  it  for 
that  of  another  bird.  Now  if  you  are  desirous  of  seeing  the 
performer,  look  for  a  fence  or  bush  near  by,  and  you  will 
undoubtedly  be  rewarded,  but  he  will  be  certainly  closer  by  or 
perhaps  much  farther  away  than  you  expect,  and  even  after  you 
locate  the  bird,  it  is  some  times  difficult  to  persuade  j'our  self 
that  you  have  the  right  one;  if  you  watch,  however,  you  can 
hear  his  feeble  effort  as  he  raises  himself  slightly  on  the  first  two 
notes,  and  settles  down  again  as  he  utters  the  rambling  buzz 
which  is  the  finale  of  his  peculiar  insect-like  song. 

The  fact  that  these  birds  so  seldem  perch  on  trees  has  led 
some  usually  careful  observers  to  state  that  they  never  do,  but 
the  fact  is  for  the  first  few  daj'S  after  they  arrive  in  the  sjiring, 
probably  before  mating,  they  are  very  apt  to  perch  well  up  in 
the  trees,  sitting  however  entirely  still  and  not  apparently  look- 
ing for  food.     I  have  never  observed  any  in  thick  foliage. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  31 

The  love  making  of  these  birds  is  so  simple  that  it  is  hardly 
describable.  I  have  watched  them  many  times  expecting  to 
see  some  of  the  merry  chasing  that  is  so  universal  among  the 
finches.  They  seem  to  take  such  little  interest  that  one  is  al- 
most disposed  to  think  they  are  mated  when  they  arrive  in  this 
locality.  I  do  not  think  they  are,  however,  as  I  have  noticed 
a  number  of  times  three  birds  together,  presumably  two  males 
and  one  female  acting  in  a  manner  which  seemed  to  show  that 
no  choice  had  been  made. 

The  nest  is  placed  directly  on  the  ground  and  is  rather  care- 
fully made  of  fine  grass;  sometimes  I  understand  lined  with 
hair,  although  I  have  never  seen  hair  in  any  that  I  have  found. 
The  eggs  are  four  or  five  in  number,  white  spotted  with  reddish- 
brown.  I  am  obliged  to  give  this  information  from  other 
writers  as  I  have  never  found  a  nest  containing  eggs.  I  have 
never  tried  flushing  the  birds  with  a  rope,  which  I  believe  is 
the  up-to-date  method  of  locating  nests  of  the  ground-building 
birds. 

T  am  somewhat  inclined  to  difJer  with  most  writers  as  to  the 
abundance  of  this  bird,  for  while  it  is  very  widely  distributed  I 
think  it  is  somewhat  localized,  and  very  seldom  found  in  large 
quantities.  Of  course  my  field  of  investigation  is  very  small, 
but  in  the  vicinitj-  of  Philadelphia  and  New  York  I  have  taken 
a  great  many  trips,  and  while  I  have  found  them  in  small 
quantities  almost  everywhere,  I  have  never  found  them  any- 
where in  large  numbers. 

The  diversity  of  opinion  as  to  the  song  of  this  bird  among  our 
earlier  ornithologists  is  illustrated  in  a  paragraph  in  the  "His- 
tory of  North  American  Birds."  Dr.  Brewer  states  that  he 
never  heard  it,  that  Wilson  describes  it  as  a  short,  interrupted 
chirp,  Nuttall  as  an  agreeable  song  something  like  a  purple 
finch,  Audubon  as  an  unmusical  ditty,  and  Ridgway  as  bearing 
a  close  resemblance  to  the  note  of  a  grasshopper. 

If  any  of  the  members  are  posted  sufficiently  to  give  us  some 
well  defined  rule  as  to  this  bird's  peculiar  distribution,  it  would 
add  very  materially  to  our  knowledge  of  its  life  history. 


Trespassing  of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  (Zame- 
lodia  ludoviciana)  in  the  Carolinian  Fauna 

BY    WILLIAM    B.   EVANS 

This  handsome  bird,  well  known  ns  a  breeder  in  the  moun- 
tainous or  more  northern  part  of  the  Eastern  States,  is  rightly 
regarded  as  usuallj'  transient  in  the  lower  Delaware  Valley  and 
in  adjacent  parts  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey.  In  other 
words,  its  journey  north  in  spring  is  generally  continued  until 
the  Alleghanian  or  still  higher  Canadian  zone  is  reached  before 
it  settles  to  nest.  Thus  in  the  "  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey,"  which  embodied  the  observations  and  records 
collected  up  to  the  time  of  its  publication  in  1894,  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  in  company  with  the  Chestnut-sided  War- 
bler, Least  Flycatcher,  Wilson's  Thrush,  and  Savanna  Sparrow, 
is  spoken  of  as  never  occuring  except  as  a  migrant  in  (he  Caro- 
linian belt  (page  6). 

However,  within  the  last  few  years  several  instances  have 
come  under  our  notice  of  the  nesting  of  Rose-breasts  south  of 
their  accustomed  range,  in  localities  well  within  the  character- 
istic Carolinian  Fauna.  In  addition  to  those  already  recorded 
on  page  120  of  the  above  work,  the  following  is  a  summary  of 
well  authenticated  cases  which  are  offered  without  an  attempt 
at  explanation. 

In  the  Auk  for  1897,  page  323,  J.  Harris  Reed  records  a 
nest  found  at  Beverly,  Burlington  county,  N.  J.,  which  at 
that  time  was  the  most  southern  record  for  New  Jersey. 

Early  in  the  7th  mo.  of  the  same  year,  a  nest  was  discovered 
by  G.  H.  Moore,  at  Haddonfield,  Camden  county,  N.  J.  This 
was  reported  to  the  D.  V.  O.  C.  at  its  meeting  held  2d  mo.  2, 
1899,  and  the  nest  and  eggs  became  a  part  of  the  Club  col- 
lection. 

While  visiting  in  Bucks  county,  Pcnna.,  during  the  6th  mo., 

(32) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  33 

1901,  I  learned  from  my  friend,  F.  G.  SattertliM'aite,  that  at 
Fallsington,  Pa.,  Rose-breasts  are  seen  and  heard  regularly 
during  the  summer  months.  Bucks  county  is  situated  in  the 
bend  of  the  Delaware  river,  opposite  Trenton,  and  these  state- 
ments are  confirmed  by  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  who,  writing  of  con- 
ditions on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river,  says:  "*  *  *  The 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  comes  about  April  28th  to  May  3d  to 
the  wooded  bluff  facing  the  Delaware  river,  from  nea7-  Trenton 
quite  to  Bordentown — a  semi-circular  sweep  of  about  five  miles. 
I  live  very  nearly  half  way  twixt  the  two  towns.  The  birds  in 
question  are  abundant,  i.  e.,  from  twelve  to  twenty  pairs,  and 
very  regularly  nest.  After  the  brood  leaves  nest,  all  practically 
disappear,  but  are  seen  again  just  before  south-bound  migration 
sets  in.  Numbers  vary  year  and  year,  and  I  have  known  more 
than  the  maximum  number  of  pairs  mentioned  to  be  nesting  in 
the  locality  described.  Previous  to  1882,  were  not  common 
residents,  but  since  then,  a  characteristic  feature  of  the  season. 
Mark,  that  I  speak  only  of  the  locality  mentioned  in  detail." 
Yours  truly,  (signed)        Chas.  C.  Abbott. 

After  returning  from  an  excursion  to  the  Palisades  on  the 
Hudson,  where  the  song  and  striking  scold  note  of  the  Rose- 
breast  became  better  fixed  in  my  memory,  while  nearing  the 
town  of  Bridgeboro,  Burlington  county,  N.  J.,  on  6th  mo. 
24,  1901,  I  was  delighted  to  hear  the  rich  notes  I  had  learned, 
and  stopping,  espied  the  bird  in  the  very  top  of  a  buttonwood 
tree,  his  bright  colors  showing  to  advantage  in  the  sunlight. 
Upon  four  subsequent  visits  to  the  same  spot,  he  was  missed 
but  once  from  this  tree,  but  our  efforts  to  locate  the  nest  were 
unrewarded.  On  7th  mo.  20,  while  boating  ujjon  a  branch  of 
the  Rancocas  creek,  just  above  Mt.  Holly,  N.  J.,  I  again  heard 
the  song  of  the  Rose-breast,  but  did  not  attempt  to  find  the 
author. 

Except  for  the  notes  contained  in  the  following  letter,  kindly 
furnished  by  J.  Harris  Reed,  describing  the  nesting  habits  in 
this  part  of  its  range,  this  completes  the  list  of  "trespass" 
charges  against  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak  which  have  come  to 
my  notice  up  to  the  date  of  mj'  communication.  The  letter  is 
as  follows:  *  *  *  "While  on  nesting  trips  in  Upper  Makefield 


34  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

township,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  early  part  of  June,  '97,  '98,  '99,  1 
met  with  quite  a  number  of  nests,  mostly  built  in  dogwood, 
viburnum  and  chestnut,  in  the  second  growth  of  thickets, 
placed  about  eight  feet  above  the  ground.  From  two  to  four 
eggs  are  laid.  The  male  is  as  often  found  on  the  nest  as  the 
female  during  incubation,  and  I  have  located  a  number  of  nests 
through  this  fact  by  the  male  singing  while  covering  the  eggs. 
The  male  sings  quite  a  good  deal  about  the  nesting  grounds, 
and  can  be  heard  from  some  distance  on  approaching  them. 
They  are  hard  to  flush  from  the  nest,  especially  when  the  eggs 
are  heavily  incubated.  The  nest  is  remarkably  well  built  for  a 
bird  with  so  heavy  a  bill,  and  the  walls  are  so  thin  that  the 
eggs  can  be  readily  counted  through  it  from  below.  They 
select  a  thicket  verj'  densely  grown  up,  and  the  nest  is  often 
woven  about  the  branches  of  several  bushes  interlacing  one  an- 
other, and  requires  great  care  in  separating  the  bushes  to  get  at 
it.  One  of  these  nests  I  donated  to  the  Wagner  Institute, 
17th  and  Montgomery  Ave.,  Phila.,  one  to  Mr.  Voelker  and  one 
to  Mr.  Moon.  The  latter  was  with  me  on  one  of  these  trips,  as 
well  as  Dr.  W.  E.  Hughes."  =i=  *  * 


Nesting  of  the  Mockingbird  (Mimus  polyglottos)  in 
Eastern  Pennsylvania 

BY  W.   E.   ROBERTS  AND  W.   E.   HANNUM 


A  PAIR  of  Mockingbirds  were  seen  by  myself  on  June  17, 
1901,  in  Solebury  township,  Bucks  county,  Pa.,  about  my 
home,  two  and  a  half  miles  west  from  New  Hope,  and  a  mile  in 
a  direct  line  from  the  Delaware  River.  I  noticed  them  fly 
out  from  an  osage  hedge  that  extended  past  my  home.  I  had 
never  seen  any  birds  there  that  were  marked  like  these,  and 
upon  looking  them  up  in  a  Warren's  "  Birds  of  Pennsylvania," 
I  found  that  they  were  Mockingbirds.  My  brother  had  seen 
this  pair  two  days  earlier  than  I,  and  my  father  had  also  seen 
them  flying  about  the  hedge  before  that.  This  road  by  the 
hedge  marks  a  divide  between  two  creek  valleys.  It  is  possible 
that  the  birds  followed  one  or  the  other  of  the  streams  and 
found  conditions  so  to  their  liking  that  they  stayed  to  nest. 
The  pair  seemed  tame,  flew  about  our  yard  among  the  pine 
trees  and  were  undisturbed  by  the  wagons  passing  by.  As  I 
was  occupied  in  the  daytime  during  the  birds'  stay,  I  usually 
had  an  opportunity  to  observe  them  only  in  the  early  morning 
or  evening.  This  accounts  for  the  lack  of  more  detailed  informa- 
tion. I  do  not  know  when  nest  building  was  begun.  I  thought 
from  the  actions  of  the  birds  that  it  must  be  going  on  however; 
so  on  July  7,  at  my  first  opportunity  for  search,  I  found  the  nest 
about  thirty  yards  from  the  house  on  the  north  side  of  the  low 
thick  hedge.  It  then  had  the  full  complement  of  four  eggs  and 
was  about  four  feet  from  the  ground  and  probably  six  inches 
below  the  top  of  the  hedge.  Sticks  Uned  with  horse  hair  com- 
posed the  nest.  There  was  no  difficult}'  in  discovering  its  loca- 
tion, for  the  male  himself  showed  where  it  was,  flying  to  a  par- 

(85) 


36  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

ticular  place  and  remaining  there  just  long  enough  to  have 
given  some  food  to  the  female  and  then  flying  back  again  to  his 
perch.  I  cannot  say  whether  he  did  actually  feed  his  mate  or 
not,  but  his  actions  so  indicated.  Pie-cherries  were  ripe  just  at 
this  time  on  a  tree  close  by  and  seemed  to  be  their  principal 
food.  The  male  could  mimic  to  perfection  the  notes  of  the  Kill- 
deer,  the  Bluebird,  and  the  Blue-jay,  and  I  also  noticed  the 
songs  of  the  Whip-poor-will,  Catbird,  Flicker,  Plover,  and 
Robin  in  his  repertoire.  I  saw  the  old  birds  no  more  after  the 
last  week  in  July,  and  the  young  not  at  all.  —  W.  E.  Roberts. 

II. 

A  PAIR  of  Mockingbirds  that  came  under  my  observation 
reared  two  broods  of  young  at  Concordville,  Delaware  County, 
Pa. ,  during  the  summer  of  1896.  They  were  first  reported  in 
the  vicinity  about  May  15,  although  I  did  not  see  them  myself 
until  about  the  first  of  July.  By  that  time  they  had  constructed 
a  nest  similar  to  that  of  a  Robin,  but  without  the  mud  and  a 
little  smaller.  It  was  situated  in  a  small  evergreen  by  the  side 
of  the  road  about  four  feet  from  the  ground.  The  eggs  hatched 
during  late  cherry  time,  toward  the  end  of  June,  and  the  pits 
in  the  nest  bear  evidence  that  the  birds  fed  on  the  cherries  of  a 
near  by  tree.  At  the  time  I  saw  the  birds  they  uttered  only  the 
alarm  notes,  showing  none  of  their  remarkable  abilities,  though  I 
was  informed  that  they  sang  somewhat  like  the  Thrasher.  The 
pair  raised  a  second  brood  after  the  first  were  on  the  wing, 
building  this  time  in  an  osage  hedge  close  to  a  road,  and  some 
two  hundred  yards  from  the  site  of  the  first  nest.  They  flew 
about  later  with  their  entire  brood,  numbering  eight  birds,  four 
from  each  nest,  and  disappeared  about  the  end  of  August. 
There  could  be  no  mistake  in  their  identity,  as  they  were 
identified  by  several  persons  independently,  and  carefully  com- 
pared with  the  plate  and  description  in  Warren's  "Birds  of 
Pennsylvania." — Wm.  E.  Hannum. 


A  Spring  Migration  Record  for  1893-1900 


In  the  "Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey" 
was  published  a  record  of  the  arrival  of  fifty  common  birds  at 
Germantown,  Pa.,  for  the  years  1885-1892.  This  record  hav- 
ing been  discontinued,  application  was  made  to  the  Division  of 
Biological  Survey,  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  for  access 
to  the  records  in  its  possession.  Through  the  kindness  of  Dr. 
C.  Hart  Merriam,  Chief  of  the  Division,  permission  to  copy  the 
records  was  granted.  This  was  done  mainly  by  Mr.  J.  A.  G. 
Rehn,  and  these  data  are  now  on  file  and  available  to  any  mem- 
bers of  the  Club.  In  order  to  bring  our  published  record  uj)  to 
date,  the  observations  of  Mr.  Frank  L.  Burns,  covering  the  fifty 
birds  treated  in  the  Germantown  record,  as  contained  in  the  Agri- 
cultural Department  data,  are  here  published.  The  location  being 
farther  inland  and  on  higher  ground,  the  arrivals  are  probably 
a  day  or  two  later  than  they  would  be  at  Germantown,  but  they 
will  serve  pretty  well  to  indicate  the  general  character  of  the 
migration,  and  seem  to  constitute  the  only  continuous  record 
that  has  been  kept  for  these  years  at  any  one  point  in  Eastern 
Pennsylvania. 

(37) 


38 


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DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB. 


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The  Spring  Migration  of  1901 


It  is  our  desire  to  record  in  the  future  the  dates  of  spring 
arrivals  at  as  many  points  as  possible  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey,  and  we  ask  the  co-operation  of  all  who  are  willing  to  aid. 
Blanks  for  keeping  the  record  will  be  furnished  upon  application 
to  the  Club.  For  the  spring  of  1901  we  are  able  to  publish  five 
records  which  are  all  more  or  less  incomplete.  The  migration 
was  a  peculiar  one,  as  owing  to  the  almost  continuous  cloudy 
and  rainy  weather  that  prevailed  during  April  and  May,  the 
usual  well-marked  "waves"  of  warblers  were  not  observed  at 
all  at  some  stations,  and  the  number  of  migrating  birds  seemed 
very  much  less  than  usual,  doubtless  due  to  a  rapid  flight  after 
continued  hindrance  by  unfavorable  weather.  May  10-12  seems 
to  have  been  the  time  of  the  greatest  migration. 

(40) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB. 


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DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB. 


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Birds  that  Struck  the  City  Hall  Tower  During  the 
Migrations  of  1901 


Mr.  Slaughter,  electrician  at  the  City  Hall,  has  furnished 
to  Mr.  W.  L.  Baily  the  following  list  of  birds  which  were  killed 
by  striking  against  the  tower  during  the  year.  It  comprises 
eighteen  species  and,  unless  otherwise  indicated,  only  one  bird 
was  killed  on  each  date  given : 

Spring  Migration. — Chipping  Sparrow,  May  1  (2);  Red-eyed 
Vireo,  May  29;  Redstart,  May  28;  Black-poll  Warbler,  May 
27;  Parula  Warbler,  May  13;  Ovenbird,  May  29;  Maryland 
Yellow-throat,  May  3,  May  13  (3),  May  23  (2),  May  25  (3), 
May  27.     In  all  seventeen  birds. 

Fall  Migration. — Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  Sept.  20  (2); 
Wood  Pewee,  Sept.  17;  Indigo  Bird,  Sept.  30;  Chewink,  Oct.  7, 
Oct.  18,  Oct.  .21;  Red-eyed  Vireo,  Sept.  14,  Sept.  16,  Sept.  20, 
Oct.  6,  Oct.  16;  Parula  Warbler,  Sept.  16,  Sept.  17,  Sept.  20 
(2);  Black-poll  Warbler,  Sept.  17,  Sept.  20;  Black-throated 
Blue  Warbler,  Sept.  13;  Yellow  Palm  Warbler,  Oct.  4,  Oct.  5; 
Myrtle  Warbler,  Oct.  17;  Maryland  YeUow-throat,  Sept.  4, 
Sept.  12,  Sept.  16,  Sept.  17  (2),  Sept.  20  (2),  Sept.  21;  Con- 
necticut Warbler,  Sept.  12;  Ovenbird,  Sej^t.  12,  Sept.  14; 
Yellow-breasted  Chat,  Sep.  30;  Redstart,  Sept.  16;  Brown 
Thrasher,  Sept.  12,  Sept.  14;  Brown  Creeper,  Oct.  17.  In  all 
thirty-eight  birds. 

(44) 


Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  for  1901. 


January  3,  1901. — Annual  Meeting.  Twenty-nine  members 
present.  The  election  of  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  resulted 
as  follows: 

President— Charles  J.  Pennock. 

Vice-President — William  A.  Shryock. 

Secretary — Henry  W.  Fowler. 

Treasurer — Stewardson  Brown. 

Dr.  Spencer  Trotter  made  a  communication  on  birds  observed 
in  Nova  Scotia  during  the  summer  of  1897. 

Mr.  Samuel  N.  Rhoads  discussed  the  "Economic  Value  of 
Hawks  and  Owls." 

Christmas-day  lists  were  then  read  by  several  members. 
(See  Bird  Lore,  Feb.,  1901:) 

Mr.  G.  S.  Morris  reported  a  Myrtle  Warbler  {Dendroica 
coronata)  observed  at  Frankford,  Phila.,  Jan.  2,  1901. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Baily  exhibited  a  number  of  lantern  slides  of 
birds  from  life,  after  which  the  club  adjourned  to  a  collation. 

January  17,  1901. — Eleven  members  present. 

Mr.  Witmer  Stone  addressed  the  Club  on  "The  Late  Dr. 
Elliott  Cones,"  giving  some  personal  reminiscences  and  reading 
extracts  from  Dr.  Coues'  works. 

Bluebirds  (Sialia  sialis)  were  reported  by  Mr.  W.  L.  Baily, 
from  Wynnewood,  Pa.,  Jan.  14;  Purple  Crackles  (Quiscalus 
quisada)  from  St.  Davids,  Pa.,  Jan.  13,  by  Mr.  I.  N.  DeHaven. 
Wm.  B.  Evans  recorded  a  Barred  Owl  {Syrnium  nebidosum)  at 
Moorestown,  N.  J.,  Jan.  6,  and  Mr.  Stone  exhibited  a  Black- 
backed  Gull  (Larus  inarimis)  shot  at  Stone  Harbor,  N.  J., 
Jan.  11.. 

(45) 


46  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

February  7,  1901. — Seventeen  members  present. 

Mr.  Stone  read  a  paper  entitled  "The  American  Ornithol- 
ogists' Union  of  1840-45."  A  general  discussion  followed  on 
the  Warblers  of  the  genus  Helminthophila. 

Mr.  Stone  recorded  the  capture  of  a  Yellow  Palm  Warbler 
(Dmdrolca  p.  hypochrysea)  near  Overbrook,  Phila. ,  Jan.  31, 
1901.  The  ground  was  covered  with  snow  and  the  bird  had 
approached  a  house  in  search  of  food,  where  it  was  attacked  and 
nearly  killed  by  the  English  Sparrows.  Mr.  Fowler  observed  the 
Myrtle  Warbler  (D.  coronata)  at  Holmesburg  Jan.  20,  and  ex- 
hibited a  Brunnich's  Murre  (Uria  lomvia)  obtained  at  Byberry 
Jan.  11.  Mr.  McCadden  recorded  a  Razor-billed  Auk  (Alca 
torda)  found  dead  at  Ocean  City,  N.  J.,  late  in  January,  and 
Dr.  Trotter  stated  that  Bluebirds  had  been  present  all  winter 
at  Swarthmore. 

Mr.  Emlen  spoke  of  having  recently  seen  the  White-belHed 
Nuthatch  feeding  on  the  ground,  and  Mr.  DeHaven  had  also 
noticed  the  same  rather  unusual  habit. 

February  21,  1901. — Twenty  members  present. 

Messrs.  Marcus  S.  Farr,  C.  F.  Sylvester  and  Wm.  H.  Werner 
were  elected  Corresponding  members. 

Mr.  Wright  read  a  paper  on  "The  Yellow-winged  Sparrow  in 
Eastern  Pennsylvania "  (see  pp.  28-31).  Mr.  Pennock  com- 
mented on  "Some  Chester  Count}'  Bird  Lists." 

Mr.  Coggins  spoke  of  the  apparent  occurrence  of  the  Western 
Savanna  Sparrow  {Ammodramus  sandw.  almidinus)  in  North 
Carolina  in  winter  (see  Auk,  1901,  p.  397). 

Dr.  Trotter  reported  a  Bald  Eagle  at  Swarthmore,  Pa.,  Feb. 
16,  and  a  Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker  {Sphyrapicus  varius)  Feb.  21. 

Mr.  Rehn  placed  on  record  the  capture  of  a  Kittiwake  Gull 
(Rissa  tridactyla)  at  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  in  the  winter  of  1896. 

March  7,  iPOi. —^Nineteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Fowler  resigned  from  the  ofifice  of  Secretary  and  Wm.  B. 
Evans  was  chosen  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Messrs.  W.  E.  Hannum 
and  L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  were  elected  Associate  members. 

Mr.  W.  J.  Serrill  read  a  paper  entitled  "A  Walk  to  the  Paoli 
Barrens"  (see  pp.  24-27).     Mr.  Morris  described  a  recent  trip 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  47 

to  Cape  Charles,  Va.  Ring-billed  and  Herring  Gulls,  Brant, 
Black  Duck,  Golden  Eyes,  Scoters  and  Great  Blue  Herons  were 
the  water  birds  observed.  One  Ipswich  Sparrow  and  one  Mock- 
ingbird were  noticed.  Mr.  DeHaven  stated  that  he  had 
secured  a  Gad  wall  (  Chaulelasmus  streperus)  out  of  a  Hock  of  three 
at  Cape  Charles  late  in  February;  they  were  regarded  as  rare 
birds  in  that  locality.  J.  D.  Carter  reported  a  Bald  Eagle  three 
miles  south  of  West  Chester,  Pa.,  Nov.  28,  1899.  Messrs. 
Coggins  and  Pennock  had  observed  a  Hermit  Thrush  and  Red- 
headed Woodpecker  at  Kennett,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  Feb.  28,  and 
S.  N.  Rhoads  noted  the  former  species  at  Ancora,  N.  J.,  Feb. 
28.  A  specimen  of  the  King  Eider  (Somateria  sj^eckibilis) ,  taken 
Dec.  4,  1900,  on  the  Delaware  river  near  Tinicum,  was  exhib- 
ited by  Mr.  L.  I.  Smith,  Jr. 

March  21,  1901. — Twenty-two  members  present. 

Mr.  Samuel  Wright  was  elected  an  Active  member. 

Dr.  Trotter  spoke  on  the  ' '  Distribution  of  the  Red-headed 
Woodpecker."  He  had  noticed  one  in  February,  1898,  at 
Cheyney,  Pa. ,  while  Mr.  DeHaven  observed  one  throughout  the 
winter  of  1899-1900  at  Overbrook. 

Dr.  Prendergast  described  several  visits  to  the  large  East  Park 
Reservoir,  located  near  the  Schuylkill  north  of  Columbia  Ave., 
Phila.  He  saw  Herring  Gulls  and  Ducks,  both  on  the  water 
and  on  the  dykes  separating  the  several  basins,  while  detach- 
ments were  frequently  seen  flying  in  and  coming  to  rest.  The 
large  size  of  the  reservoir  and  the  fence  which  surrounds  it 
furnish  the  birds  ample  protection.  On  March  8  there  were 
over  200  Ducks  and  7  Gulls;  March  14,  329  Ducks  and  16 
Gulls;  March  16,  over  300  Ducks  and  17  Gulls;  March  19,  300 
Ducks  and  10  Gulls  (April  12,  72  Ducks  and  4  Gulls).  The 
Ducks  were  mainly  Mergansers  (M.  americanm),  with  a  few 
Golden  Eyes  ( Clangula  c.  americana) ;  the  Gulls  were  both  adults 
and  young  birds  in  the  dark  plumage.  Crows  were  nearly 
always  present  mingling  with  the  water  birds  on  the  dykes. 

Mr.  L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  reported  Brant  March  11  and  Canada 
Geese  March  20  on  the  Delaware  at  Tinicum. 

April  4,  1901. — Twenty  members  present. 


48  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

The  resignation  of  Dr.  T.  H.  Montgomery,  Jr.,  was  accepted 
with  regret. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  described  a  winter  trip  through  central 
New  Jersey,  north  of  the  pine  barrens.  In  Bear  Swamp, 
Mercef  Co. ,  he  noticed  such  Carolinian  species  as  the  Cardinal, 
Carolina  Wren  and  Tufted  Titmouse. 

Mr.  Seiss  read  an  interesting  account  of  two  Great  Horned 
Owls  (Bubo  virginianus')  which  he  had  kept  in  captivity.  Mr. 
Fowler  reported  a  flock  of  Snowflakes  (Passerina  nivalis')  on  the 
Delaware  marshes  near  Penrose  Ferry  Bridge,  Phila. ,  during 
the  middle  of  Januar_y.  A  Loon  {Gavia  imber)  was  observed 
at  the  same  time.  On  Nov.  29,  1900,  a  specimen  of  Holboell's 
Grebe  (Cohymbus  holboelli)  was  shot  at  the  same  locahty,  and 
on  Christmas  day,  1900,  a  Snowy  Owl. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Baily  announced  the  discovery  of  a  Black  Duck's 
nest  at  Ocean  View,  N.  J.,  March  30.  It  was  located  in  a 
rather  open  swamp  in  a  small  white-cedar  bush,  a  little  above 
the  surface  of  the  water.  The  bird  was  flushed  on  two  occa- 
sions but  had  not  begun  to  lay. 

Dr.  Trotter  had  observed  a  Red-headed  Woodpecker  forcing 
an  acorn  into  a  crevice  in  a  decayed  tree  trunk  in  the  manner 
of  the  California  Woodpecker.  He  also  stated  that  the  Swarth- 
more  College  collection  contained  a  Saw-whet  Owl  taken  in 
Fairmount  Park,  Phila.,  Oct.,  1876. 

April  IS,  iSOl.— Twenty-four  members  present. 

Mr.  H.  E.  McCormick  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Prof.  Benj.  Battin  made  an  address  on  "Recording  and  Imi- 
tating Bird  Songs."  A  paper  entitled  "Observations  on  the 
Summer  Birds  of  parts  of  Clinton  and  Potter  Counties,  Pa.," 
by  Francis  R.  Cope,  Jr.,  was  read  by  Mr.  Brown.  (See  pp. 
8-21.) 

Mr.  L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  exhibited  a  hybrid  between  the  Mallard 
and  Black  Duck  shot  on  the  Delaware  river,  below  Phila- 
delphia, March  13,  1901. 

A  Louisiana  Water  Thrush  was  reported  at  Swarthmore,  Pa., 
April  18,  by  Mr.  A.  B.  Way. 

Mr.  Baily  reported  a  Loggerhead  Strike  and  a  Mockingbird 
at  Ocean  View,  N.  J.,  April  30,  1901. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    OENITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  49 

May  2,  1901. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Dr.  Samuel  S.  Haines  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  Stone  spoke  of  the  birds  of  Sullivan  and  Wyoming 
counties,  Penna.,  as  observed  during  three  successive  years, 
calling  particular  attention  to  the  effects  of  lumbering  and  fire 
upon  the  bird  life.  The  region  immediately  covered  by  his 
observations  had  been  virgin  forest  when  first  visited,  but  was 
now  almost  entirely  cleared  and  largely  swept  by  fire.  Most  of 
the  strictly  Canadian  species  had  become  much  scarcer,  but 
curiously  enough,  the  White-throated  Sparrow  {Zonotrkhia 
albicollis)  had  increased  as  a  breeder. 

May  16,  1901. — Twenty-three  members  present. 

A  general  discussion  on  the  spring  migration  (see  pp.  40-43). 
Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  reported  a  Veery  {Hylodchla  Juscescens)  heard 
singing  at  Audubon,  N.  J.,  during  the  week.  A  Golden- 
winged  Warbler  (Helminthophila  chrysoptera)  was  observed  on  the 
Wissahickon,  May  12,  by  A.  C.  Emlen  and  another  at  Swarth- 
more.  Pa.,  by  A.  B.  Way,  on  May  7. 

Mr.  Brown  reported  the  discovery  of  a  Ruffed  Grouse's  nest 
at  Clementon,  N.  J.,  May  11,  it  contained  broken  eggs  and 
had  been  deserted. 

I.  N.  DeHaven  reported  a  Red  Phalarope  ( Crymophilus  fuli- 
cariiig)  and  Horned  Grebe  {Colymbus  auritus')  shot  at  Charles- 
town,  Va. ,  April  30. 

Dr.  Hughes  gave  an  account  of  "  Birds  Observed  on  a  Moose 
Hunt  in  Northeastern  Ontario." 

October  S,  1901. — Twenty-six  members  present. 

Mr.  Morris  stated  that  previous  to  1900  he  had  never  found 
the  Kentucky  Warbler  {Gcothlypis  formosa)  nesting  about  Olney, 
although  well-known  to  be  common  on  the  other  side  of  Phila- 
delpb-ia.  In  that  year,  however,  one  pair  bred  near  his  home, 
and  tlie  present  season  there  were  several  pairs.  On  August 
28,  at  Eaglesmere  Lake,  Pa.,  he  had  noted  four  Black  Terns 
(Hydrochelidon  nigra  surinameiisis) ,  a  very  unusual  occurrence 
so  far  inland  and  at  such  an  altitude. 

Mr.  Stone  exhibited  a  specimen  of  Hudsonian  God  wit  (Limosa 


50  PROCEEDINGS   OF  THE 

hsemastica)  procured  at  Anglesea,  N.  J.,  August  26,  by  H.  W. 
Wenzel.  Mr.  DeHaven  commented  on  the  present  scarcity  of 
the  species  on  the  New  Jersey  coast,  and  stated  that  ten  or 
fifteen  years  ago  they  occurred  regularly  with  the  Willet,  three 
or  four  in  each  flock  of  the  lat'ter. 

Mr.  Stone  spoke  of  a  large  flock  of  Bank  Swallows  ( Clmcola 
riparm)  observed  on  the  lower  Susquehanna  August  8.  He 
estimated  by  partial  count  that  over  700  were  resting  on  tele- 
graph wires,  while  twice  as  many  more  were  roosting  in  a  corn 
field  immediately  behind,  perching  all  over  the  stalks. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  reported  that  the  Chimney  Swifts  (  Chaetura 
pelagica)  that  built  last  season  on  the  interior  of  his  stable  re- 
turned and  occupied  the  old  nest,  but  being  disturbed  they  de- 
serted it  and  built  again  in  an  old  barn  near  by,  attaching  the 
nest  to  the  boards  as  in  the  previous  case. 

Mr.  A.  C.  Emlen  obsen-ed  a  flight  of  hawks  on  September  19. 

Mr.  Voelker  reported  a  Parasitic  Jaeger  (Stercorarius  parasiti- 
cus) seen  at  Stojie  Harbor,  N.  J.,  May  27,  1901. 

October  17,  1901. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Samuel  N.  Rhoads  and  Wm.  B.  Evans  described  a  trip  to  the 
New  Jersey  Palisades  early  in  June.  In  the  vicinity  of  Alpine 
they  found  the  following  species  which  do  not  breed  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Philadelphia:  Veery  {Hylocwhla  fuscesccns) , 
Black-throated  Green  Warbler  (Dmdroica  virens),  Chestnut- 
sided  Warbler  (D.  pensylvanica) ,  Alder  Flycatcher  {Empidonax 
trailli.  aliiorum).  Also  the  Louisiana  Water  Thrush  {Seiuriis 
motacUla),  Hooded  Warbler  (Wilsonia  mitrata),  and  such  Caro- 
linian species  as  the  Chat  (Icterio  r!rerw),  Carolina  Wren 
{Thryothorm  bidovicianvs) ,  Kentucky  Warbler  {Geothlypis  jor- 
mosa),  Worm-eating  Warbler  (Helmitherus  vermivorvs).  No  Bobo- 
links (Dolichonyx  oryzivorus)  were  to  be  found. 

Mr.  Fowler  stated  that  at  Ridgewood,  N.  J.,  in  June,  1900, 
he  had  observed  Bartramian  Sandpipers,  Bobolinks  and  Veeries 
all  evidently  breeding. 

Mr.  Rehn  reported  the  presence  of  Duck  Hawks  (Falco 
peregrinus  anatum)  during  June,  1901,  at  Lehigh  Gap,  Pa., 
where  thev  evidentlv  nested  on  the  cliffs. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  51 

November  7,  1901. — Twenty-five  members  present. 

Mr.  Reynold  A.  Spaeth  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  Brown  spoke  on  some  birds  observed  at  Ganoga  Lake, 
Pa.,  during  the  past  summer.  He  found  the  Pileated  Wood- 
pecker still  present,  and  at  Bear  Lake  had  observed  a  Raven. 

Mr.  Pennock  read  some  ' '  Adirondack  Notes ' '  and  Mr.  Stone 
described  some  curious  cases  of  distribution  in  certain  tropical 
ducks. 

Mr.  Morris  stated  that  on  October  27  he  had  observed  quite  a 
number  of  ducks  on  Haines'  Creek  near  Medford,  N.  J. ,  includ- 
ing Mergan.ser,  Wood  Duck,  Black  Duck  and  Mallard;  the 
small  size  of  the  stream  and  distance  from  the  Delaware  made 
the  occurrence  of  particular  interest. 

November  21,  1901. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Jas.  L.  Stanton  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  spoke  of  some  birds  noticed  on  a  bicycle 
trip  to  Salem,  N.  J.,  Killdeer,  Robins  and  Purple  Grackles  were 
found,  the  first  quite  numerous.  Fishermen  informed  him  that 
Greenwich  marked  the  northern  range  of  the  Clapper  Rail 
(^Ralbis  crepiiaivs)  on  Delaware  Bay  in  the  breeding  season,  and 
that  the  Sora  Rail  (Porzana  Carolina)  wintered  there  occasionally. 

Wm.  B.  Evans  reported  the  capture  of  a  Golden  Eagle  near 
Moorestown,  N.  J.,  Novembers,  1901. 

December  5,  1901. — Twenty-one  members  present. 

Mr.  W.  E.  Roberts  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  Hannum  read  a  paper  on  the  ' '  Influence  of  the  Hemlock- 
covered  Ridge  on  the  Fauna  of  Delaware  Co. ,  Pa. ' ' 

Mr.  L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  reported  the  presence  of  a  flock  of 
Snowflakes  on  Little  Tinicum  Island,  in  the  Delaware  river, 
Nov.  7  and  9,  1901,  one  of  which  was  secured  on  Nov.  27.  He 
stated  that  they  occurred  at  this  spot  nearly  everj'  winter  at  in- 
tervals, but  he  had  never  seen  them  on  the  shores  of  the  river. 

Mr.  W.  G.  Smith  exhibited  a  pet  Crow,  and  described  its 
habits  and  history  at  length. 

Mr.  Pennock  reported  the  Yellow-belUed  Sapsucker  {Sphyra- 
picus  varius)  and    Loggerhead  Shrike  (Lanivs  Ixclovicianus)  at 


52  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Kennet  Square,  Pa.,   December  12,  and  the  Vesper  Sparrow 
{Pooscetes  gramineiis)  December  4. 

December  19,  1901. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Wm.  B.  Evans  read  a  paper  on  "Trespassing  of  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak  in  the  Carolinian  Fauna"  (see  pp.  32-34). 
A  female  King  Eider  Duck  {Smnateria  spectabilis)  was  also  ex- 
hibited by  the  speaker,  which  was  shot  by  E.  W.  Woolman,  on 
Assacorking  Island,  Chincoteague  Bay,  Va.,  Dec.  5,  1901. 


Bird  Club  Notes 


Since  its  organization  in  1890,  the  Delaware  Valley  Ornitho- 
logical Club  has  published  an  Abstract  of  its  Proceedings,  com- 
prising four  pamphlets:  I,  1890-91;  II,  1892-97;  III,  1898-99; 
IV,  1900.  These  were  intended  for  distribution  among  the 
members  and  their  friends. 

With  the  growth  of  the  interest  in  local  ornithology  and  the 
increasing  acti\'ity  of  the  Club,  it  seems  desirable  to  issue  the 
more  important  local  papers  which  are  presented  at  its  meetings 
in  full,  and  to  add  such  observations  on  migration,  etc.,  as 
shall  make  our  publication  an  annual  resume  of  local  orni- 
thology. As  it  is  important  for  both  birds  and  bird  journals 
to  have  distinctive  names,  we  have  adopted  one  for  our  annual 
which  is  eminently  local  and  at  the  same  time  is  a  sHght 
tribute  to  one  of  America's  greatest  ornithologists.  For  the 
cover  design  of  "Cassinia"  we  are  indebted  to  our  Associate 
member  Mr.  Alfred  Morton  Githens,  while  the  portrait  of  Cassin 
is  from  a  photograph  presented  to  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  by  Miss  Lucy  H.  Baird,  formerly  the  property  of  her 
father,  Prof.  Spencer  F.  Baird. 

During  the  year  the  Club  has  held  sixteen  regular  meetings, 
with  an  average  attendance  of  twenty-one.  Forty-eight  mem- 
bers have  been  present  at  one  or  more  meetings. 

A  program  of  Saturday  field  trips  was  planned  for  the  spring, 
but  was  greatly  interfered  with  by  the  unusually  stormy  weather. 

^        ^        ^ 

On  December  7,  1900,  there  was  organized  in  Philadeli)hia 
the  Spencer  F.  Baird  Ornithological  Club,  composed  entirely  of 
women,  most  of  them  Associates  of  the  A.  0.  U.     The  Club  has 

(53) 


64  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

held  regular  meetings  during  the  past  year — except  the  summer 
months — at  which  many  original  papers  were  presented.  Ad- 
dresses have  also  been  delivered  before  the  Club,  on  special  in- 
vitation, by  Dr.  Charles  C.  Abbott,  Mr.  H.  C.  Oberholser,  Mr. 
A.  Radclyffe  Dugmore  and  Mr.  Witmer  Stone. 

The  officers  for  the  ensuing  year  are:  President,  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Wilson  Fisher;  Secretary  and  Treasurer,  Miss  Mary  Parker 
Nicholson;  Corresponding  Secretarj',  Mrs.  Edw.  Robins. 

*         *         * 

The  Pennsylvania  Audubon  Society  has  been  doing  excellent 
work  in  the  interest  of  bird  protection  during  the  year, 
especially  on  educational  lines.  A  free  traveling  library  on 
birds  and  nature  was  established,  and  ten  sets  of  ten  books  each 
are  now  circulating  among  the  schools  of  the  State  which  have 
not  access  to  large  pul)lic  libraries.  The  annual  meeting  was 
held  at  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  as  usual,  and  Mr.  W. 
L.  Baily  made  an  address  on  "The  Gulls  and  Terns  of  the 
Maine  Coast,"  illustrated  by  lantern  slides.  The  officers  for 
1902  are:  President,  Witmer  Stone;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Edward 
Robins;  Treasurer,  'William  L.  Baily. 

'i~  'I-  'f- 

At  the  annual  congress  of  the  A.  O.  U.,  held  in  New  York 
City,  November,  1901,  five  Delaware  Valley  Club  men  were 
elected  to  the  new  class  of  Members  intermediate  between  the 
Fellows  and  Associates,  viz.,  Charles  J.  Pennock,  Samuel  N. 
Rhoads,  William  L.  Baily,  Dr.  Spencer  Trotter  and  W.  E. 
Clyde  Todd,  as  well  as  Frank  L.  Burns,  of  Berwyn,  who  was  for- 
merly a  member  of  our  Club.  L.  I.  Smith,  Jr. ,  and  J.  A.  G.  Rehn 
were  elected  Associates.  Mr.  Baily  was  re-appointed  a  member 
of  the  Committee  on  Bird  Protection  and  Mr.  Stone,  who 
resigned  the  chairmanship  of  this  committee,  was  appointed  a 
member  of  the  Committee  on  Classification  and  Nomenclature. 


OFFICERS  AND  MEMBERS 


Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club. 


1902. 

CHARLES  J.  PENNOCK,  President. 

WILLIAM  A.  SHKYOCK,  Vice-President. 

WILLIAM  B.  EVANS,  Secretary,  252  S.  Front  St.,  Phila. 

STEWAKDSON  BROWN,  Treasurer,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown. 


ACTIVE  MEMBERS. 

William  L.  Baily,  Ardmore,  Pa P'ounder. 

Stewahdson  Beown,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila. 1891* 

Herbkrt  L.  Coggins,  5025  McKean  Ave.,  Germantown,  Phila 1897 

I.  NoRRis  DeHaven,  Ardmore,  Pa 1891 

Akthub  C.  EiELEN,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Phila 1897 

William  B.  Evans,  Moorestown,  N.  J 1898 

WiLLiAJi  E.  Hughes,  M.  D.,  3945  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1891 

George  Spencer  Morris,  Olney,  Phila Founder. 

Charles  J.  Pennock,  Kennett  Square,  Pa 1895 

Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa 1890 

Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  Audubon,  N.J Founder. 

William  A.  Shryock,  21  N.  Seventh  St.,  Phila 1891 

Wither  Stone,  Academy  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila Founder. 

Samuel  Wright,  Conshohocken,  Pa 1892 

♦Date  indicates  year  of  election  to  Club. 

(  55 ) 


56  PROCEEDIXCfS    OF   THE 

HONORARY  MEMBER. 
Samuel  W.  Woodhouse,  M.  D.,  1306  Pine  St.,  Phila 1900 


ASSOCIATE  MEMBERS. 

Charles  W.  Buvingek,  911  N.  Sixteenth  St.,  Phila 1900 

William  D.  Caepekter,  228  S.  Twenty-first  St.,  Phila.    1899 

John  D.  Carter,  Haverford,  Pa 1900 

Praucis  R.  Cope,  Jr.,  Awbury,  Gerraantown,  Phila 1895 

William  J.  Cresson,  Swarthmore,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1899 

Ernest  M.  Evans,  Awbiuy,  Germantown,  Phila. 1899 

A.  P.  Fellows,  4006  Chestnut  St. ,  W.  Phila 1894 

Henry  B.  Fisher,  712.5  Woodland  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1898 

George  Foesythe,  West  Chester  (Eoute  4) ,  Chester  Co. ,  I'a 1891 

Samuel  M.  Freeman,  13  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila.   1896 

Alfred  Morton  Githens,  1512  Pine  St.,  Phila 1895 

Samuel  S.  Haines,  M.  D.,  Mill  St.  &  Central  Ave.,  Moore.stown,  X.  J. .  .1901 

Thomas  L.  Hammersley,  839  N.  Forty-fii-st  St.,  W.  Phila 1896 

William  E.  Hannum,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa. 1901 

WiLLiAii  W.  Justice,  Jr.,  Manheim  and  McKean  Aves.,  Germantown, 

Phila 1893 

Thomas  D.  Keem,  5122  Ridge  Ave.,  Phila,  1902 

Raymond  Kester,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1892 

Nathan  Kite,  Moylan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1898 

Joseph  B.  Lodge,  3340  N.  Sixteenth  St. ,  Phila 1 900 

David  McCadden,  3959  Parrish  St.,  W.  Phila 1892 

H.  E.  McCoRMiCK,  407  S.  Forty-third  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

Walter  W.  Maires,  M.  D.,  939  N.  Twelfth  St.,  Phila 1899 

F.  Guy  Meyers,  4603  Cedar  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1896 

J.  E.  Moon,  836  Broadway,  Camden,  N.J 1897 

Robert  T.  Moobe,  Haddonfield,  N.  J 1897 

Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore  Prep.  School,  Swarthmore,  Pa 1899 

James  F.  Peendebgast,  M.  D.,  3833  Spring  Garden  St.,  W.  Phila.  - .  .1899 

J.  Harris  Reed,  Aldan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

John  Reese,  Riverton,  N.  J 1894 

James  A.  G.  Rehn,  1918  N.  Twenty-first  St.,  Phila 1899 

William  R.  Reinick,  Wagner  Institute,  Seventeenth  and  Montgomery 

Ave.,  Phila 1900 

William  E.  Roberts,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1901 

Anthony  Robinson,  409  Chestnut  St. ,  Phila 1898 

W.  E.  RoTZELL,  M.  D.,  Narberth,  IMontgomery  Co.,  Pa 1891 

WiLLLiM  B.  ScHEUiNG,  3024  W.  York  St.,  Phila 1893 

0.  Few  Selss,  1338  Spring  Garden  St.,  Phila 1892 

William  J.  Serrill,  Haverford,  Pa 1891 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  57 

Edwin  Sheppard,  Academy  Nat.  Sciences,  Pliila 1891 

Walter  G.  Sibley,  6626  McCallum  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1900 

Lons  Irvine  Smith,  Jr.,  3908  Che.stnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

Walter  Gordon  Smith,  5870  Drexel  Koad,  W.  Phila. 1898 

Frederick  Sobensen,  3212  Oxford  St.,  Phila 1900 

Reynold  A.  Spaeth,  7300  Boyer  Ave.,  Mt.  Airy,  Phila 1901 

James  L.  Stanton,  5218  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila. 1901 

Spencer  Trotter,  M.  D.,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.  ■  .Founder. 

William  H.  Trotter,  Che.stnut  Hill,  Phila 1899 

Joseph  W.  Tatum,  5220  Parkside  Ave.,  VV.  Phila 1892 

Charles  A.  Voelker,  Adamsford,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa. Founder. 

Henry  Warrington,  1700  Mt.  Verimn  St.,  Phila 1896 

Charles  S.  Welles,  EIwjti,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Cornelius  Weygandt,  79  Upsal  St.,  Germantown,  Phila. 1891 

Albert  Whitaker,  Cedar  Grove,  Frankford ,  Phila 1896 

Mabk  L.  C.  Wilde,  Merchantville,  N.  J.    1892 


CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 

Charles  H.  Baker,  Grassmere,  Orange  Co.,  Fla 1900 

Thomas  J.  Beans,  Moorestown,  N.  J 1895 

Herman  Behr,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa 1897 

Otto  Behr,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa. 1897 

W.  H.  BuLLER,  Marietta,  Lancaster  Co. ,  Pa 1895 

Walter  D.  Bush,  Wilmington,  Del 1898 

Frank  B.  Eastman,  Wilmington,  Del 1898 

Marcus  S.  Farr,  Princeton,  N.  J 1901 

Henry  W.  Fowler,  Leland  Stanford  Univ. ,  Cal 1894 

Harry'  L.  Graham,  Redlands,  Cal 1897 

Allen  H.  Grosh,  York,  York  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Henry  Hales,  Kidgewood,  N.  J 1895 

H.  Walker  Hand,  1002  Washington  St.,  Cape  May,  N.  J 1900 

JosiAH  HooPES,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

Thomas  H.  Jackson,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

J.  AVarren  Jacobs,  Waynesburg,  Greene  Co.,  Pa.    1895 

August  Koch,  Williamsport,  Pa 1895 

Samuel  B.  Ladd,  West  Chester,  Pa. 1895 

Waldron  D.  W.  Miller,  Plainfield,  N.  J 1900 

William  Patterson,  Salem.  N.  J.  1895 

Howard  Y.  Pennell,  Downingtown,  Pa.    1894 

A.  H.  Phillips,  Princeton,  N.  J 1895 

M.  W.  Raub,  M.  D.,  Lancaster,  Pa 1895 

H.  JusTDJ.RoDDY,  State  Normal  School,  MiUersville,  Lane.  Co.,  Pa.  . .  .1895 
Hugh  E.  Stone,  Coatesville,  Pa,    1895 


58  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THK 

H.  A.  Surface,  State  College,  Pa 1900 

C.  F.  Sylvester,  Princetou,  N.  J 1901 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburg,  I'a 1895 

William  H.  Werner,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J 1901 

William  L.  Whitaker,  Joplin,  Mo 1893 

Robert  T.  Yodn«,  Boulder.  Colo. 1892 


DECEASED  MEMBERS. 

IHed. 

J.  Fabnum  Brown,  Active  member May,  1894 

John  W.  Detwiller,  M.  D.,  Corresponding  member 1898 

Gilbert  H.  Moore,  Associate  member May,  1899 

William  W.  Smith,  Associate  member July  3,  1892 


INDEX  TO  SPECIES. 


Every  mention  of  a  bird,  either  by  common  or  technical  name,  eiicepl  those 
contained  in  the  migration  liets,  is  indexed  nnder  the  current  teclmical  name 
of  the  species. 


Actitis  macnlaria,  13 

Accipiter  cooperi,  13 
velox,  13 

Aegialitis  vociferus,  25,  51 

Agelaius  pho?niceuK,  15 

Aix  sponsa,  51 

Alca  torda,  46 

Ammodramus  princeps,  47 

sandw.  alaudinus,  40 
sandw.  savanna,  Ifi 
sav.  passerinus,  28 

Ampelis  cedrorum,  17 

Anas  boschas,  51 

obscura,  47,  48,  51 
boschas  x  obscura,  48 

Anorthura  biemalis,  20 

Antrostonms  vociferus,  14 

Aquila  chrysaetos,  51 

Ardea  herodias,  13,  47 
virescens,  13 

Astragalinus  tristis,  16 

Bartramia  longicauda,  50 
Bonasa  umbellus,  13,  49 
Branta  bemicla,  47 

canadensis,  47 
Bubo  virginianus,  48 
Buteo  borealis,  14 

Cardinalis  cardinalis,  26 
t'eophlceus  pileatus  abieticola,  14,  51 
t'erthia  f  americana,  20,  44 
Cei^yle  alcyon,  14 
Chfetura  pelagica,  14,  50 
Chaidelasmus  streperus,  47 
C'hordeiles  virginianus,  14,  22 
Clangula  c.  americana,  47 
t  livicola  riparia,  50 
C'occyzus  americanus,  26 
Oolaptes  auratus  hiteus,  14 
Colymbus  auritus,  49 


tblymbus  holboelli,  48 
Compsothlypis  a.  usneae,  18,  44 
Contopus  borealis,  15 

virens,  44 
Corvus  americanus,  15,  47,  51 

corax  principalis,  51 
Crymophilus  fulicarius,  49 
Cyanocitta  cristata,  15 
Cyanospiza  cyanea,  17,  44 

Dendroica  iestiva,  18 

blackburnipe,  18 
Cferulescens,  18.  44 
coronata,  44.  46,  4i) 
maculosa,  18 
p.  hypochrysea,  44.  46 
pensylvanica,  18,  50 
striata,  44 
virens,  18,  50 
Dolichonyx  oryzivorus,  15,  50 
Dryobates  pub.  medianns,  14 
villosus,  14 

Empidonax  traiUi  alnorum,  50 
minimus,  15 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum,  50 

Galeoscoptes  carolinensis,  20,  26 

Gavia  imber,  48 

Geothlypis  agilis,  44 

formosa,  26,  49,  50 
Philadelphia,  18 
trichas,  19,  44 

Halia'etus  leucocephalus,  47 
Harporhynchus  rufus,  20,  26,  44 
Helminthophila  chrysoptera,  49 

pinus,  26 
Helmitherus  vermivorus,  50 
Ilirundo  erythrogastra,  17 


(59) 


60 


INDEX    TO   SPECIES. 


Hydrochelidon  n.  surinamensis,  49 
H}-locichla  aon.  pallasii.  21,  47 
fuscescens,  20.  49,  .50 
mustelinus,  20,  26 
ust.  swainsonii,  20 

Icteria  virens,  19,  44,  50 
Icterus  galbula,  16,  25 

J  unco  hyemalis,  16 

Lanius  ludovicianus,  48,  51 
Larus  argentatus,  47 

delawarensis,  47 

marinus,  45 
Limosa  ha^mastica,  49 

Megascops  asio,  14 

Melanerpes  erythrocephalus,  47,  48 

Melospiza  georgiana,  17 

melodia.  17 
Merganser  americanus,  47,  51 
Merula  migratoria,  21,  61 
Miraus  polyglottos,  35,  47,  48 
Mniotilta  varia,  17 
Myiarchus  crinitus,  15 

Nyctala  acadica,  48 
Nyctea  nyctea,  48 

Otocoris  a.  praticola,  15 

Parus  atricapillus,  20 
Passerina  nivalis,  48,  51 
Petrochelidon  lunifrons,  17 
Philohela  minor,  13 
Pipilo  erythrophthalraus,  17,  26,  44 
Piranga  erythromelas,  17,  29 
Pocccetes  gramiueus,  16,  52 
Porzana  Carolina,  51 


Quiscalus  quiscula,  45,  51 

Rallus  crepitans,  51 
1  Rissa  tridactyla,  46 

Sayornis  phoebe,  15,  27 

Seiurus  aurocapillus,  18.  44 
motacilla,  48.  50 
noveboracensis,  18 

Setophaga  ruticilla,  44 

Sialia  sialis,  45,  46 

Sitta  canadensis,  20 

carolinensis,  20,  46 

Somateria  spectabilis,  47,  52 

Sphyrapicus  varius,  14,  44.  46.  51 

Spizella  pusilla,  16 

socialis,  16,  44 

Stercorarius  parasiticus,  50 

Sturnella  magna,  16 

Syrniuni  nebulosum,  45 

Thryothorus  ludovicianus,  50 
Trochilus  colubris,  14 
Troglodytes  aiidon,  20 
Tyrannus  tyrannus,  14 

Uria  lomvia,  46 

Vireo  flavifrons,  17 

noveboracensis,  26 
olivaceus,  17,  44 
solitarius,  17 

Wilsonia  canadensis,  19 
mitrata,  50 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana,  17,  32 
Zenaidura  macroura,  13 
Zonotrichia  albicollis.  49 


OFIffi 

DEMWM 

mm 

ORNITHOMCKM  CMB 
'Ol?  IMBLPHIA 

1902 


PRICE  FIFTY   CENTS. 


CASSINIA 

An  Annual  Devoted  to  the  Ornithology  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 


CONTENTS  1902. 


PAGB 


Edward  Harris  (portrait)                                     George  S.  Morris  1 

Henslow's  Bunting  in  New  Jersey                    Samuel  N.  Rhoads  6 

The  Unusual  Flight  of  White  Herons  in  1902  William  B.  Evans  15 

Notes  on  the  Germantown  Grackle  Roost           Arthur  C.  Emlen  22 

The  Heart  of  the  New  Jersey  Pine  Barrens  Herbert  L.  Coggins  26 

Report  on  the  Spring  Migration  of  1902                    Witmer  Stone  32 

Birds  that  Struck  the  City  Hall  Tower  During  1902  49 

Elliott  Coues  on  the  Death  of  John  Cassin  50 
Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 

Ornithological  Club  1902  51 

Bird  Club  Notes  58 

List  of  Officers  and  Members  of  the  Del.  Valley  Ornith.  Club  1903  60 

Index  64 


PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  D.  V.  O.  C. 

The  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  by  Witmer 
Stone,  pp.  176  with  two  maps  and  portrait  of  Alex. 
Wilson  One  Dollar.        (Post  paid  $1.12) 

Abstract  of  Proceedings,  Full  Set  Nos.  I-IV.  (1890-1900)  pp.  98,  Fifty  cents 
Cassinia,  published  annually  beginning  with  1901 ;  comprising 
papers  relating  to  the  Ornithology  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey  and  an  abstract  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  Club.  Edited  by  Witmer  Stone.  Subscription 
price  Fifty  cents 


Address^  Dpla  warp  Valley  Ornithological  Club^ 

Cafe  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 

Logan  Square,  Philadelphia. 


^^^^^^t^ti^t^   s^yTrcc^yt^ 


CASSINIA 

PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE    DELAWARE    VALLEY 
ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB 


No.  VI.  PHILADELPHIA,  PA.  1902. 


Edward  Harris 

BY  GEORGE  SPENCER  MORRIS 

In  the  first  number  of  Cassinia  we  were  so  fortunate  as  to 
be  able  to  give  for  our  frontispiece  an  admirable  portrait  of 
John  Cassin.  His  was  a  name  well  known  throughout  the 
scientific  world,  and  in  honor  of  him  we  chose  the  title  of  our 
magazine.  This  year  we  open  with  the  portrait  of  a  man  less 
known  to  fame,  and  yet  we  believe  that  were  the  whole  truth 
told  of  the  life  and  deeds  of  Edward  Harris,  the  ornithological 
world  at  least  would  learn  that  it  owed  him  a  deep  debt  of  grati- 
tude in  more  ways  than  one. 

It  is  true  that  in  the  fields  of  actual  discovery  his  name  is 
hardly  known.  It  was  as  a  friend  and  patron  of  scientific  men 
that  he  made  his  influence  felt — an  influence  exerted  so  quietly 
and  modestly  that  its  full  force  might  easily  be  overlooked,  es- 
pecially at  this  late  day.  Of  those  who  shared  the  friendships 
and  reaped  the  bounty  of  Edward  Harris  it  is  probable  that  no 
one  was  more  deeply  indebted  to  him  than  Audubon. 

The  subject  of  benefits  conferred  and  accepted  is  always  a 
rather  delicate  one,  and  it  is  not  our  desire  to  give  publicity  to 


I  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

the  private  affairs  of  Edward  Harris  or  his  friends.  We  only 
wish  the  present  generation  of  ornithologists  to  realize  the  im- 
portant part  he  played  in  the  early  history  of  bird  study  in  this 
country.  It  is  true  that  Mr.  Harris' s  greatest  influence  on  orni- 
thology was  exerted  through  others;  yet  it  would  be  doing  him 
an  injustice  to  give  the  impression  that  he  was  not  a  keen,  care- 
ful and  hard-working  naturalist  himself.  We  have  been  so 
fortunate  as  to  have  had  access  to  a  considerable  number  of  his 
notes  and  journals,  and  they  prove  him  to  have  been  an  en- 
thusiastic and  accurate  student  of  nature.  The  results  of  his 
observations  however  seem  rarely  to  have  been  published. 
Whether  this  was  due  to  modesty  or  indifference  we  cannot  say. 
His  letters,  notes  and  diaries  have  that  fresh  charm  about  them 
which  we  find  in  the  writings  of  even  the  great  ornithologists  of 
his  day  when  they  were  all  learning  things  which  the  humblest 
bird  student  now  knows.  We  always  feel  a  quick  wave  of 
sympathetic  interest  and  fellowship  when  we  read  of  these  old 
ornithological  fathers  puzzling  over  some  bird  problem,  long 
since  solved,  which  to  us  is  clear  enough,  thanks  to  the  labors 
of  these  very  men. 

Edward  Harris  was  born  at  Moorestown,  New  Jersey,  Sep- 
tember 7,  1799,  and  although  quite  a  traveler  this  was  his  only 
home  until  his  death.  Inheriting,  as  he  did,  a  considerable 
fortune,  it  was  never  necessary  for  him  to  actively  engage  in 
money-making  occupations.  He  was,  however,  keenly  inter- 
ested in  agriculture  and  gave  close  and  intelligent  attention  to 
the  farm  estate  at  Moorestown.  The  breeding  of  fine  stock 
seems  to  have  been  somewhat  of  a  hobby  with  him.  While 
traveling  in  Europe  in  1839  he  attended  the  great  horse  fair  in 
Normandy,  and  was  so  impressed  with  the  splendid  animals 
there  exhibited  that  he  straightway  imported  a  number  of  them 
to  this  country.  To  him  belongs  the  honor  of  having  first  in- 
troduced the  Norman  horse  into  America. 

He  was  a  grave  and  dignified  man,  with  the  courtly  manner 
of  the  best  gentlemen  of  his  time.  He  appears  to  have  been 
of  a  somewhat  reserved  nature,  but  alwaj's  kind-hearted  and 
generous.  When  once  he  made  a  friendship  it  was  for  life,  and 
those  who  knew  him  best  became  deeply  attached  to  him.     One 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  6 

of  his  warmest  friends  was  his  brother-in-law,  Dr.  John 
Spencer,  who  was  a  great-uncle  of  the  writer.  The  letters  of 
Mr.  Harris  to  Dr.  Spencer  are  extremely  interesting,  especially 
those  which  he  wrote  while  on  his  different  scientific  expedi- 
tions. 

He  was  always  fond  of  nature,  but  it  is  probable  that  he  did 
verj-  little  in  the  way  of  serious  scientific  study  or  collecting 
until  some  years  after  he  was  of  age.  In  1835  he  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia, 
being  at  that  time  36  years  old.  He  was  on  good  terms  with 
John  Cassin,  then  a  leading  man  at  the  Philadelphia  Academy, 
and  Cassin  frequently  refers  to  him  in  his  letters  and  notes. 
On  August  20,  1845,  we  find  Cassin  and  Harris  going  together 
on  a  trip  to  Cape  May.  On  June  23,  1845,  Cassin  in  a  letter  to 
Baird  speaks  of  Harris  having  called  at  the  Academy  with 
Audubon.  This  seems  to  have  been  the  first  time  that  Cassin 
and  Audubon  met,  and  there  is  reason  for  believing  that  it  was 
the  last.  The  meeting  appears  not  to  have  been  an  altogether 
happy  one,  and  they  parted  none  too  amicably  after  a  warm 
dispute  as  to  who  discovered  Falco  harrisii.  Again,  on  February 
20,  1846,  Cassin  writes  to  Baird  as  follows  :  "Our  ornithologi- 
cal corps  is  doing  nothing.  Heermann  is  in  Baltimore  study- 
ing medicine;  Gambel  and  Woodhouse,  here  doing  the  same 
thing.  Townsend  has  set  up  his  pole  as  a  dentist.  Harris 
lives  at  home  like  a  gentleman,  a^  he  is,  and  your  humble  ser- 
vant (in  his  lucid  intervals)  tries  to  mind  his  own  business  with 
more  or  less  success." 

In  the  Proceedings  of  the  Academy  we  find  the  name  of 
Edward  Harris  mentioned  a  number  of  times,  either  as  a  con- 
tributor of  specimens  or  of  papers  relating  to  various  branches 
of  natural  history.  In  May,  1844,  he  exhibited  an  Everglade 
Kite.  In  May,  1845,  he  contributed  a  paper  on  certain  geol- 
ogical formations  of  the  upper  Missouri  River.  In  December, 
1845,  he  presented  a  paper  on  a  new  titmouse,  Parus  septen- 
trionalis.  In  December,  1846,  he  presented  to  the  Museum  a 
specimen  of  the  Arkansas  Flycatcher — Tyrannus  verticalis — 
taken  in  New  Jersey,  which  specimen  is  still  in  the  Academy 
collection.     In  March,  1846,  he  read  a  paptr  on  the  difference 


4  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

in  height  of  the  waters  of  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  tlie  Atlantic 
Ocean.  In  October,  1848,  he  presented  119  bird  skins  to  the 
Academy.  In  May,  1857,  he  read  some  notes  on  the  beaver, 
observed  in  the  Yellowstone  region.  In  June,  1858,  he  wrote 
a  letter  to  the  Academy  from  St.  Croix  River,  describing  a  cer- 
tain species  of  trout — Salmo  gloverii. 

His  name  does  not  appear  again  until  five  years  later,  when 
on  June  9,  1863,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Academj',  Mr.  Cassin 
announced  the  death  at  Moorestown,  New  Jersey,  of  the  late 
member,  Edward  Harris,  aged  64  years. 

The  Academy  records  show  him  to  have  been  a  member  of 
the  Committee  on  Zoology  from  1842  to  1848,  and  of  the  Com- 
mittee on  Ornithology  from  1849  to  1856.  Excepting  as  a 
member  of  these  committees  he  seems  never  to  have  served  the 
Academy  in  any  official  capacity. 

As  has  before  been  said,  Mr.  Harris  was  a  traveler  of  large 
experience.  He  made  several  trips  to  Europe,  while  his 
journals  and  letters  show  him  to  have  had  a  thorough  personal 
knowledge  of  his  own  country  at  a  time  when  travel  was  a 
much  more  serious  problem  than  at  the  present  day. 

His  scientific  notes  made  in  New  England  and  the  Middle 
States  are  extremely  interesting.  In  1837  he  went  upon  a  trip 
through  the  South  with  Audubon,  sailing  from  New  York  to 
Charleston,  and  from  there  traveling  overland  through  the 
South  Atlantic  and  Gulf  States  to  New  Orleans.  Mr.  Harris's 
notes  on  this  trip,  while  verj'  entertaining,  do  not  indicate  that 
any  important  scientific  results  were  achieved. 

In  1843  he  went  with  Audubon,  Bell  and  others  upon  the 
famous  Missouri  River  exijedition  to  the  Yellowstone  region, 
the  results  of  which  have  been  to  a  great  extent  given  to  the 
world  by  Audubon. 

Evidently  Mr.  Harris  was  a  keen  sportsman.  His  journals 
make  frequent  reference  to  his  work  with  dog  and  gun,  while 
he  gives  interesting  narratives  of  deer  hunting  in  the  South  and 
the  pursuit  of  the  buftalo  in  tlie  West.  In  his  desire  to  keep 
the  neighborhood  of  Moorestown  a  good  shooting  ground  he 
frequently  released  live  quail  in  considerable  numbcrt<.  His 
note-books  show  how  many  pairs  he  turned  out  upon  the  local 
farms,  and  upon  wliosc  ground  they  were  released. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  O 

In  the  life  of  Edward  Harris  there  are  no  great  events  to 
point  to;  no  strenuous  efforts  after  fame  or  notoriety;  yet  the 
kind  heart  and  generous  nature  of  the  man  made  him  so  strong 
in  his  friendships  that  his  influence  was  really  far-reaching. 
The  beneficent  results  of  that  quiet,  gentle,  unobtrusive  life 
reach  down  through  the  years  to  us  of  the  present  day,  and 
after  half  a  century  we  are  glad  that  Edward  Harris  lived. 


Henslow's  Bunting  (Ammodramus  henslowii)  in 
New  Jersey 

BY  SAMUEL  N.    RHOADS 

Owing  to  her  rather  anomalous  position  on  the  faunal  and 
floral  map,  New  Jersey  has  always  been  addicted  to  furnishing 
natural  history  surprises.  One  would  think  that  the  prying 
eyes  and  sensitive  ears  of  the  ninety  and  nine  bird  lovers  and 
students  that  have  ransacked  the  Garden  State  since  Audubon's 
day  would  have  exhausted  this  stock  of  novelties.  Who  would 
have  thought,  among  the  coterie  of  ornithologists  that  formed 
the  nucleus  of  the  Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club  in  1890, 
that  Henslow's  Bunting  would  prove  to  be  locall}'  an  abundant 
summer  resident  in  our  limits?  At  that  time  only  one 
specimen  was  known  to  us  from  anywhere  in  the  State,  and 
many  of  us  had  no  suspicion  of  the  bird's  presence  there.  In 
fact  Audubon's  New  Jersey  records  of  it  were  classed  among 
those  which  had  to  do  solely  with  that  glorious  golden  age  of 
New  Jersey  ornithology  when  the  summer  tanager,  mocking 
bird,  red  cockaded  woodpecker  and  heath  hen  were  more  or 
less  abundant.  Of  course  it  was  not  a  fair  line  of  reasoning 
which  led  to  such  conclusions,  as  was  proved  by  the  specimen 
secured  by  Prof.  Amos  P.  Brown  at  Point  Pleasant,  Monmouth 
Co.,  August  16,  1886,  now  in  Mr.  Witmer  Stone's  collection.* 
The  year  previous  Mr.  H.  G.  Parker  records  having  taken  a 
nest  and  eggs  of  this  bird  on  Seven  Mile  Beach,  Cape  May  Co.* 
These  formed  the  first  rediscovery  of  a  supposed  lost  resident  of 
New  Jersey  since  Audubon's  records  of  it.  He  says:  f  "This 
species  is  abundant  in  the  state  of  New  Jerse}^  and  breeds  there, 
but  of  this  I  was  not  aware  until  *  *  *  the  spring  of  1838, 

*See  Stone's  Bds.  of  E.  Penna.  &  N.  .J.,  1894,  p.  IH. 
t  Bds.  of  America,  Vol.  8,  pp.  7.5,  76. 

(6) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  / 

when  my  friend,  Dr.  James  Trudeau,  sent  me  a  specimen  pro- 
cured by  himself  while  in  company  with  our  mutual  friend, 
Edward  Harris,  Esq."  It  is  probable  that  this  specimen  was 
taken  in  Harris's  hunting  grounds  on  the  southern  coast  of  the 
state.  Audubon  further  states  that  this  species  is  found  in 
ploughed  fields  in  New  Jersey,  an  assertion  I  am  much  inclined 
to  doubt,  as  such  places  would  be  entirely  unsuited  to  this 
sparrow's  strong  desire  of  concealment  at  all  times. 

Subsequent  to  Prof.  Brown's  capture  above  referred  to, 
Henslow's  sparrow  was  observed  by  him  and  his  brothers 
in  the  same  locality  for  several  summers.  It  was  recognized 
by  them  as  a  fairly  numerous  summer  resident  in  grassy  fields 
a  short  distance  from  the  beach  near  Point  Pleasant. 

A  few  years  afterward  Mr.  Witmer  Stone,  when  visiting  the 
place,  observed  individuals  which  he  thought  to  be  of  this 
species.  No  means  of  securing  specimens  then  being  at  hand, 
and  years  elapsing  without  further  record,  an  expedition  was 
planned  by  five  members  of  the  D.  V.  0.  C,  viz.:  Messrs. 
Stone,  Hughes,  McCadden,  Baily  and  Hammersley,  with  Point 
Pleasant  as  the  objective  point.  This  was  on  Decoration  Day, 
1895.  A  large  tract  of  salt  marsh  and  sand-dune  country  along 
the  south  shore  of  the  Manasquan  River  from  Manasquan 
toward  the  inlet,  was  thoroughly  beaten  over  without  success. 
Late  in  the  day,  however,  the  object  of  the  search  was  dis- 
covered in  the  drier  grounds  bordering  the  salt  marsh  and  bogs, 
and  in  an  old  briery  grass  field  several  were  flushed  and  four 
brought  to  bag.  I  quote  from  Mr.  Stone's  notes:  "  While  the 
sun  remained  well  up  the  birds  seemed  to  stick  to  the  grass, 
and  were  flushed  with  difficulty,  but  about  4  o'clock  the  males 
mounted  the  dead  twigs  on  top  of  the  bushes  and  uttered  their 
weak  insect-like  song.  It  sounded  somewhat  like  that  of  the 
yellow-wing  sparrow,  but  with  a  more  distinct  single  note  at 
the  start.  Further  than  this  we  could  discover  nothing  of  their 
history.  The  female  secured  seemed  to  have  been  setting,  but 
we  could  find  no  nests. ' ' 

On  May  30,  1896,  the  place  was  revisited  with  no  better  suc- 
cess, and  in  spite  of  beating  about  and  dragging  the  ground  with 
a  long  rope,  no  nests  were  discovered.     The  birds  appeared  less 


8  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

abundant  than  the  year  before,  but  with  the  same  habits — sing- 
ing from  the  weed  tops  late  in  the  afternoon. 

Mr.  Stewardson  Brown,  who  had  a  previous  acquaintance 
with  the  bird  at  Point  Pleasant,  also  found  it  at  Forked  River, 
Ocean  county,  in  the  year  1895  or  '96,  on  the  30th  of  May. 
He  writes:  "A  number  of  pairs  were  noted  on  the  grassy  mead- 
ows between  the  forks  of  the  river,  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  back 
from  the  bay — not  on  the  salt  marsh.  The  birds  were  evidently 
nesting.  The  nocturnal  song  of  the  bird  is  noteworthy.  During 
the  two  nights  we  slept  near  their  haunts  we  heard  a  constant 
repetition  of  their  ordinary  day  song,  less  frequently  repeated 
but  uttered  b}'  different  individuals  from  various  parts  of  the 
meadow.  There  was  no  let  up  to  this  continuous  performance 
at  the  midnight  hour,  when  we  fell  asleep." 

I  have  the  following  notes  from  Mr.  W.  L.  Baily,  whose  re- 
searches along  the  coast  of  New  Jersey  have  done  much  to 
increase  our  knowledge  of  local  ornithology: 

"On  June  4,  1898,  after  Mr.  Stewardson  Brown  had  found 
Henslow's  Sparrow  at  Forked  River,  N.  J.,  Dr.  W.  E.  Hughes 
and  I  took  a  trip  there.  In  a  single  flat  and  low  field  of  about 
two  or  three  acres,  just  on  the  edge  of  the  wet  meadows,  about 
four  pairs  were  found,  at  least  there  were  four  males.  The  field 
was  covered  with  a  very  thick  growth  of  old  grass,  brambles  and 
weeds.  We  tramped  the  field  very  thoroughly  and  tried  in  vain 
to  flush  the  females,  while  the  males  kept  up  their  chirping. 
Suddenly  the  birds  became  absolutely  quiet,  and  for  nearly  an 
hour  we  could  neither  scare  up  a  bird  nor  hear  a  "  che-tick. " 
(We  had  heard  them,  however,  upon  our  first  approach  to  the 
field,  though  I  had  the  opposite  experience  at  another  place. ) 
One  by  one  the  "che-ticks"  began  again,  but  they  gave  us  no 
idea  where  their  nests  were  located,  and  led  us  in  no  particular 
direction." 

To  this  account  Dr.  Hughes  adds  that  on  this  trip  to  Forked 
River  he  estimated  the  total  number  of  birds  seen  at  twelve, 
all  of  which  appeared  to  be  males  and  the  three  specimens  shot 
proving  to  be  of  this  sex.  On  a  second  triji  which  he  took  to  the 
same  locality  with  Mr.  H.  G.  Parker,  a  much  larger  area  was 
covered  but  only  four  birds  could  be  found,  and  a  most  careful 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  9 

search  for  nests  was  fruitless.  He  considers  this  variability  in 
the  abundance  of  the  species  characteristic,  as  it  is  quite  in  line 
with  his  experience  at  Pt.  Pleasant. 

Continuing  with  Mr.  Baily's  notes,  he  says:  "While  at 
Ocean  View,  N.  J.,  about  two  miles  above  the  station,  and 
almost  directly  back  of  Corson's  Inlet,  on  the  16th  of  June, 
1900,  I  heard  from  my  window  the  peculiar  little  note  of  the 
Henslow's  Sparrow  just  as  the  sun  was  going  down,  and  they 
kept  it  up  until  darkness  was  actually  setting  in.  In  the  after- 
noon I  went  by  wagon  back  into  the  woods  about  three  miles  to 
a  cedar  swamp,  and  there  were  the  Henslow's  again  in  the 
same  field  with  Grasshopper  Sparrows.  It  was  another  large, 
open,  low  field,  thickly  overgrown  with  bramble  as  well  as  weeds 
and  Indian  grass.  A  chirping  young  bird,  just  out  of  the  nest 
and  unable  to  fly,  was  located  after  considerable  exertion,  and 
was  photographed,  while  the  parents  kept  at  a  distance,  show- 
ing very  little  anxiety.  The  young  bird  had  a  breast  clear  of 
spots,  and  as  I  learned  afterwards,  was  undoubtedly  a  Hen- 
slow's Sparrow.  This  find  of  a  young  bird,  June  16th,  would 
seem  to  prove  that  the  eggs  were  laid  between  the  20th  and  25th 
of  May. 

"  I  was  again  at  Ocean  View  June  20th,  and  again  found  the 
birds  in  front  of  Charlie  Wright's  house,  where  I  had  seen  them 
before,  in  a  field  iust  above  the  wet  sea  meadow  grass,  acting 
just  about  as  I  had  seen  them  before. 

"As  I  had  visited  so  few  places  on  the  coast,  I  began  to  think 
that  whenever  they  do  find  suitable  places  just  back  of  the 
meadows,  these  little-known  sparrows  are  likely  to  occur.  I 
had  frequently  been  to  Ocean  View  before,  and  in  these  very 
same  fields  before  my  1895  trip  to  Point  Pleasant,  but  had  not 
seen  the  birds,  probably  because  I  did  not  know  them. 

"As  an  illustration,  to  show  how  insignificant  the  note  of  the 
bird  is,  and  how  Hkely  it  is  to  be  missed,  in  1901,  May  18th, 
at  Hursley,  Md.,  while  crossing  a  thick  clover  ard  bramble 
field  with  Dr.  Hughes,  I  heard  the  Henslow's  familiar  "  che- 
tick, ' '  and  immediately  looked  for  an  expression  of  recognition 
on  the  doctor's  face,  but  was  disappointed;  even  after  the  note 
had  been  repeated  three  or  four  times  he  failed  to  notice  it. 


10  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

Grasshopper  Sparrows  and  Field  Sparrows  were  in  the  same  field. 
It  was  a  little  higher  than  the  fields  on  the  Jersey  coast,  but 
next  to  a  low  meadow  where  the  Kildeers  were  calling. ' ' 

Mr.  Baily  made  another  search  on  May  30th,  1902,  at  Ocean 
View,  for  the  nest  of  this  bird.  Several  individuals  were  seen 
and  an  empty  nest,  which  he  describes  as  a  "  tiny  bed  of  yellow 
grass  completely  hidden  right  on  the  ground,"  was  secured. 
He  describes  it  further:  "As  there  was  no  sign  of  a  hole  in  it 
that  I  could  see,  I  thought  it  nothing  but  a  mouse  nest,  but 
upon  raising  it  from  the  thick-set  grass  I  found  it  to  be  more  of 
a  ball  of  long  stiff  grass  lined  with  softer  grass,  but  with  only 
an  apology  of  a  hole  on  one  side  right  on  the  sod.  From  these 
few  experiences  I  have  little  doubt  that  many  more  fields  in 
New  Jersey  than  the  localities  visited  are  summer  homes  of  the 
Henslow's  Sparrow.  Besides  the  little  "che-tick"  note  com- 
monly uttered,  the  bird  has  quite  a  song  which  I  cannot  well 
describe,  except  to  say  that  the  notes  are  exceedingly  rapid  and 
are  jumbled  together  as  in  the  song  of  the  Winter  Wren,  though 
instead  of  sounding  like  a  '  cart  wheel '  they  resemble  the 
noise  of  a  belt  on  a  revolving  wheel,  or  somewhat  like  '  screw- 
zees,  szrn-eezz-scir-en-eez. '  "  The  author  would  call  attention  to 
the  familiarity  of  this  formula  to  that  often  adopted  by  the 
Grasshopper  Sparrow. 

Of  great  interest  in  relation  to  the  inland  distribution  of  this 
species  in  New  Jersey  are  the  following  notes  made  by  a  most 
careful  observer,  our  corresponding  member,  Mr.  Waldron  D. 
W.  Miller,  of  Plainfield,  Union  county.     He  writes: 

"I  have  seen  many  individuals,  almost  all  of  which  were 
singing  the  odd  little  two-syllabled  song  which  you  mention, 
but  have  heard  no  other  song.  I've  never  found  the  nest  of 
this  bird. 

' '  I  first  identified  it  four  or  five  years  ago,  in  the  mountains 
north  of  Plainfield.  On  July  15,  1900,  I  noted  it  for  the  first 
time  south  of  the  mountains,  except  for  one  October  migrant  a 
year  or  two  before.  Don't  think  I  saw  it  again  in  1900.  In 
1901  I  found  it  May  5  and  12,  near  New  Dover  (west  of  Rah- 
way),  where  it  was  doubtless  breeding,  as  I  met  it  in  same 
spot  June  15,  1902.     Also  July  17,  1901,  near  Ash  Swamp. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  11 

"This  year,  1902,  I  have  noted  far  more  than  in  any  previous 
year,  finding  it  from  Green  Village  (Morris  Co.)  to  Rahway 
and  west  to  Mt.  Horeb  (2d  mountain  north  of  Bound  Brook), 
and  generally  distributed  in  the  intervening  country.  I  have 
covered  more  ground  than  ever  before,  this  year,  which  may 
partly  account  for  the  greater  numbers  noted,  but  it  has  unques- 
tionably been  much  commoner  this  year.  I  never  before  met 
it  in  June  south  of  the  mountains. 

"Following  is  a  Ust  of  all  the  Henslow's  Sjiarrows  noted  this 
year,  and  doubtless  nearly  all  were  breeding: 

April  20. — 1  Washington  Valley,  Washingtonville;  1  Passaic 
Valley,  Berkely  Heights. 

April  27.— 1  Iselin  (Middlesex  Co.). 

May  11. — 2  Coontown  (mountains). 

May  18. — 2  Mountains. 

May  24. — 2  Mountains. 

June  7.^1  Berkely  Heights. 

June  14. — 1  Washington  Valley. 

June  15. — 1  north  of  New  Dover. 

June  18. —  1  west  of  Scotch  Plains. 

June  22.— 1  Menlo  Park  (Middlesex  Co.). 

July  5. — 2:  1  Great  Swamji,  Myersville ;  1  Passaic  Valley, 
Gillette. 

July  6. — 2  Ash  Swamp. 

July  12. — 2  west  of  Scotch  Plains  (same  as  June  18). 

July  14. — 1  or  more  Great  Swamp. 

July  17. — 5  Great  Swamp. 

July  20. — 4  south  of  New  Dover. 

"While  up  to  1902  I  had  found  so  few  south  of  the  mountains, 
I  had  found  it  much  more  commonly  in  the  Passaic  Valle}',  and 
especially  the  Great  Swamp.  I  believe  that  they  breed  in  the 
Great  Swamp  region  every  year.  They  seem  to  be  very  erratic 
in  their  choice  of  a  summer  home,  in  this  respect  resembling 
the  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren,  which  is  often  found  in  the  same 
places.  I  have  found  them  in  some  wet  meadow  one  year,  and 
the  following  year  not  one  would  be  there,  though  the  Swamp 
Sparrows  and  other  common  birds  were  present  as  usual,  and 
the  haunt  apparently  unchanged. 


12  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

"I  have  given  my  records  in  detail  merely  to  give  you  a 
better  idea  of  its  status  in  this  vicinity  than  you  could  obtain 
from  any  general  statement.  This  year  it  has  been  generally 
distributed  and  comparatively  common. 

"  Wet  fields  or  meadows  are  its  usual  if  not  invariable  breed- 
ing grounds  here,  and  it  seems  satisfied  with  a  very  small  tract 
of  this  character." 

My  own  acquaintance  with  this  mysterious  resident  of  our 
state  began  in  1902,  while  on  a  quest  for  a  very  different  sort  of 
zoological  novelty  which  also  dated  its  historic  prominence  to 
the  time  of  Audubon's  activity.  To  paraphrase  a  verse  of  John 
Gilpin's  ride — 

"Though  upon  vinmmah  I  was  bent, 
I  had  the  birds  in  mind." 

Speeding  along  on  my  silent  bike  across  the  rather  hilly  country 
which  slopes  down  to  Delaware  Bay,  between  Salem  and  Green- 
wich, when  about  four  miles  north  of  Greenwich  (Cumberland 
Go. )  and  two  and  a  half  miles  from  the  bay,  I  was  brought  to  a 
quick  pause  by  a  bird  note  brand  new  to  my  mental  catalog. 
The  rather  sudden  apparition  of  panting  humanity  peering  over 
a  rail  fence  did  not  seem  to  disconcert  the  innocent  cause  of  the 
intrusion,  but  with  clock-like  regularity  the  quarter  minutes 
were  recorded  by  the  weak,  sharp  "chi-shk"  of  an  unseen  per- 
former. The  sound  seemed  to  come  out  of  the  ground  of  a 
briery,  neglected  grass  field  fifteen  or  twenty  feet  away.  The 
bird  was  not  seen  till  I  mounted  the  fence,  when,  with  a  sudden 
mouse-like  movement,  it  stole  away  from  a  low  perch  just 
above  the  ground  and  vanished.  By  active  beating  about  it 
was  repeatedly  flushed,  only  to  dart  off  a  few  yards  and  hide 
among  the  grass.  It  invariably  avoided  alighting  on  grass, 
bushes  or  fence.  In  the  course  of  another  mile's  ride  I  found 
another  individual  singing  in  a  similar  locality.  Both  these 
were  on  high  upland  pastures,  no  swampy  or  meadow  ground 
being  in  sight. 

I  then  remembered  having  heard  the  same  song  the  day  be- 
fore at  dusk  on  the  upland  borders  of  the  salt  marsh  at  the 
mouth  of  Alloway's  creek,  one  mile  from  Hancock's  bridge  in 
Salem  Co. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLU».  13 

There  were  three  or  four  performers  on  that  occasion  within 
earshot,  but  none  were  seen  because  of  the  darkness.  All  seemed 
to  be  on  or  near  the  ground,  and  as  I  approached  grew  silent  a 
few  moments  and  then  resumed  singing  a  few  yards  away.  I 
judge  from  this  and  other  observations  that  they  are  peculiarly 
addicted  to  nocturnal  reveries  in  the  breeding  season,  a  trait 
shared  somewhat  by  their  cousins  the  Grasshopper  Sparrows. 

A  very  thorough  search  of  the  same  kind  of  country  sur- 
rounding Salem  and  Greenwich  failed  to  reveal  this  sparrow. 

On  IMay  9,  1902,  Mr.  Stone  and  myself  tramped  across 
country  from  Bridgeton  to  Greenwich  with  this  sparrow  specially 
in  mind,  but  found  none  until  we  reached  the  low,  flat  grounds 
bordering  the  cultivated  uplands,  a  broad  stretch  of  meadow 
which  is  overflowed  only  by  the  neap  tides,  and  is  interspersed 
with  groves  of  water  oaks,  greens  and  bushes.  In  a  wet  pasture 
field  grown  with  Indian  and  swamp  grass  and  a  few  bushes  we 
discovered  quite  a  colony  of  Henslow's  Sparrows,  evidently 
breeding.  Their  peculiar  songs  first  betrayed  them  and  from 
three  to  five  o'clock,  or  during  the  whole  time  we  were  engaged 
in  searching  for  their  nests,  they  sang  more  or  less  steadily. 
Perhaps  there  were  six  to  ten  pairs  of  birds  which  seemed  par- 
ticularly attached  to  this  field  of  ten  acres,  and  could  not  be 
driven  out  of  it.  After  being  flushed  repeatedly  they  would 
squat  so  closely  in  the  dense  mat  of  grass  that  I  twice  nearly 
succeeded  in  catching  one  under  my  outspread  coat.  The  most 
careful  search  for  nests  was  fruitless. 

In  the  whole  class  of  singing  birds  known  to  me  the  song  of 
this  species  ranks  lowest  in  all  respects.  It  is  essentially  lacking 
in  strength,  volume,  length,  melody  or  variety.  Its  one  re- 
deeming quality  is  repetition.  To  offset  its  many  deficiencies 
the  humble  vocalist  chants  night  and  day. 

As  I  have  strained  my  ear  to  catch  its  message  amid  the  wild 
chorus  of  May  bird  song  that  rose  from  the  surrounding  fields 
and  woodland,  I  have  thought  its  place  in  nature's  song  ser- 
vice was  purely  the  responsive  one  of  saying  "Amen;"  and 
that  thought  has  given  this  Quakerly  Te  De.um  no  mean  place  in 
my  affections.  The  song  of  its  kinsman  the  Grasshopper  Spar- 
row, so  named  because  of  the  insectile  character  of  its  voice, 


14  PROCEEDING.S   OF   THE 

is  vastly  superior  to  that  of  the  "  Amen  "  sparrow,  in  fact  they 
do  not  seem  to  belong  to  the  same  class.  It  is,  however,  as- 
eerted  that  this  "  Amen  "  performer  has  a  fine  song  in  reserve 
which  it  sings  in  more  ecstatic  moments.  This  I  have  never 
heard.  The  scolding  note  is  a  simple  bird  "chick."  I  have 
not  seen  this  bird  alight  on  a  tree,  brush  or  fence.  It  gen- 
erally sings  from  the  ground  or  less  than  a  foot  above  it  on  low 
grass,  sometimes  climbing  to  a  dead  weed  or  brush  top  18  inches 
high,  but  always  descending  like  a  mouse  to  the  ground  on  a 
person's  approach,  and  flying  away  just  as  you  are  about  to 
step  on  it,  not  often  sneaking  about  for  safety  on  alighting  as  do 
other  ground  sparrows. 

Taking  the  facts  of  its  occurrence  in  New  .Jersey  as  now 
known,  we  may  look  for  Henslow's  Sparrow  to  be  locally  pres- 
ent in  the  breeding  season  along  the  entire  stretch  of  intermedi- 
ate neap-tide  meadows  which  stretch  from  Hudson  county 
along  the  Atlantic  coast  to  Cape  May  and  thence  along  Dela- 
ware Bay  to  Salem.  If  they  were  to  be  found  in  upper  Glou- 
cester or  Camden  counties,  the  very  thorough  exploration  of 
these  districts  by  our  members  for  the  past  twenty  years  would 
almost  certainly  have  revealed  them. 

From  the  recorded  notices  of  this  species  in  other  parts  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  especially  when  we  take  the  ob- 
servations of  Mr.  Waldron  Miller  into  account,  it  is  fair  to 
prophesy  its  occurrence  in  the  breeding  season  in  the  most  un- 
expected localities  throughout  the  region.  While  it  seems  to 
be  a  rule  that  they  prefer  wet  lowlands,  more  especially  along 
the  tidewater,  they  may  also  frequent  in  much  diminished 
numbers  dry  upland  or  moist  fields  several  hundred  feet  above 
sea  level  and  far  removed  from  the  coast. 

Whether  Henslow's  Sparrow  is  materially  increasing  in  num- 
bers on  the  Atlantic  coast  is  a  question  hard  to  decide  for  New 
Jersey  at  least,  owing  to  the  lack  of  past  records.  Mr.  Miller's 
inland  records  however  are  significant,  and  are  somewhat  con- 
firmed by  observers  in  the  vicinity  of  Washington,  D.  C,  one 
of  whom,  Mr.  Paul  Bartsch,  declares  that  he  found  the  bird  very 
much  more  abundant  in  1!)()2  than  ever  before,  though  he  is  in- 
clined to  attribute  this  to  his  better  acquaintance  with  the 
species  and  his  consequent  ability  to  detect  its  presence. 


The  Unusual  Flight  of  White  Herons  in  1902 

BY   WILLIAM    B.    EVANS 

During  the  late  summer  months  and  early  fall  of  the  present 
year  (1902),  in  southeastern  Pennsylvania,  southern  New  Jer- 
sey and  parts  of  Delaware  and  Maryland,  an  unusual  number 
of  White  Herons  have  been  seen,  at  points  near  the  coast  and 
inland  along  the  tide  and  fresh  water  courses.  At  least  two 
species  were  represented  in  this  northerly  movement  which 
seems  to  follow  the  nesting  season,  the  American  Egret  (Ardea 
egretta),  and  the  Little  Blue  Heron  {Ardea  cce>-ulea).  The  latter, 
although  dark  blue  in  the  adult  plumage,  is  an  almost  pure 
white  during  its  first  summer.  This  bird  was  unusually 
numerous,  and  to  it,  probably,  most  of  the  white  heron  records 
refer.  A  third  species,  the  Snowy  Heron  {Ardea  candidissima) , 
has  also  been  reported,  but  as  just  stated,  in  most  cases  these 
records  probably  refer  to  the  Little  Blue  Heron,  the  two  birds 
being  of  nearly  the  same  dimensions. 

As  the  appearance  of  any  of  these  birds  in  the  Delaware  Val- 
le}'  region  is  now  considered  worthy  of  notice  in  ornithological 
annals,  it  has  been  thought  worth  while  to  endeavor  to  collect 
as  much  information  as  possible  concerning  them,  and  for  the 
following  records  I  am  indebted  to  many  observers  both  within 
and  without  the  pale  of  D.  V.  0.  C.  membership. 

A  brief  summary  of  the  distinguishing  characters  of  size  and 
post-nuptial  jjlumage  of  these  herons,  condensed  from  Chap- 
man's "Handbook  of  Birds  of  Eastern  North  America,"  may 
here  be  given  a  place,  since  the  three  are  undoubtedly  often 
confused. 

The  American  Egret  {Ardea  egretta)  which  now  breeds  as  far 
north  as  Virginia,  measures  forty-one  inches  from  the  tip  of 
beak  to  the  end  of  tail.  The  entire  plumage  is  white;  legs  and 
feet  black;  bill  yellow. 

(15) 


16  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

The  Little  Blue  Heron  (Ardea  ccei-uka)  breeding  to  about  the 
same  limit,  is  twenty-two  inches  in  length.  The  adult  plumage 
is  of  a  dark  bluish  slate  color,  except  the  head  and  neck  which 
are  maroon  chestnut.  The  legs,  feet,  and  bill  are  black.  But  the 
immature  bird  is  white,  the  plumage  sometimes  more  or  less 
washed  with  slaty;  the  tips  of  the  primaries  always  bluish  slate 
color;  legs  and  feet  greenish  yellow. 

The  Snowy  Heron  {Ardea  candidissivia) ,  which  breeds  as 
far  north  as  Long  Island,  N.  Y.  (fide  Chapman),  measures 
twenty-four  inches  in  length.  The  entire  plumage  is  pure 
white.     Legs  black,  feet  yellow,  bill  black,  yellow  at  the  base. 

The  abundance  and  distribution  of  these  birds,  particularly 
Ardea  candidissima,  has  been  so  greatly  altered  by  the  demands 
of  the  plume-wearing  fashions,  that  the  information  contained 
in  the  older  books  can  no  longer  be  relied  upon  as  expressing 
present  conditions.  From  the  fact  that  not  a  single  specimen 
of  Ardea  candidissima  was  found  among  the  fifty  birds  shot, 
which  I  have  seen  or  known  of,  we  may  suppose  that  the 
Snowy  Heron  is  now  a  rare  bird  with  us. 

Again  the  Little  Blue  Heron,  which  is  set  down  in  Stone's 
"  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,"  as  a  rare 
straggler  from  the  south,  with  but  three  positively  identified 
specimens  to  its  credit,  seems  within  the  last  four  years  to  have 
been  more  numerous  as  a  late  summer  and  fall  visitor. 

The  following  records  of  Ardea  egretta  are  prior  to  1902,  and 
not  contained  in  the  last  mentioned  work  nor  in  the  Club's 
Proceedings. 

In  1894  in  late  summer,  one  shot  at  Buzby's  Bogs,  three 
miles  southwest  of  Taunton,  N.  J.,  now  in  possession  of  Joseph 
S.  Evans,  Marlton,  N.  J. 

About  1896,  one  shot  from  fiock  of  six  at  Buzby's  Bogs,  now 
in  possession  of  Samuel  Burroughs,  Haddonfield,  N.  J. 

1902  Records. 
7  mo.,  10th,  1902,  one  shot  from  fiock  of  seven  near  Keiinctt 
Square,  Pa. — C.  J.  Pennock. 

7  mo.,  20th,  1902,  one  seen  by  Witmer  Stone  at  W'awa,  Pa. 
7  mo.,  26th,  1902,  one  shot  near  Berwyn,  Pa.,  along  Darby 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  17 

Creek.     Reported  by  F.  L.  Burns,  in  the  Wil.son  Bulletin,  No. 
40,  page  109. 

8  mo.,  3d,  1902,  four  near  Cobb's  Landing,  Eastern  Shore 
of  Va.  8  mo.,  8th,  1902,  eight  flying  in  line  closely  followed 
(in  fact  one  of  the  string)  by  a  Great  Blue  Heron. — F.  C.  Kirk- 
wood. 

Captures  or  reliable  records  of  Ardea  candidissima,  none. 

Records  of  Ardea  coerulea,  prior  to  1902. 

8  mo.,  1898,  one  (white  plumage)  shot  in  New  Jersey,  now 
at  Louis  Weber's,  No.  2518  N.  2d  St.,  Phila.,  Pa. 

7  mo.,  23d,  1899,  one  (white  plumage)  seen  on  the  Delaware 
river  below  Frenchtown,  N.  .J.,  by  John  D.  Carter  and  Wm.  B. 
Evans. 

During  8th  and  9th  months,  1899,  forty  or  fifty  seen  in  a 
swamp  near  Bristol,  Pa.,  by  G.  F.  Brown. 

Latter  part  of  8th  mo.,  1900,  abundant  at  Stone  Harbor, 
N.  J.— D.  N.  McCadden. 

About  1900,  two  in  white  plumage  shot  at  Bristol,  Pa., 
now  in  possession  of  J.  R.  Beath,  2241  Frankford  Ave., 
Philadelphia. 

About  1900,  two  (white)  shot  at  Trenton,  N.  J.,  now  in  pos- 
session of  Edwin  C.  Axe,  4137  Frankford  Ave. 

1901,  fifty  or  sixty  seen  on  Atlantic  City  meadows,  N.  J.,  by 
responsible  people  known  to  \V.  H.  Werner,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J. 

The  following  are  records  for  1902: 

Cape  May,  N.  J.  First  seen  during  first  week  in  7th  mo. 
During  second  week  in  8th  mo.  greatest  abundance.  One  flock 
of  forty  or  fifty.  Probably  two  hundred  seen  during  daj',  unless 
same  flock  was  seen  more  than  once.  Last  bird  seen  9th  mo. 
29th.  The  species  has  been  recorded  at  Cape  May  in  summer 
for  ten  years. — H.  Walker  Hand. 

Tuckerton,  N.  J.  First  seen  7th  mo.,  10th.  Disappeared 
about  the  last  week  in  8th  mo.  Just  previoiis  to  their  departure 
they  were  very  numerous.  Forty  or  fifty  seen  at  one  time  feed- 
ing in  a  salt  pond,  three  or  four  acres  in  extent.  On  7th  mo., 
14th,  one  (young)  shot.  On  the  18th,  six  young  shot  and  two 
adults.     Number  secured  in  all,  twenty. — A.  H.  Jillson. 


18  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Gunpowder  Marsh,  Md. 

7th  mo.,  13th,  number  seen,  six. 


8th  mo. 


15th, 

eleven. 

16th, 

seven. 

25th, 

fifty. 

28th, 

thirty. 

29th, 

thirty. 

30th, 

fifty. 

2d, 

thirty. 

5th, 

sixty. 

7th, 

thirteen. 

9th, 

eleven. 

13th, 

five. 

18th, 

three. 

20th, 

eleven. 

21st, 

three. 

25th, 

seven. 

30th, 

three. 

1st, 

one. 

9th  mo.. 

Possibly  some  of  the  birds  here  recorded  may  be  Ardea  egretta. 
In  1896,  recorded  as  early  as  7th  mo.,  8th,  and  as  late  as  10th 
mo.,  7th,  in  1892.— F.  C.  Kirkwood. 

Kennett  Square,  Pa.  Flock  of  white  herons,  seen  during  last 
two  weeks  of  7th  mo.  on  Red  Clay  Creek.  One  specimen,  shot, 
was  examined  by  C.  J.  Pennock. 

Billingsport,  N.  J.  First  seen  about  7th  mo.,  20th.  About 
8th  mo.,  12th,  seen  in  large  numbers.  On  8th  mo.,  16th,  one 
(white)  shot.  On  8th  mo.,  25th,  one  (white)  shot  (seen  at 
Krider's  gun  store).  Departed  about  9th  mo.,  1st.  One  week 
before  9th  mo.,  1st,  about  400  birds  seen  on  the  river  bar. — 
Albert  M.  Barnes. 

Point  Pleasant,  N.  J.  On  7th  mo.,  22d.  Twelve  birds  in 
white  plumage  seen. — Stewardson  Brown. 

At  Ephraim  Pond,  near  Haddonfield,  N.  J.  First  seen  about 
7th  mo.,  24th.  On  7th  mo.,  27th,  twelve  or  fifteen  seen,  one 
in  adult  plumage.  One  (white)  shot  and  brought  to  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences. — Samuel  N.  Rhoads. 

Rancocas,  N.  J.     One  (white)  seen  flying,  three-quarters  of  a 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  19 

mile  above  Centreton,  N.  J.,  on  7th  mo.,  26th.  On  9th  mo., 
14th,  one  in  white  phimage  flew  out  of  gravel  hole  in  which  was 
considerable  water. — Emily  Haines. 

Frederick,  Md.  On  7th  mo.,  30th,  two  birds  in  white  plum- 
age seen  and  shot.  Sent  to  Philadelphia  to  be  mounted. — M. 
Hoke. 

Lenape,  Pa.  One  (white)  seen  on  8th  mo.,  3d,  along  Brandy- 
wine  creek.  Two  were  afterward  shot  and  mounted  in  West 
Chester. — John  D.  Carter. 

Cat  Creek,  Va.  On  8th  mo. ,  8th,  ten  in  white  plumage  seen 
by  F.  C.  Kirkwood. 

Rivertou,  N.  J.  White  birds  seen  on  Delaware  river  mea- 
dows just  after  exceedingly  heavy  rains  of  8th  mo.,  10th. — 
Howard  G.  Taylor. 

Moorestown,  N.  J.,  Lippincotts'  pond.  About  8th  mo.,  12th, 
first  seen.  On  8th  mo.,  17th,  five  seen  by  Morris  Linton.  On 
8th  mo.,  19th,  five  seen  by  Wm.  B.  Evans.  On  8th  mo.,  20th, 
six  seen  by  A.  A.  Mickle.  On  8th  mo.,  21st,  one  seen  by  Chas. 
Evans.     Reported  also  by  Walton  B.  Leeds. 

Westtown,  Pa.  On  8th  mo.,  13th,  one  (white)  seen  with 
broken  leg.  On  8th  mo.,  14th,  three  (white)  seen,  and  two 
(white)  on  8th  mo.,  15th  (James  G.  Vail). — George  Forsythe. 

Gunpowder  Marsh,  Md.  On  8th  mo.,  16th,  one  adult  seen 
from  passing  train  by  Jas.  A.  G.  Rehn. 

Bristol,  Pa.  On  8th  mo.,  17th,  two  (white)  seen  four  miles 
north  of  Bristol.  On  8th  mo.,  24th,  two*  (white)  seen  on 
Florence  Bar,  and  on  same  day  one*  (white)  seen  on  Cross- 
wick's  Creek.  On  9th  mo.,  21st,  fourteen  (white)  seen  below 
Bristol  near  mouth  of  Neshaminy  Creek. — Thomas  D.  Keim. 

Buzby's  Bogs,  near  Taunton,  N.  J.  On  8th  mo.,  23d,  one 
(white)  shot,  mounted  at  Krider's.  On  9th  mo.,  10th,  twelve 
or  fifteen  seen,  and  two  shot.  Seen  to  catch  and  eat  small 
frogs. — A.  C.  Powell. 

The  same  flock  also  reported  by  Joseph  S.  Evans,  of  Marlton, 
N.  J. 

Cupola,  Pa.  On  8th  mo.,  28th,  one  (white)  shot  on  dam  in 
Brandywine  Creek.     Specimen  given  to  Chreswell  J.  Hunt. 

'Claimed  by  Dr.  C  C.  Abbott,  who  was  present,  to  be  A.  mndi'dissima. 


20  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Moorestown,  N.  J.,  Haines'  Pond.  On  8th  mo.,  29th,  six 
seen,  one  in  adult  plumage.  On  8th  mo.,  30th,  one  (white) 
seen.  Also  found  body  of  one  (white),  shot  about  8th  mo., 
16th,  by  boys.  On  9th  mo.,  3d,  one  (white)  seen. — Wm.  B. 
Evans. 

Sharon  Hill,  Pa.  For  week,  8th  mo.,  30th,  to  9th  mo.,  6th, 
a  flock  of  twenty-five  to  thirty  white  herons,  one  dark  blue, 
seen  near  mouth  of  Darby  Creek. — J.  H.  Lincoln. 

Townsend,  Del.  Large  number  seen  on  last  day  of  8th  mo. 
— H.  W.  Wenzel. 

Tinicum  and  Mond's  Islands,  in  Delaware  below  Phila.  For 
two  weeks  from  9th  mo.,  1st,  small  white  herons  and  one  small 
blue  seen.     Fourteen  in  one  flock. — Edward  Singleton. 

New  Jersey  shore,  opposite  Chester,  Pa.  On  9th  mo.,  5th, 
six  (white)  seen  in  shallow  water.  Seen  from  a  passing  boat. 
— F.  N.  Owen. 

New  Egypt,  N.  J.  During  first  two  weeks  of  9th  mo.,  one 
adult  shot  by  J.  R.  Beath,  Jr.,  and  forwarded  to  Phila.  by 
Adams  Express.     Never  arrived. — J.  R.  Beath. 

Mouth  of  Cohansey  Creek,  N.  J.  On  9th  mo.,  10th  and  11th, 
seventy-five  (white)  seen  from  boat. — James  Roney. 

Small  White  Herons  were  also  seen  in  the  following  localities 
but  the  exact  dates  were  not  preserved: 

West  Grove,  Pa.     Along  White  Clay  Creek. — Wm.  B.  Harvey. 

Moylan,  Pa.,  along  Ridley  Creek. — Nathan  Kite. 

Atlantic  Citj-,  N.  J.  (2  specimens  to  be  mounted).- — W.  H. 
Werner. 

Bristol,  Pa.   (flock  of  25-30),  during  8th  mo.— G.  F.  Brown. 

Cape  May,  N.  J.  1  specimen  mounted  at  Kriders. — Vanne- 
man. 

To  the  above  may  be  added  the  notes  contained  in  two  letters, 
received  in  answer  to  requests  for  information. 

*  *  *  "  The  White  Herons  were  first  seen  about  Billingsport 
(N.  J.)  about  July  20th,  but  only  in  small  numbers;  but  about 
the  12th  of  August  a  large  flight  came  on,  and  these  birds  were 
here  in  large  flocks  until  about  September  1st. 

*  *  *  "  From  my  own  observations  and  from  those  of  friends, 
I  estimate  that  on  the  '  Bar '  at  low  water,  fully  four  hundred 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  21 

(400)  of  these  birds  would  congregate  each  day  for  about  a 
week,  when  the  number  began  to  diminish — but  I  am  glad  to 
say  not  from  the  hunter's  gun,  for  they  left  in  small  flocks, 
never  more  than  thirty,  which  did  not  make  their  exit  so 
marked. 

' '  On  Sunday  I  found  an  old  man  who  had  found  a  wounded 
heron  early  in  the  season,  and  now  he  has  made  quite  a  pet  of 
it,  and  while  the  bird  is  now  able  to  fly  from  careful  nursing,  it 
makes  no  eiJort  to  escape  and  seems  entirely  content  with  its 
new  surroundings.  The  old  man  says  he  would  not  part  with 
the  heron  for  $25.00,  for  it  hops  about  his  shanty  and  makes 
him  company.  He  also  told  me  that  the  Heron  will  fly  off  for 
two  hours  sometimes,  but  returns  with  a  morsel  of  food  it  can- 
not procure  around  the  cabin. 
' '  Yours  very  truly, 

(Signed)  "  Albert  M.  Barnes." 

"Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  October  23,  1902. 

*  *  *  "  During  the  time  the  A.  coenilea  are  here  I  am  very 
busy  with  other  work.  To  my  knowledge  the  above-named 
species  has  been  noticed  here  on  the  meadows  for  the  last  three 
or  four  years.  They  make  their  appearance  about  the  last  week 
in  July  or  beginning  of  August,  and  generally  stay  about  two  or 
three  weeks.  Last  year  (1901)  they  were  more  numerous  than 
at  any  other  time. 

I  never  found  them  breeding  here  in  Jersey.  In  1872  I  found 
quite  a  large  colony  of  A.  candidisshna  breeding  in  the  neigh- 
borhood where  Ocean  City  is  now  located.  I  counted  as  high 
as  eight  or  ten  nests  on  one  tree.  I  secured  some  magnificent 
specimens  of  birds  and  also  nests  and  eggs,  which  are  now  in 
the  collection  of  Lehigh  University,  Bethlehem,  Pa.  There 
were  also  a  few  sets  of  A.  virescens,  but  no  sign  of  the  Little 
Blue  Heron  {A.  coerulea).  *  *  * 
Respectfully, 

(Signed)  W.  H.  Werner. 


Notes  on  the  Germantown  Crackle  Roost 

BY  ARTHUR  COPE  EMLEN 

There  is  nothing  new  to  any  of  us  in  tlie  fact  that  many  of 
our  birds  which  may  not  be  especially  sociable  during  the  day 
congregate  in  large  numbers  to  pass  the  night  together  in  some 
favorite  spot.  And  yet  common  as  this  occurrence  may  be, 
there  are  comparatively  few  accounts  of  such  g.atherings. 

Occasionally  we  find  mention  of  such  a  habit  in  the  Grackle, 
but  with  the  exception  of  Prof.  Lynds  Jones'  paper  on  ' '  The 
Oberlin  Grackle  Roost,"  there  is  no  satisfactory  account  of  the 
roosting. 

Therefore  with  the  hope  of  being  able  to  throw  a  little  more 
light  upon  the  life  history  of  the  Purple  Grackle,  I  will  discuss 
in  some  detail  a  favorably  situated  roost  that  it  has  been  my 
privilege  to  studj'  in  the  upper  part  of  Germantown,  Phila. 

Forty-five  years  ago  the  land  which  is  now  occupied  by  the 
roost  was  waste  pasture  land,  but  not  long  afterwards  many 
young  trees  were  planted  there,  and  soon  the  Grackles  and 
Robins  began  to  congregate  in  the  grove  in  noticeable  numbers. 
At  first  they  did  not  use  the  place  so  much  as  a  roost  as  a  breed- 
ing ground,  the  number  of  young  evergreens  with  their  thick 
shelter  seeming  to  attract  them. 

As  time  went  on  and  the  deciduous  trees  grew  larger  and  the 
evergreens  were  thinned  out  to  give  them  more  room,  the 
Grackles  began  to  take  to  the  deciduous  trees;  but  this  time 
more  for  roosting  purposes,  until  to-day  not  more  than  twelve 
pair  of  Grackles  build  on  the  whole  fifty  acres,  while  hundreds 
come  every  evening  all  through  the  breeding  season  to  roost, 
and  as  the  summer  advances  this  number  increases  until  by 
August  the  whole  country-side  of  Grackles  comes  regularly  to 
spend  the  night  in  the  few  small  patches  of  beech  and  maple 
which  occupy  the  southwestern  slope  of  these  grounds. 

(22) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  23 

Why  this  spot  should  be  chosen  from  the  number  of  seem- 
ingly more  acceptable  places,  is  more  than  I  can  tell,  unless  it 
be  for  the  fact  that  the  birds  are  undoubtedly  less  disturbed 
where  they  now  roost  than  they  would  be  in  any  other  woods 
in  the  near  vicinity.  But  to  my  knowledge  they  have  never 
tried  roosting  anywhere  else,  so  how  they  realize  this  protection 
is  a  question. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  dislodge  this  roost  by 
shooting  off  rockets  and  the  like,  but  as  it  was  not  kept  up  for 
any  length  of  time,  it  did  not  seem  to  affect  them  to  any  extent. 

During  August  and  September,  Robins,  Cowbirds  and  Red- 
winged  Blackbirds  seem  to  get  the  social  fever  and  collect  in 
great  quantities  to  roost  in  the  lower  branches.  Even  the  Eng- 
lish Sparrow  seems  to  approve  of  this  method  of  spending  the 
nighV",  as  every  evening  at  sundown  the  lowest  branches  of  the 
beeches  are  filled  with  them  and  their  quarrels. 

This  habit  of  roosting  in  large  quantities  is  so  interwoven 
with  the  rest  of  the  Crackle's  life  that  a  more  thorough  ac- 
quaintance with  the  life  history  of  the  bird  is  necessary  before  a 
satisfactory  conchision  may  be  reached.  With  this  idea  in  view 
then,  let  us  follow  this  bird  from  the  time  he  comes  to  us  in  the 
spring  until  his  departure  in  the  late  fall. 

Any  warm  spell  during  the  winter  is  very  apt  to  bring  a  small 
bunch  of  Crackles  back  to  the  roost  for  a  night  or  so,  or  as  long 
as  the  warm  weather  lasts.  In  fact,  during  the  winter  of  1897-8, 
about  50  birds  stayed  at  the  roost  all  winter,  with  the  exception 
of  only  a  few  nights.  Towards  the  last  of  February  a  few 
Crackles  generally  come  to  stay  and  this  number  increases  all 
through  March,  until  by  the  first  of  April  they  liave  begun  to 
think  of  mating  and  are  scattering  over  the  neighboring  country 
in  pairs. 

Of  course  the  number  of  nightly  visitors  at  this  season  dwin- 
dles down  to  comparatively  few,  but  there  are  always  some  who 
do  not  seem  to  have  any  domestic  cares,  and  these,  with  the 
help  of  a  few  old  males  who  have  their  nests  in  the  vicinity, 
keep  up  the  roost. 

Not  long  after  this  the  earliest  of  the  broods  are  about  readj' 
to  leave  the  nest,  and  as  the  strongest  gets  ready  to  fly,  he  is 


24  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

brought  to  the  roost  by  the  old  male,  and  so  until  the  last 
comes,  accompanied  by  the  mother  bird. 

About  this  time  the  molting  begins  for  the  old  birds,  and  as 
the  fruit  is  just  ripening,  they  need  take  no  long  flights  in  search 
of  food. 

By  collecting  the  cast  wing  feathers  that  were  found  on  the 
lawns  or  near  the  roost  each  day,  and  comparing  them  with 
those  of  a  museum  specimen,  I  found  that  the  first  feathers  lost 
were  the  innermost  primaries,  while  toward  the  close  of  the 
molting  season  those  picked  up  were  the  outer  primaries  or  the 
secondaries.  This  coincided  exactly  with  Mr.  Stone's  state- 
ments, based  upon  a  study  of  molting  specimens. 

The  general  habits  of  the  Grackles  vary  according  to  their 
diet,  as  in  June,  while  molting  their  flight  feathers,  they  are 
content  to  stay  near-by  and  catch  grasshoppers  in  the  newly- 
mown  hay-fields  or  rob  cherry  trees  and  blackberry  vines.  As 
their  flight  feathers  get  a  little  stronger,  they  visit  the  neighbor- 
ing fields  of  green  corn  and  other  cultivated  fields,  still  taking 
time  to  scatter  over  the  lawns  just  before  going  to  roost  in 
search  of  worms  and  insects. 

As  the  summer  wears  on  and  the  food  becomes  scarcer  the 
Grackles  have  to  go  great  distances,  but  unfortunately  I  have  not 
been  able  to  discover  many  of  these  distant  feeding  grounds  and 
therefore  cannot  give  a  very  accurate  account  of  how  far  from 
the  roost  they  actually  feed. 

The  only  way  I  have  been  able  to  form  any  estimate  of  the 
distance  these  birds  traveled  was  by  stationing  myself  at  some 
point  of  advantage  and  watching  the  lines  of  flight,  but  even 
then  I  could  only  learn  that  they  came  from  great  distances. 

While  at  Medford,  N.  J.,  about  September  1st,  I  noticed  on 
two  separate  afternoons  Grackles  flying  west  at  a  great  height. 
Medford  is  about  thirty  miles  east  of  the  Grackle  roost  at  Ger- 
mantown,  and  as  Grackles  are  seen  ever}'  afternoon  coming 
from  the  east  at  a  great  height  I  think  there  is  little  doubt  but 
that  they,  in  some  instances,  have  their  feeding  grounds  more 
than  thirty  miles  distant. 

A  better  understanding  of  the  arrival  and  departure  of  these 
birds  may  be  formed  from  the  detailed  account  of  Sept.  12,  1900, 
station  on  top  of  house  near  roost: 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  25 

5:15  a.  m.     No  Crackles  to  be  seen  or  heard. 

5:25  a.  m.  First  birds  begin  to  call  and  move  about  in  the 
trees. 

5 :35  a.  m.  All  birds  are  moving  about  and  making  a  great 
deal  of  noise.  One  tremendous  flock  has  just  risen,  flying 
north. 

5:45  a.  m.  Sun  rising  and  not  a  Grackle  to  be  found  at  the 
roost. 

6:30  p.  m.  Grackles  have  been  coming  in  in  scattered  bands 
from  all  points,  but  now  the  main  body  of  the  flight  has  passed. 

6:50  p.  m.  Few  belated  stragglers  are  hurrying  in  to  join 
others  at  the  roost. 

7:00  p.  m.  Apparently  all  the  birds  have  arrived  at  the 
roost,  but  still  very  nois}'. 

7 :20  p.  m.     All  quiet. 

These  observations  are  typical  of  the  whole  roosting  period. 
The  birds  wake  with  the  break  of  day  and  keep  up  a  continual 
noise  until  sunrise,  when  they  leave  the  roost  to  return  again 
with  the  setting  of  the  sun,  and  all  noise  ceases  as  darkness  falls. 
The  Grackles  come  in  earlier  on  a  rainy  day  but  do  not  quiet 
down  sooner  than  usual.  As  summer  advances  the  flocking  in- 
creases steadily  and  the  number  in  the  roost  does  not  decrease 
until  about  the  middle  of  November,  when  the  colony  rapidly 
grows  less. 

The  young  birds  are  fed  by  the  parents  for  some  days  after 
they  begin  to  occupy  the  roost. 

These  notes  form  simply  an  outline  of  the  history  and  life  of 
this  roost,  but  they  will  I  trust  give  some  idea  of  what  a  field 
for  study  there  is  in  this  phase  of  the  Grackle' s  life — a  study 
which  will  well  repay  any  one  who  has  the  time  and  opportunity 
to  devote  to  it. 


The  Heart  of  the  New  Jersey  Pine  Barrens 

BY    HERBERT    L.    COGGINS 

As  the  scientific  ornithologist  might  readily  conceive,  a  forced 
march,  even  of  six  days,  across  the  New  Jersey  "Barrens"  is 
not  likely  to  yield  notes  of  any  great  value  to  the  science  of 
ornithology.  When,  therefore,  the  writer  was  asked  to  give  an 
account  of  himself  and  of  the  others  who  made  the  aforesaid 
trip,  his  reluctance  in  complying  was  due  less  to  his  extreme 
modesty  than  to  the  fact  that  there  really  seemed  so  little  to  say 
relative  to  bird  life. 

Our  plan  of  travel  as  outlined  was  to  start  from  the  town  of 
Medford,  situated  just  on  the  edge  of  the  barren  region  in  Bur- 
lington County,  New  Jersey,  and  work  our  way  east,  stopping 
at  such  points  along  the  route  as  might  be  desirable,  with  the 
ultimate  purpose  of  investigating  that  particularly  interesting 
portion  of  the  Barrens  known  as  the  "plains."  With  this  in 
view,  Witmer  Stone,  J.  A.  G.  Rehn,  and  the  writer,  accom- 
panied by  a  horse  and  wagon  bearing  a  generous  load  of  provis- 
ions and  the  paraphernalia  common  to  the  collector,  started  forth 
from  Medford  on  June  17,  1901. 

In  commenting  upon  our  outfit  we  could  not  feel  justified  in 
omitting  our  mosquito  armor,  a  very  admirable  apparatus,  which 
although  distinctly  a  failure  as  a  means  of  protection,  neverthe- 
less proved  of  undoubted  service  in  the  capturing  of  tadpoles 
and  many  varieties  of  insects. 

Our  camp  on  the  first  night  was  pitched  on  the  edge  of  the 
Batsto  river,  which  is  in  reaUty  a  small  creek  draining  the  sur- 
rounding bogs.  To  some  of  us  whose  previous  camping  expe- 
rience had  been  Umited,  the  first  night  on  the  Jersey  Barrens 
was  not  one  of  unwonted  luxury,  but  it  was  a  night  long  to  be 
remembered.  From  all  sides  came  the  notes  of  the  Whii)-poor- 
wills  so  close  at  hand  as  to  be  fully  distinguishable  above  the 

(26) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  27 

chorus  of  the  mosquitoes.  A  damp  fog  was  rising  from  the 
marsh  below,  and  this  with  the  fact  that  the  thermometer  was 
well  down  in  the  fifties  did  little  to  gladden  our  hearts.  Nor 
was  our  party  cheered  to  any  noticeable  extent  when  the  horse, 
which  had  apparently  been  of  unsettled  mind  the  whole  even- 
ing, suddenly  broke  halter  and  started  ofif  in  the  dark  towards 
Medford.  However,  our  party  was  again  united  somewhat  less 
than  a  mile  from  camp  and  the  rest  of  the  night  was  passed  in 
a  less  exciting  manner. 

We  arose  in  the  morning  with  a  feeling  comparable  to  the 
physical  pangs  of  Rip  Van  Winkle  awakening  from  his  twenty 
years'  sleep  on  a  granite  bed,  except  possibly  for  the  fact  that 
the  latter  did  get  some  sleep.  The  notes  of  the  Whip-poor-wills, 
which  had  kept  up  almost  incessantly  during  the  night,  had 
now,  as  the  sun  rose,  subsided  to  a  gentle  murmur. 

After  breakfast  and  a  hurried  preparation,  we  left  behind  us 
the  pine  region  surrounding  the  Batsto  and  struck  out  across 
the  barrens. 

It  was  well  into  the  afternoon  of  our  second  day  that  our 
party,  tired,  hungry  and  eager  for  an  excuse  to  rest,  arrived 
at  the  little  town  of  Speedwell.  After  the  weary  stretches  of  the 
barrens,  this  little  village  presented  to  one's  eyes  a  very  pleasing 
contrast.  Though  its  entire  population  numbers  now  but  four 
persons,  Speedwell  occupies  a  very  considerable  clearing  on  the 
edge  of  a  cedar  swamp  in  the  very  heart  of  the  Jersey  Barrens. 

Some  fifty  years  ago,  the  little  village  was  a  thriving  settle- 
ment, owing  its  existence  to  the  iron  which  was  then  extracted 
from  the  soil  of  the  neighboring  bog.  When  this  industry  no 
longer  paid.  Speedwell  declined  until  it  is  now  but  a  few  dilapi- 
dated houses  and  the  remnant  of  the  old  iron  furnace. 

The  clearing,  however,  with  its  meadows,  orchards  and  shade 
trees  remains,  and  so  affords  shelter  for  many  birds  which, 
however  common  they  may  be  in  our  own  farm  lands,  are 
strangers  to  the  immediately  surrounding  country.  Here  we 
found  the  Dove,  Chimney  Swift,  Humming  bird.  Red-eyed 
Vireo,  Orchard  Oriole,  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo  and  Purple  Martin. 

It  was  in  this  almost  home-like  region  then  that  we  decided 
to  take  up  our  headquarters  and  made  preparation  accordingly. 


28  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

It  was  here,  too,  that  in  the  interims  of  our  conflict  with  liordes 
of  mosquitoes,  we  prepared  to  collect  specimens  and  make  ob- 
servations upon  our  surroundings. 

Roughly  speaking,  the  Barrens  occupy  the  whole  of  New  Jer- 
sey, south  of  a  line  drawn  between  ]\Ionmouth  and  Salem  coun- 
ties. Yet  while  crossing  this  district  we  are  constantly  struck 
by  the  great  variation  in  the  physical  character  of  closely  ad- 
joining areas,  and  at  the  same  time  we  are  reminded  of  how 
much  certain  species  of  birds  are  dependent  upon  these  same 
physical  characters  for  their  distribution. 

For  instance,  while  passing  the  cultivated  district  of  higher 
tree  growth,  between  Jledford  and  the  little  village  of  White 
Horse,  we  noted,  among  other  species,  the  Scarlet  Tanager, 
Downy  Woodpecker  and  Indigo  Bunting.  None  of  these  birds 
were  observed  at  any  other  locality. 

Although  the  whole  of  the  region  covered  by  our  trip  beyond 
White  Horse  is  spoken  of  as  the  "  Barrens,"  it,  nevertheless, 
presents  two  very  different  and  almost  contrasting  physical  char- 
acters— the  cedar  swamps  and  the  plains. 

The  somewhat  circular  outlines  of  the  cedar  swamps  occur 
through  the  entire  barrens  and  form  one  of  the  most  striking 
features  of  the  region.  These  swamps,  or  bogs,  more  properly, 
are  apparently  but  shallow  pools  of  amber-colored  water  stained 
by  the  moulding  vegetation.  In  some  cases  their  origin  can  be 
traced  to  the  overflow  of  a  nearby  stream  or  else  it  is  the  drain 
from  impervious  soil  collecting  in  a  slight  depression.  Upward 
from  this  grows  an  almost  impenetrable  jungle  of  white  cedar, 
rendered  even  more  difficult  of  traverse  by  a  dense  growth  of 
underbrush.  Such  a  growth,  and  particularly  in  such  an  iso- 
lated area  as  the  Barrens,  might  well  shelter  many  of  our  rarer 
and  wilder  species.  It  was  only  in  these  secluded  fortresses 
that  we  found  such  birds  as  the  Parula  Warbler,  White-eyed 
Vireo,  Hairy  Woodpecker  and  White-bellied  Swallow,  all  of 
which  seemed  to  be  characteristic  of  the  cedar  swamp. 

\\'hile  exploring  one  of  these  bogs  I  was  again  impressed  with 
the  peculiarity  in  the  notes  of  certain  individuals  of  the  Maryland 
Yellow -throat,  a  fact  which  I  had  previously  noted  in  the  case 
of  one  or  two  birds  in  a  somewhat  similar  locality  on  the  island 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  29 

of  Martha's  Vineyard.  If  we  may  represent  the  usual  song  of 
this  bird  by  the  oft-quoted  syllables  "  Witch'-er-yl  Witch'-er-y! 
Witch'-er-y!"  then  the  call  of  the  exceptional  individuals  would 
be  expressed  by  the  differently -accented  syllables,  ' '  Witch-er'-y ! 
Witch-er'-y!  Witch-ei-'-y!"  So  great  was  the  effect  produced  by 
this  apparently  simple  variation,  that  on  more  than  one  occasion 
the  writer  was  misled  into  the  search  for  a  rare  bird  by  what 
finally  revealed  itself  in  the  form  of  a  Maryland  Yellow-throat. 

In  direct  contrast  to  the  cedar  swamps  are  the  so-called 
"plains."  These  are  locally  known  as  the  East  and  West 
Plains,  and  are  situated  on  the  border  between  Ocean  and  Bur- 
lington Counties.  It  is  in  these  spots  that  the  Barrens  reach 
their  most  emphasized  form. 

As  we  near  the  plains  the  scrub  oak,  which  had  been  decreas- 
ing noticeably  in  size  ever  since  leaving  White  Horse,  now  sinks 
to  waist,  and  then  knee-high.  A  singular  region,  hot,  level, 
dry.  We  wade  into  the  scrub  scarce  able  to  believe  that  it  is 
over  the  top  of  a  dwarf  forest  that  we  are  gazing  for  miles.  Its 
barrenness,  except  for  the  stunted  vegetation,  recalls  vividly  to 
our  mind  long  forgotten  descriptions  of  desert  regions.  The 
heat  rising  from  the  parched  ground  gives  a  blur  of  uncer- 
tainty to  distant  outlines,  and  we  close  our  eyes  involuntarily 
before  the  glare  of  the  sun  on  the  exposed  gravel  areas.  Che- 
winks  and  Brown  Thrashers  scuffle  listless  in  the  dry  soil.  A 
mere  speck  in  the  open  sky,  a  Turkey  Vulture,  circles  lazily  for 
a  time,  then  drops  from  view  beyond  the  horizon.  A  httle  tree- 
lizard  at  our  step  scurries  across  a  gravel  patch  and  disappears 
under  the  dry  leaves.  The  only  other  sound  of  life  is  the 
weary,  vibrant  trill  of  the  Prairie  Warbler,  which  rises  on  the 
hot  air  like  a  supplication  for  life. 

Bird  life  on  the  East  Plains  was  represented  by  the  Chewink, 
Prairie  Warbler,  Field  Sparrow,  Brown  Thrasher  and  Maryland 
Yellow-throat.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  writer's  previous  expe- 
rience in  the  scrub  oak  regions  on  the  Island  of  Martha's  Vine- 
yard, the  presence  of  the  two  last  species  would  have  been 
puzzling,  to  say  the  least.  To  all  appearance  the  Maryland 
Yellow-throat  was  at  much  at  home  among  the  dry  scrub,  miles 
from  water,  as  he  would  have  been  in  the  most  tangled  briers 
of  the  cedar  swamp. 


30  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

A  curious  fact  about  the  Brown  Thrasher,  whom  we  are  accus- 
tomed to  associate  with  the  fence  posts  and  blackberry  bushes, 
is  that  on  these  plains  and  in  other  such  localities  the  nest  is 
almost  invariably  built  on  the  ground. 

On  the  fourth  day  after  our  arrival  at  Speedwell  we  visited  the 
West  Plains.  Although  the  two  regions  are  in  close  proximity 
there  is  one  noticeable  difference  in  the  physical  character  of 
the  East  and  West  Plains,  at  least  in  the  sections  visited  by  us. 
The  scrub  oak  (  Querms  nana  and  viarylandim)  which  is  so  con- 
spicuous a  feature  of  the  former  region  is,  in  the  West  Plains,  de- 
cidedly outnumbered  by  the  dwarfed  pine  {P'mus  rigidd)  whose 
branches  instead  of  growing  perpendicular  have  spread  them- 
selves octopus-like  over  the  surrounding  ground.  Some  of  the 
monarchs  of  this  forest  are  only  a  foot  high  with  branches  but 
two  feet  in  length,  but  nevertheless  loaded  with  cones. 

We  found  here  too  in  abundance  the  Prairie  Warbler,  Che- 
wink,  Field  Sparrow  and  Maryland  Yellow-throat,  but  singularly 
enough  the  Brown  Thrasher  was  not  observed  by  any  of  the 
party. 

In  journeying  to  the  West  Plains  our  road  on  one  occasion 
led  us  through  a  low  swampy  area  covered  with  scrub  oak, 
above  which  towered  the  gaunt,  bleached  trunks  of  what  were 
once  large  trees,  now  riddled  and  worn  by  the  bills  of  genera- 
tions of  woodpeckers.  Here  much  to  my  surprise  we  encount- 
ered the  House  Wren  in  considerable  numbers,  scolding  and 
warbling  in  turns,  and  fully  as  self-possessed  as  about  our  yards 
and  buildings. 

The  night  following  our  visit  to  the  West  Plains  was  spent  at 
Jones'  Mill,  a  little  settlement  on  the  edge  of  a  mill  pond  some 
three  miles  north  of  Speedwell.  According  to  Mr.  Lee,  who  had 
kindly  allowed  us  to  take  shelter  for  the  night  in  his  straw 
shed,  a  pair  of  Black  Ducks  were  then  nesting  in  the  marsh  at 
the  upper  end  of  the  pond.  Our  time  being  limited,  however, 
we  were  unable  to  confirm  this  record.  Indeed,  the  only  obser- 
vations made  during  our  stay  at  Jones'  Mill  were  those  disprov- 
ing a  surmise  of  the  previous  evening  to  the  effect  that  Speed- 
well was  the  headquarters  of  all  mosquitoes  dwelling  in  the 
Barrens.     Further  experience  along  these   lines  convinced  us 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  31 

that  in  seeking  shelter  in  Mr.  Lee's  straw  shed  we  had  unwit- 
tingly stumbled  into  what  was  probably  the  very  council  (cham- 
ber of  these  most  attentive  insects.  It  is  to  the  latter  rather 
enforced  discovery  that  we  can  directly  attribute  our  unusually 
early  start  on  the  following  morning. 

It  was  about  five  o'  clock  on  the  morning  of  our  sixth  day  out 
from  Medford  that  we  started  on  the  return  journey.  This  was, 
indeed,  a  forced  march,  urged  by  that  perfectly  natural  desire 
to  get  through  with  a  tedious  task.  One  by  one  we  passed  the 
little  villages  of  Chatsworth,  Friendship,  White  Horse  and  Red 
Lion.  The  sun,  now  at  its  height,  poured  down  mercilessly 
upon  the  tired  and  thirsty  travelers.  A  few  Turkey  Vultures, 
soaring  just  overhead,  survey  us  with  expectant  eyes,  but  we, 
ungrateful  for  this  unusual  attention,  plod  onward. 

Probably  Ulysses  in  olden  times  was  not  more  delighted,  after 
his  long  wanderings,  by  the  sight  of  his  beloved  Ithaca,  than 
were  we  as  upon  coming  within  sight  of  Catoxen  Cabin,  our 
starting  point  on  the  outskirts  of  Medford.  And  yet  none  of  us 
regret  our  trip,  but  look  eagerly  forward  to  a  future  visit  to  those 
peculiarly  interesting  regions — the  New  Jersey  Barrens. 


Report  on  the  Spring  Migration  of  1902 

BY  WITMER    STOXE 

The  study  of  bird  migration  was  the  primary  object  in  the 
organization  of  the  Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club  in 
1890,  and  for  several  years  much  attention  was  given  to  collect- 
ing data  upon  this  subject.  After  a  time,  however,  the  inability 
of  the  members  to  make  daily  field  observations  prevented  the 
continuance  of  the  work.  The  results  obtained  are  embodied  in 
the  introductory  portion  of  the  "  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey." 

With  the  general  spread  of  popular  bird  study  during  the 
last  few  j'ears,  the  number  of  persons  capable  of  assisting  in  this 
line  of  work  has  been  vastly  increased  and  the  Club,  therefore, 
decided  to  again  undertake  the  study  of  migration  in  the  Dela- 
ware Valley. 

In  the  spring  of  1902,  schedules  for  recording  observations 
were  sent  to  a  number  of  persons  who  were  regarded  as  possible 
co-operators  in  the  undertaking,  and  a  very  encouraging  re- 
sponse was  the  result,  so  that  we  are  able  to  prepare  a  report  of 
more  than  ordinary  interest  on  the  spring  migration  of  1902. 

Those  who  have  aided  in  this  work  and  their  stations  are  as 
follows; 

NEW    JERSEY. 

H.  Walker  Hand,  Cape  May. 
Mrs.  E.  M.  Hamlin,  Haddonfield. 
Wm.  B.  Evans,  Moorestown. 
Anna  A.  Mickle,  Moorestown. 
Rachel  E.  Allison,  Yardville. 
Emily  Haines,  Rancocas. 
Josiah  H.  Clark,  Paterson. 
W.  D.  W.  Miller,  Plainfield. 

(32) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  33 

PENNSYLVANIA. 

Charles  J.  Pennock,  Kennett  Square. 
Mrs.  Katharine  R.  Styer,  Concordville. 
G.  W.  Trimble,  Lenape. 
William  Carter,  Lenape. 
J.  K.  Brown,  Jr.,  Westtown. 
Edith  Smedley,  Westtown. 
Hugh  E.  Stone,  Coatesville. 
Howard  Y.  Pennell,  M.  D.,  Downingtown. 
Frank  L.  Burns,  Berwyn. 
John  D.  Carter,  Haverford. 
Miss  Dorothy  Farnum,  Rosemont  to  Haverford. 
William  L.  Baily,  Ardmore. 
William  J.  Serrill,  Ardmore. 
Miss  Emily  Hinds  Thomas,  Bryn  Mawr. 
James  F.  Prendergast,  M.  D.,  West  Fairmount  Park. 
William  E.  Hannum,  Swarthmore. 
William  E.  Roberts,  Swarthmore. 
Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore. 
L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  Tinicum. 
Fredk.  N.  Owen,  Mt.  Moriah. 
Aldrich  J.  Pennock,  Lansdowne. 
Anna  D.  White,  Lansdowne. 
Harold  Evans,  Germantown. 
Frank  Miles  Day,  Germantown. 
Samuel  Mason,  Jr.,  Germantown. 
William  H.  Trotter,  Chestnut  Hill. 
George  S.  Morris,  Olnej'. 
Thomas  D.  Keim,  Bristol. 

Edward  Pickering,  Jr.,  Woodbourne,  Bucks  Co. 
Otto  McCreary,  George  School,  Newtown. 
Albert  C.  Rutter,  Perkasie. 
W.  H.  Buller,  Marietta. 
William  A.  Kelker,  Harrisburg. 
August  Koch,  Williamsport. 

In  a  limited  area  two  phases  of  migration  may  be  studied: 
1st.  The  fluctuation  in  the  number  of  birds  both  as  to  Individ- 


34  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

uals  and  species,  and  its  relations  to  variation  in  temperature 
and  meteorological  conditions.  2n(l.  The  variation  in  the  time 
of  arrival  of  the  various  species  at  a  number  of  stations  of  differ- 
ent geographical  position  both  with  respect  to  latitude,  altitude 
and  proximity  to  water  courses. 

The  first  line  of  investigation  requires  a  daily  estimate  of  the 
number  of  individuals  of  each  species  present  in  a  given  district, 
and  necessitates  extreme  care  and  accurateness  on  the  part  of 
the  observer  as  well  as  uniformitj'  in  the  length  of  time  spent  in 
the  field  and  in  the  extent  of  country  covered  each  day — re- 
quirements almost  impossible  on  the  part  of  the  majority  of 
observers.  In  fact,  previous  experience  has  shown  us  that  in 
the  majority  of  records  of  this  kind,  the  increased  opportunity 
for  observation  on  Sundays  or  holidays  always  makes  an  appar- 
ent increase  in  the  migratory  movement  on  these  dates,  and 
while  this  work  was  carried  on  with  success  by  a  few  observers 
in  1890  and  1891  it  is  impractical  for  general  investigations. 

Our  efforts  for  the  present  year  have  therefore  been  devoted 
to  recording  the  "  first  arrivals"  at  as  many  stations  as  possible. 
Occasional  early  arrivals  in  advance  of  the  bulk  of  the  species 
are  often  noted,  but  no  attempt  has  been  made  to  have  the  ob- 
server note  the  "arrival  of  the  bulk"  since  experience  has 
shown  such  a  variation  in  the  interpretation  of  this  term  that 
the  records  are  much  less  comparable  than  those  of  "first 
arrival." 

In  tabulating  the  arrivals  of  a  species  at  a  number  of  nearby 
stations  a  considerable  variation  in  the  dates  is  noticed,  due: 
(1)  to  the  fact  that  some  observers  are  more  regularly  afield  and 
detect  the  presence  of  a  species  as  soon  as  it  arrives,  while  others 
are  not  out  so  often  or  are  not  as  keen  observers;  and  (2),  to 
the  fact  that  each  observer  covers  only  a  limited  area  and  often- 
times the  first  individuals  of  a  species  may  drop  into  his  neigh- 
bor's wood  several  days  before  any  of  them  find  their  way  into 
his  own  ground.  These  causes  of  error  are  found  to  be  largely 
eliminated  by  having  a  number  of  observers  clustered  in  one 
vicinity  and  by  combining  their  records;  selecting  the  earliest 
date  for  each  species.  The  resultant  record  compared  with  a 
similar  composite  record  for  some  other  district  will  give  a  more 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  35 

reliable  idea  of  the  progress  of  migration  than  can  be  obtained 
by  comparing  any  two  individual  records. 

II. 

In  preparing  a  report  on  the  spring  migration  of  1902  we 
have  not  attempted  to  publish  all  the  data  contained  in  the  in- 
dividual records,  as  much  of  the  information  can  only  be  util- 
ized when  we  have  records  covering  several  consecutive  years, 
from  which  we  can  make  comparisons  and  draw  deductions. 

For  the  present  we  have  prepared  two  tables,  the  first,  com- 
prising observations  on  all  of  the  ninety  birds  printed  on  the 
lists,  as  recorded  at  fourteen  stations  situated  approximately 
within  ten  miles  of  Philadelphia.  This  gives  a  summary  of 
observations  on  migration  in  what  we  may  call  the  "Philadel- 
phia District"  for  the  year  1902.  To  this  has  been  appended 
a  list  of  other  species  or  additional  notes  on  those  contained  in 
the  table,  as  furnished  by  observers. 

Table  II.  consists  of  observations  on  thirty-two  of  the  best 
known  and  most  easily  identified  species  at  sixteen  stations  out- 
side the  ten-mile  circle,  compared  with  the  observations  within 
that  district  which  have  in  this  table  been  combined  in  the  way 
above  described  into  four  sections,  as  follows: 

I.  Moorestown,   N.  J. 

II.  Tinicum,  Swarlhmore,  Lansdowne  and  Mt.  Moriah,  Pa. 

III.  West  Fairmount  Park,  Ardmore,  Haverford  and  Bryn 
Mawr,  Pa. 

IV.  Germantown,  Chestnut  Hill  and  Olney,  Pa. 
Haddonfield,  N.  J.,  would  have  formed  another  section  but 

the  oliservations  from   there  were  not  sufficiently  complete  to 
warrant  their  use  in  this  table. 

The  location  of  most  of  the  stations  ma}'  be  seen  on  the 
map  accompanying  Table  II.  B3'  studying  the  tables  a 
pretty  accurate  idea  of  the  time  of  arrival  of  the  various  spe- 
cies may  be  obtained,  especially  in  the  Philadelphia  district 
where  so  many  observers  have  been  in  the  field.  So  far 
as  comparisons  are  concerned,  however,  results  can  only  be 
regarded  as   tentative   until  verified  by  the  records  of  several 


36  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

years.      Some  conclusions  however  seem  obvious  and  are  of 
considerable  interest. 

Comparisons  of  the  Foiir  Local  Sections. — As  explained  above  it 
is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  first  individuals  of  a  species 
are  likely  to  reach  such  closely  situated  stations  as  Bryn  Mawr, 
Haverford,  Ardmore  and  West  Park  on  the  same  day,  even 
though  through  force  of  circumstances  the  observers  at  these 
stations  were  not  all  able  to  record  the  bird  on  that  day,  conse- 
quently by  taking  the  earliest  date  recorded  at  any  one  of  these 
stations  we  will  probably  have  the  date  of  the  appearance  of 
that  bird  within  the  circle  bounding  these  localities.  For  in- 
stance we  have  the  Catbird  reported  from  these  four  stations  on 
April  24,  April  30,  April  27  and  May  1.  The  Bryn  INIawr  date 
April  24,  being  the  earliest,  is  no  doubt  the  first  appearance  of 
the  species  in  this  section,  while  the  other  dates  indicate  either 
the  fact  that  the  observers  at  these  stations  were  unable  to  make 
a  thorough  search  for  birds  on  the  24th,  or  that  the  earliest  flight 
of  Catbirds  did  not  visit  the  limited  area  covered  by  their 
observations.  If  we  now  examine  the  dates  for  the  Catbird  in 
the  section  including  Tinicum,  Swarthmore,  Lansdowne  and 
Mt.  Moriah,  we  find  the  dates  to  be  April  26,  April  23,  April  26, 
May  2;  the  earliest  date  for  the  section  being  the  Swarthmore 
one  April  23;  a  very  close  coincidence  with  the  date  for  the  sec- 
tion just  north,  which  we  have  shown  to  be  April  24. 

Considering  now  the  dates  of  arrival  of  the  Brown  Thrasher, 
we  have  within  the  Philadelphia  district  records  from  twelve 
stations  as  follows:  April  22  (2),  April  23,  April  24  (4),  April 
25,  April  26  (2),  April  27  and  May  1,  a  diversity  of  ten  days; 
combining  these  into  the  four  sections  we  have  Moorestown  sec- 
tion, April  22;  Swarthmore  section,  April  22;  Ardmore  section, 
April  23;  Olney  section,  April  24;  a  diversity  of  only  two  days, 
from  which  we  may  infer  that  the  first  Thrashers  reached  the 
Philadelphia  district  on  April  22,  appearing  at  points  in  the 
low  grounds  along  the  Delaware  from  Swarthmore  to  Moores- 
town, and  the  next  day  or  the  day  following  reached  the  higher 
ground  north  of  the  city  and  the  headwaters  of  Cobb's  and 
Darby  creeks. 

Comparing  now  the  arrivals  of  twenty-six  species  which  are 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  37 

recorded  from  all  four  sections  we  find  that  the  sections  stand 
as  follows: 


Swarthmore. 

Moorestown. 

Ardmore. 

Olney. 

First 

14 

10 

4 

6 

Second 

7 

7 

6 

5 

Third       . 

3 

2 

11 

7 

Fourth 

2 

7 

6 

8 

That  is  to  say  the  Swarthmore  section  was  the  firpt  to  report 
fourteen  of  the  twenty-six  species,  the  second  to  report  seven, 
the  third  to  report  three  and  the  last  to  report  two,  etc.  If  we 
should  give  a  rank  of  26  to  the  station  which  reported  all  the 
species  first,  then  the  four  sections  would  have  the  relative  rat- 
ing of  Swarthmore  45,  Moorestown  58,  Ardmore  71,  Olney  69. 
In  other  words  the  average  time  of  arrival  of  birds  is  earliest 
in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  Philadelphia  district  in  the 
low  grounds,  and  the  majority  of  the  species  push  northeast 
along  the  river  reaching  the  point  where  it  enters  the  district 
usually  a  little  before  any  of  the  individuals  push  back  into  the 
higher  ground  of  the  Ardmore  and  Olney  sections,  in  which 
the  relative  time  of  arrival  averages  about  the  same. 

In  the  species  of  which  we  have  reason  to  believe  the  obser- 
vations are  most  accurate  we  find  the  difference  of  arrival  in 
any  two  sections  only  a  matter  of  one  or  two  days,  and  in  some 
species  there  is  little  doubt  but  that  individuals  reached  every 
part  of  the  Philadelphia  circle  on  the  same  day. 

When  we  come  to  make  comparisons  among  the  stations  out- 
side the  Philadelphia  circle  our  deductions  are  extremely  tenta- 
tive owing  to  the  fact  that  we  have  as  a  rule  only  one  observer 
at  each  station  and  many  of  the  records  are  admittedly  defec- 
tive. The  indications  are  however  that  Concordville  records 
average  earlier  than  either  Kennett  Square,  Westtown,  or  Coates- 
ville,  and  that  the  last  three  are  about  the  same,  which  would 
indicate  a  migration  up  the  Brandywine  valley.  It  would  also 
seem  that  arrivals  at  such  extreme  points  as  Plainfield,  N.  J., 
and  George  School,  Pa.,  averaged  about  three  days  later  than  at 
Moorestown,  N.  J.,  but  it  will  be  necessary  to  take  averages  for 
a  number  of  years  to  render  such  comparisons  of  much  value, 


38  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

especially  as  Bome  species  arrived  at  all  these  points  named  on 
the  same  daj'. 

Compared  with  the  spring  migration  of  1901  with  its  cool 
weather  and  almost  constant  rain,  the  movement  of  1902  was 
decidedly  earlier.  Taking  fifteen  of  the  most  familiar  species 
recorded  at  four  stations  in  the  Philadelphia  district  last  year, 
and  comparing  with  the  1902  dates,  we  find  them  earlier  in  every 
instance  but  one. 

One  averaged  two  days  earlier,  two  averaged  four  days  earlier, 
one  five  days  earlier,  four  six  days  earlier,  two  seven  days  earlier, 
three  eight  days  earlier,  and  one  nine  days  earlier,  while  the 
Phoebe  averaged  seven  days  later  than  in  1901.  While  these 
are  averages,  the  fourteen  earlier  birds  were  actually  earlier  at 
each  station  in  1902,  while  the  Phoebe  was  later  at  each  station. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB. 


39 


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DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB. 


41 


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Flicker  

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Chimney  Swift 

Huiiiniingbird  

Kingbird   ,. 

Crested  Flycatcher  

Phoebe  

Bobolink  

Cowbird    

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Baltimore  Oriole 

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Philadelphia   District. 


May 


18  Apr. 
...May 
-.JljApr. 

lOlMay 

4 1  Apr. 

27, Apr. 

30  Mar. 

May 

Mar. 

Feb. 

May 


o  ^ 

a  ^ 


1 

2 

I'Feb. 
29'Apr.: 

22|At)r.: 
May 


Maryland  Yellow  throat ......  I  Apr.23 


Chat  , 

Catbird 

Brown  Thrasher  . 

House  Wren 

Wood  Thruah  .... 
Hermit  Thrush..,. 

Robin     

Bluebird    


Mny 
Apr. 
Apr. 
1  May 
Apr. 
May 
A|ir 
Apr. 
Mfty 
Apr 
Apr. 
Apr. 
Apr 
Apr. 
Feb. 


Miiy 
.Maj  1 
Apr.  1 
Apr.  2 
23 'May 
3oLMay 
lG'Mar.2 
9  May 
28  Apr,  1 
Mar. 
May 
Feb.  2 
Mar.  2 
Apr.  1 
May  1 
May 


Apr.24 


Apr  22  Apr.27  Apr.22 


Mav 
May 
May 
Mar.; 
May 
.\pr. 
Mar. 
May 


Mar.  18 
May    4 


May   2jMay  11 
Apr.3o'Apr.30 
May   3 


Mar.  15 
Mar.  15 


Mar.  20 
Mar, 


■I  .May   2  May    1 


Mar.21iMar.lDFeb.27 


Mar.2a|Mar.30 


6Mar.l(l 

3 


Apr.  17 
May    1 
Apr.22 
May    2 
Apr.27 
Ma, 
May 
Apr.26 
Apr, 
Apr. 25 
Apr. 23 
Apr.  7 
Feb.  15 


May 
.lpr-2 


.Vpr.lO 
Apr.27 
Mav  8 
May    3 


Apr.l: 
May   ■ 


Apr.24 

Apr. 

Mav 


Apr.20 
May  1 1 
Apr.  28 
May   3 


May  11 
Feb.  3 
Feb, 20 
Mav 
Feb.  28 
Apr.  14 
Apr.26 
Jlay  7 
May    2 


May 


May    1 
May    3 


May    1 


May  8 
May  3 
Apr.27 


May  2 
Apr.26 
May  6 
Ai.r.26 
Apr.30 


Apr.2y 
Apr,27 
Apr,  27 
May    2 


Feb. 28 


Apr. 20 
Apr.  25 
Apr.27 
Apr.30 


May 
Mar.  30 
Apr.  14 
May   6 


Apr.:; 


Apr.22 


Apr.27 
Apr.26 
Mar.  2  2 
May    1 


Mar.14 
May  5 
Mar.  2 
Apr.19 
May  1 
Apr.30 
May   6 


Mar.  22 
May  9 
May  18 
Apr.23 
May  17 
.ipr.27 
May  9 
Mar.  13 


Mar.28 


Mar.  25 


May  4 
Moy  7 
Apr  30 
May  4 
May  1 
Apr.27 
May  10 
Apr.27 


May   3 


Apr.l  I 
Apr.l8 
May  8 
May  8i 
Apr.19 
Apr..20 
May  6 
.\pr.30 
May  4 
Apr.26 


Apr. 17  Apr, 2 
A]ir.30  May     I 


May    3 


Apr. 2 
Apr.  14 
Mar.  2 
Mar.  2 


May  4 
Apr.27 
Apr.27 
.\pr.30 
Apr.27 


May 
Apr.  12 
Mi(y  1 
Apr.  10 
May 
Mar.  25 
May  5 
Apr.  12 
Mar.  3 
May  1 
Feb. 26 
Apr.  1 
Apr.20 
May  3 
May  2 
Apr.  2 
Apr.20 
Apr.29 
May  1 
May  6 
May  1 
Apr.26 
May  3 
Apr.30 
Apr.24 
Aiir.30 
May  1 
Apr.20 
Mar. 
Mar.  6 


May  7 
Apr.  28 
Mar. 23 


Mar.  24 


May   5 


Mar.  2  Mar,  27 
May  2 'May  3 
May    7  May 


Apr.K 


Moy  0 
Feb.  27 
Mar.24 
Apr.  2 
Mav  1 1 
May  2 
.Apr.  14 
Apr.24 
May  3 
Apr,26 


May    1 

Apr.30 
Mov  6 
Apr  29 
.ipria 
Apr.28 
May   3 


Mar.   1 
Feb. 27 


Apr.23 
Mav  24 
May    8 


Apr.  6 


Apr.25 
Apr.  5 
May  4 
Mar.  1 


May  1 
May  2 
Mar.  15 
May  7 
Mar.  21 
Mar.  1 
May  6 
Mar.l2; 

Apr.ll'-^pr.lb" 
Apr.25|May  1 
May  12  May  7 
May  6  .May  8 
Mayl3'A].r.21 
Apr.  2]Apr.  12 

Mav    31 

Apr.28. Apr. 27 

May    3!  

Apr.2G|May  3 
Apr.27iMay    4 

May    4  

.May  1  Apr,  26 
Apr.22'Apr.26 
May  3  .May  2 
.Apr.28jMay    2 

Apr.  6 

May  12Mar.l3 
Mar.  1  Mar.  23 


Apr.24 
May  17 


May    1 
Mar. 30 


Apr. 2: 


Apr. 


Apr.24  Apr.23 
May  5|.May  5 
May  4:  May  1 
May  7  May  3 
Mar. 17, Mar. 25 


Apr, 20 


.\pr. 
May  16 
May 
Apr,  2  7 
Mar, 


Mar 
Mar.30 
Apr,  20 


May    6 


May  9 
Apr,  2  7 
May  1 
Apr.26 
Apr.2' 


Apr.27 
Apr.27 
May    4 


ADr.27 
Apr.28 


May    1 
Apr.19 


Mur.20 

iMar.  7 

May  eJMay  1 
Feb.28|Feb. 15 
Apr.l3  Apr.  2 
Apr.30 
May  0 
May 


.May  10 
May  1 1 


Apr.  16 
May    1 


May  1 1 
Apr.30 


May    8 
May    2 

May 

May    3  Apr.30 


May 
Apr.27 
May  1 1 
May  5 
Mar.  1 
Mar,    1 


Apr.30 
Apr.25 
Apr.30 


Mar.  17 
Feb.   5 


Mar.IO 
|Mar.  1 
'May  4 
IMar.  1 
Apr.  0 
I  Apr,  20 
May  14 
Moy  7 
Apr.20 
Apr.25 
May  7 
Apr.20 
May  7 
Apr.27 
May  2 
May  4 
.\pr.27 
Apr.25 
May  2 
Apr,  25 
Apr.  1 1 
Feb, 22 


May 
Apr. 
Apr. 
May 
Mar. 
Apr. 
Apr. 
May 
May 


2 

l'Apr.22 
17;May  3 
I9'May    4 

9!.Mavl3 

2eiMay    3 

19'May  13 

Apr.  15 


Apr.l5 
Apr.24 
May  3 
Mar.  17 
Apr.19 
Apr.30 
May  31 
.May    8 


Apr.30 
May  6 
May  3 
May    3 

Apr.30 
24  May  3 
Io'Mov  8 
28, May  0 
19  Apr, 30 
14  May  7 
...l:\lay  6 
12(May  13 
25|Mor.  8 
12Mar.  2 


TABLE  II. 

SPRING  MIGRATION,  1902. 

Eahliest  dates  op  arrival  op  thirty-two  species  is  thk  FnrR 
Philadelphia  sections  and  at  sixteen  stations  oi'tside  of  the 
Philadelphia  circle. 


Mt/O  C    t9oi 
ffl/CfiATIOfir   .STATIOrfS 
V£AR   PH/LflD€tPMf/i     — 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB..  43 

List  of  other  Species  Reported  by  Observers  during  1902. 

Holboell's  Grebe,  Colymbus  hulboellii.  One  killed  at  Tinicum, 
Pa.,  April  7  {L.  I.  Smith). 

Horned  Grebe,  C.  atiritus,  Tinicum,  April  7  (Smith). 

Pied-billed  Grebe,  Podllymbus  podiceps,  Tinicum,  March  31 
(Smith).  Berw3'n,  Pa.,  Sept.  25  {Burns).  George  School, 
Pa.,  April  14  (McCreary). 

Herring  Gull,  Larus  argentatus,  remained  on  the  East  Park 
Reservoir,  Philadelphia,  until  April  12  (Prendei-gast). 

Ring-billed  Gull,  Larus  delawarensis,  Tinicum,  April  12. 

Bonaparte's  Gull,  L.  Philadelphia,  Tinicum,  May  5  (i.  /. 
Smith). 

Cormorant,  Phalacrocorax  dilophus,  Tinicum,  May  5  and  May 
31   (i.  /.  Smith). 

Merganser,  M.  americanvs,  Tinicum,  January  to  earlj'  part  of 
March  (Smith),  East  Park  Reservoir,  to  April  12  (Prendergast) . 

Red-breasted  Merganser,  M.  serrator,  Tinicum,  March  29 
(Smith). 

Mallard,  Arias  boschas,  Tinicum,  last  week  of  January,  Feb. 
28  (Smith). 

Black  Duck,  A.  obscura,  Tinicum,  January  to  May  15  (Smith). 

Red-legged  Black  Duck,  A.  obscura  rubripes,  Tinicum,  last 
seen  April  12  (Smith). 

Baldpate,  Mareca  americana,  Tinicum,  last  seen  March  8 
(Smith). 

Green-winged  Teal,  Nettion  carolinensis,  Tinicum,  March   23. 

Blue-winged  Teal,  Querquedida  discors,  Tinicum,  April  16. 

Pintail,  Dqfila  acuta,  Tinicum,  Feb.  28. 

Red  head,  Aythya  americana,  Tinicum,  March  7. 

Greater  Scaup,  Aythya  marila,  Tinicum,  March  23. 

Lesser  Scaup,  A.  affinis,  Tinicum,  April  15. 

Golden-eye,  Clangida  c.  americana,  Tinicum,  April  12. 

Old  Squaw,  Harelda  hyemalis,  Tinicum,  May  8. 

Ruddy  Duck,  Erismatura  jamaicensis,  Tinicum,  April  16 
(all  Smith). 

American  Bittern,  Botaurus  lentiginosus,  Moorestown,  N.  J., 
April  20(Eva7is).  Deserted  nest.  Cape  May,  N.J. ,  June  l(Hand). 

Least  Bittern,  Ardetta  ezilis,  Bristol,  Pa.,  three  on  May  25 
(Keim);  Paterson,  N.  J.,  May  15  (/.  H.  Clark). 


44  PBOCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Great  Blue  Heron,  Ai'dea  herodias,  anived  at  Plainfield,  N.  J., 
April  10  {Miller);  Swarthniore,  Pa.,  April  13  {Ilannum); 
Moorestown,  N.  J.,  April  17  (Evans);  Lenape,  Pa.,  April  16 
{Trimble  &  Carter);  Yardville,  N.  J.,  April  24  (Allison);  George 
School,  Fa.,  May  4  (McCreary). 

White  Egret,  Ardea  egretta  (see  pp.  15-21). 

Little  Blue  Heron,  A.  coerulea  (see  pp.  15-21). 

Night  Heron,  Nycticorax  n.  naevius.  One  shot  at  Tinicum, 
February  15  (Smith) ;  specimen  in  collection  Academy  Natural 
Sciences,  Philadelphia. 

King  Rail,  Ballus  elegans.  One  deserted  nest.  Ninety-second 
street  marsh,  June  8  (Stone).  This  locality,  formerly  such  a 
resort  for  rails,  seems  to  have  been  nearly  deserted  owing  to 
draining  (Reed,  Hughes  &  Stone). 

Virginia  Rail,  R.  virginianus.  Two  nests.  Cape  May,  N.  J., 
June  1  (Hughes). 

Woodcock,  Philohela  minor,  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  March  9 
(Evans);  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  March  16  (Miller). 

Wilson's  Snipe,  Gallinago  delir.ata,  Bristol,  Pa.,  April  13 
(Keim);  George  School,  Pa.,  April  7  (McCreary);  Plainfield, 
N.  J.,  March  2  (Miller). 

Least  Sandpiper,  Tringa,  minutilla,  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  Apr.  30 
(Hand). 

Yellow-legs,  Totanus  melanoleiicus,  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  April  2 
(Hand);  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  May  25  (Miller). 

Curlew,  Numenius  hudsonicus,  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  April  30 
(Hand). 

Semipalmated  Plover  Aegialitis  semipalmata,  Cape  May,  N.  J., 
May  1  (Hand). 

Upland  Plover,  Bartramia  longicauda,  Lenape,  Pa.,  April  21 
(Carter  &  Trimble);  Coatesville,  Pa.,  May  18  (H.  E.  Stone). 

Bobwhite,  Colinus  virginianus,  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  a  great  migra- 
tion; Oct.  21,  saw  a  flock  at  Cape  May  Point,  flying  over  the  water 
a  mile  from  any  feeding  ground;  another  flock  w-as  observed  to 
run  to  the  water's  edge  and  take  flight  apparently  for  Delaware. 
There  is  always  a  large  migration  about  the  first  week  in  Octo- 
ber (Hand).  A  brood  was  raised  near  Bristol,  Pa.,  for  the  first 
time  in  many  years,  and  one  bird  was  seen  May  25  (Keim). 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  46 

Sparrow  Hawk,  Falco  sparveriiis,  recorded  all  winter  at  Plain- 
field,  N.  J.  (Miller),  and  at  all  stations  farther  south. 

Broad-winged  Hawk,  Buteo  latissivius,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  Apr. 
27  {Miller). 

Black  Hawk,  Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johannis,  Plainfield,  N. 
J.,  Feb.  9,  12  and  16  (Miller). 

]\Iarsh  Hawk,  Circus  hudsonius,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  March  16 
{Miller).     Observed  once  during  the  winter  at  Westtown,  Pa. 

Bald  Eagle,  Halimetus  leucocephalus,  above  Riverton,  N.  J., 
Feb.  20  (H.  G.  Taylor). 

Barred  Owl,  Syrnium  nebulosum,  Audubon,  N.  J.,  Dec.  27, 
1901  (Rhoad-s). 

Horned  Owl,  Bubo  virginianus,  Lansdowne,  Mar.  11  (White); 
Pine  Barrens,  Burlington  Co.,  N.  J.,  Aug.  13,  1902  (Stone  & 
Rehn). 

Snowy  Owl,  Nyctea  nyctea,  one  shot  at  Forty-seventh  street 
and  Baltimore  avenue.  West  Philadelphia,  Jan.  7  (Stone)  and 
another  on  the  New  Jersey  "Plains"  Christmas  week,  1901. 

Kingfisher,  Ceryle  alcyon,  one  all  winter  at  Olney  (Morris), 
and  at  Plainfield,  N.  J.  (3Iiller. ) 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  Dryobates  vUlosus.  A  pair  nested  this  year 
at  Chamounix,  Fairmount  Park  (Carter).  It  is  a  rare  bird  at 
all  seasons  within  the  city  limits. 

Yellow-bellied  Sapsucker,  Sphyrapicus  varius,  Plainfield,  N. 
J.,  one  seen  Feb.  23,  the  second  winter  record  for  this  station 
(Miller). 

Red-headed  Woodpecker,  Melanerpes  erythrocephalus,  Williams- 
port,  Pa.,  May  6  ;  very  rare  at  this  locality  (Koch).  One  was 
seen  repeatedly  near  Angora,  Del.  Co.,  Pa.,  and  probably 
nested  close  to  the  city  line  (Stone). 

Flicker,  Colaptes  auratus  luteus,  Olney,  Phila.,  ofi'  and  on 
throughout  the  winter  (Morris).  Woodbourne,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa., 
all  winter  (Pickering) . 

Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher,  Empidonax  flamventris,  Plainfield, 
N.  J.,  May  11  (Miller);  George  School,  Pa.,  May  14  (McCreary). 

Alder  Flycatcher,  E.  traillii  alnorum,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  May 
25,  breeds  (Miller). 

Horned   Lark,    Otocoris  alpestris.     Regular   winter   visitor   at 


46  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Lenape,  Pa.  (Carter),  and  Westtown,  Pa.  (/.  K.  Brown,  Jr.); 
irregular  at  Olney  (Morris)  and  Conshohocken  (  Wright).  Ob- 
served in  numbers,  Feb.  23,  after  severe  sleet  storm,  at  Olney, 
Pa.  (Morris);  Downingtown,  Pa.  (Pennell),  and  Plainfield,  N. 
J.  (Miller);  also  at  Perkasie,  Pa.,  during  the  winter  (Ratter). 

Prairie  Horned  Lark,  0.  a.  praticola,  a  few,  with  the  other 
at  Plainfield,  N.  J.  (Miller). 

Grackle,  Quiscalus  quiscula.  One  bird  remained  until  Jan.  1 
at  Olney  (Morris). 

Rusty  Blackbird,  Scolecophagus  caroliims,  Plainfield,  N.  J., 
Jan.  12  (3);  Jan.  19  (flock  of  45)  (Miller). 

Red-winged  Blackbird,  Agelaius  phoeniceus.  Males  arrived  at 
Olney,  March  3,  but  no  females  till  April  9  (Morris). 

Meadow  Lark,  Sturnella  magna,  observed  in  winter  at  most 
localities.  Marietta,  Pa.  (Buller);  Plainfield,  N.  J.  (Miller); 
Woodbourne,  Pa.  (Pickering);  Westtown,  Pa.   (Broivn). 

Cow  Bird,  Molothriis  aler.  Egg  found  in  Wood  Thrush's  nest 
May  18,  hatched  May  31  (Palmer),  Swarthmore. 

Purple  Finch,  Carpndacus  purpn.reiis.  More  numerous  than 
usual  at  Moorestown,  N.  J.  (Mirkle). 

Redpoll,  Acanthis  linaria,  a  flock  of  about  twenty  at  Downing- 
town, Pa.,  Feb.  24  (Pennell). 

Pine  Finch,  Spinu-s  pinvs.  An  unusual  and  well  developed 
migration  at  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  April  26  to  May  17  (Miller); 
flocks  observed  at  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  April  28  and  May  5 
(Mickle),  and  at  Bridgeton,  N.  J.,  May  10  (Rhoads  and  Stone) 
an  unusual  date  for  Southern  New  Jersey. 

Snow  Flake,  Passerina  nivalis,  two  at  Downingtown,  Pa., 
after  the  storm,  Feb.  23  (Pennell);  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  Feb.  22 
(6),  Feb.  23  (30)  (Miller). 

Henslow's  Sparrow,  Ammodramvs  henslouni,  see  pp.  6-14. 

White-throated  Sparrow,  Zunotrichia  albicollis,  remained  till 
April  27,  Berwyn,  Pa.  (Burns);  May  2,  Mt.  Moriah,  Pa. 
(Owen);  May  4,  Bristol,  Pa.  (Keim);  May  14,  Tinicum  (Smith). 
Winters  as  far  north  as  Plainfield,  N.  J.  (Miller). 

White-crowned  Sparrow,  Z.  leucophrys,  WilUamsport,  May  8 
(Koch). 

Junco,  Junco  hyemalis,  till  April  26,  Swarthmore  (Hannum). 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  47 

Swamp  Sparrow,  Mdospiza  georgiana,  all  winter  at  Plainfield, 
N.  J.;  unusual  (Miller). 

Towhee,  Pipib  erythrophthalmvs,  Jan.  12  and  again  Jan.  26 
at  Bristol,  Pa.  (Keim);  Wildwood,  N.  J.,  March  15  (Baily). 
Males  arrived  two  daj's  ahead  of  females  at  Svvarthmore  (Han- 
num). 

Cedarbird,  Ampelis  cedrorum,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  Dec.  8  and  25 
(Miller). 

White-eyed  Vireo,  V.  noveboracensis.  One  pair  present  and 
evidently  nested  on  Darby  Creek  near  Lansdowne,  the  first  in 
my  experience  (A.  J.  Pennock). 

Loggerhead  Shrike,  Lanius  ludovicianus,  Medford,  N.  J.,  Aug. 
13  (Stone  and  Rehn). 

Golden-winged  \\'^arbler,  Hehninthophila  chrysoptera,  Swarth- 
more,  Pa.,  May  1  (Hannum);  May  10  (4)  (Palmer);  Kennett 
Square,  Pa.,  May  4  (C.  J.  Pennock);  Concordville,  Pa.,  May  4 
(Styer);  VVesttown,  Pa.,  May  4  (Smedley). 

Nashville  Warbler,  H.  rubricapilla,  Lansdowne,  Pa.,  May  3 
(A.  J.  Pennock);  Ardmore,  Pa.,  May  2  (Baily);  Plainfield,  N. 
J.,  May  4  (Miller);  Yardville,  N.  J.,  May  20  (Allison). 

Cape  May  Warbler,  Dendroica  tigrina,  Swarthmore,  May  1 
and  14  (Hannum);  Williamsport,  May  11  (Koch). 

Bay-breasted  \^'arbler,  D.  castanea,  Haddonfield,  N.  J.,  May 
12  (Hamlin);  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  May  12  (Mickle);  Swarth- 
more, Pa.,  May  14  (Hannum);  Lansdowne,  Pa.,  May  13 
(^White);  Ardmore,  Pa.,  May  10  (Baily);  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  May 
11  (Miller);  Concordville,  Pa.,  May  10  (Styer). 

Myrtle  Warbler,  D.  coronata.  Wintered  at  Plainfield,  which 
is  unusual  (Miller). 

Large-billed  Water  Thrush,  Seiurus  motacilla,  Plainfield,  N. 
J.,  April  20  (Miller).  One  pair  evidently  nesting  York  Fur- 
nace, Pa.,  May  31  (Stone). 

Hooded  Warbler,  Wilsonia  mitrata,  Lansdowne,  Pa.,  May  14 
(A.  J.  Pennock);  Germantown,  Pa.,  May  S  (H.  Evans);  Swarth- 
more, Pa.,  May  3  (Hannum  and  Palmer);  Mt.  Moriah,  Pa., 
May  3  (Owen);  Moorestown,  N.  J  ,  April  22  (Evans);  Paterson, 
N.  J.,  May  7  (Clark);  Concordville,  Pa.,  May  6  (Styer);  Plain- 
field,  N.  J.,  May  5  (Miller). 


48  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Wilson's  Warbler,  WUsonia  pusilla,  Lansdowne,  Pa.,  May  11 
(A.  J.  Pennock);  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  May  14  (Evans);  Swarth- 
more.  Pa.,  May  4  (Hannuvi),  May  16  {Palmer);  Mt.  Moriah, 
May  3  (Owen);  George  School,  Pa.,  May  18  (McOreary);  Down- 
ingtown.  Pa.,  May  16  {Pennell);  Tinicum,  Pa.,  May  6  (Smith). 

Titlark,  Anlhus  pemilvanicus,  Tinicum,  Pa.,  Jan.  12  (18) 
(Hannum);  George  School,  Pa.,  May  4  (McCreary);  Plainfield, 
N.  J.,  March  30  (Miller). 

Winter  Wren,  Olbiorchilus  hiemalis,  remained  at  Swarthmore; 
Pa.,  till  May  1  (Hannum). 

Carolina  Wren,  Thryolhorus  ludovicianm.  Winters  as  far  north 
as  Yardville,  N.  J.  (Allison),  and  at  Paterson,  N.  J.,  two  were 
seen  Jan.  26,  the  first  winter  record  (Miller).  Observed  June 
10  at  Berwyn,  my  first  record  for  June  (Burns).  Young  left 
nest  at  Swarthmore,  May  15  (Trotter). 

Catbird,  Galeoscoptes  carolinensis,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  Jan.  5, 
second  winter  record  (Miller);  Wildwood,  N.  J.,  March  15 
(Bmly). 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  Sitta  canadensis,  Tinicum,  Pa.,  May 
7  (Smith);  Ardmore,  April  27  (Baily). 

Tufted  Titmouse,  Parus  bicolor,  Williamsport,  Pa.,  April  14 
(Koch);  not  common  so  far  north. 

Hermit  Thrush,  Hylocichla  guttata  pallasii.  Wintered  at  Plain- 
field,  N.  J. ;  unusual  (Miller). 

Robin,  Merula  migratoria,  Olney,  Pa.,  all  winter  (Morris); 
Plainfield,  N.  J.,  one  Feb.  1  (Miller).  Young  out  of  nest  and 
able  to  fly.  May  10,  Camden,  N.  J.  (Stone). 

Bluebird,  Sialia  sialis.  Intermittent  through  February  at 
Olney  (Morris);  Woodbourne,  Pa.,  all  winter  (Pickering); 
abundant  at  Kennett  Square,  Pa.,  in  the  fall  (C.  J.  Pennock). 


Birds  that  Struck  the  City  Hall  Tower,  1902 


Mr.  Slaughter  has  again  kindly  furnished  \is  with  his  record 
of  the  birds  killed  by  striking  the  city  hall  tower. 

Only  five  birds  representing  three  species  struck  during  the 
spring  flight,  but  in  the  fall  there  were  seventy-three  individuals 
picked  up,  comprising  twenty-three  species,  making  twenty-four 
species  for  the  year.  They  were  as  follows,  one  individual  strik- 
ing on  each  day  unless  otherwise  stated  : 

Spring  Migration. — Field  Sparrow,  April  26,  May  5;  Maryland 
Yellow-throat,  May  14,  May  15;  Cat  Bird,  May  7. 

Fall  Migration. — Bora  Rail,  Sept.  26;  Grasshopper  Sparrow, 
Sept.  30;  Savanna  Sparrow,  Oct.  1;  Indigo-bird,  Oct.  1,  Oct.  4, 
Oct.  7  (2);  Scarlet  Tanager,  Sept.  22;  Cedar  Bird,  Oct.  3;  Red- 
eyed  Vireo,  Sept.  23  (3),  Sept.  25,  Oct.  2,  Oct.  4,  Oct.  7,  Oct. 
8;  Black  and  White  Warbler,  August  16,  Sept.  22,  Sept.  26; 
Parula  Warbler,  Sept.  23  (8);  Sept.  30  (2),  Oct.  1,  Oct.  3  (2), 
Oct.  4,  Oct.  7  (2),  Oct.  8,  Oct.  13;  Black-throated  Blue  War- 
bler, Oct.  7;  Black-throated  Green  Warbler,  Sept.  24,  Oct.  8; 
Yellow  Palm  Warbler,  Sept.  29;  Myrtle  Warbler,  Oct.  4,  Oct. 
10:  Maryland  Yellow-throat,  August  11,  August  18,  August  16, 
August  18,  Sept.  5,  Sept.  22,  Sept.  25  (4),  Sept.  29  (4),  Sept. 
30  (2),  Oct.  4;  Connecticut  Warbler,  Sept.  20,  Sept.  25,  Sept. 
26,  Sept.  29,  Oct.  4,  Oct.  7;  Water  Thrush,  Sept.  22;  Redstart, 
Sept.  22  (2),  Sept.  29;  Cat  Bird,  Sept.  25;  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet,  August  16;  Wood  Thrush,  Sept.  22;  Olive-backed 
Thrush,  Sept.  22;  Gray-cheeked  Thrush,  Sept.  22,  Sept.  29; 
Robin,  Oct.  21. 

The  most  interesting  records  are  perhaps  the  Robin,  which  is 
not  supposed  to  migrate  at  night,  and  the  Ruby-crowned  Kinglet 
on  August  16,  a  very  early  date.  It  will  be  noticed  that  the 
Red-eyed  Vireo,  Parula,  and  Maryland  Yellow-throat  still  con- 
tinue the  most  numerous  species. 

(49) 


Elliott  Coues  on  the  Death  of  John  Cassin 


In  a  memorial  on  the  late  Dr.  James  G.  Cooper,  in  a  re- 
cently issued  number  of  the  Condor,  there  is  published  a  letter 
written  by  Dr.  Coues  to  Dr.  Cooper,  dated  Fort  ]\Iacon,  N.  C, 
February  21,  1869,  which  contains  the  following  beautiful 
tribute  to  Cassin.  As  we  read  it  we  recall  the  similar  thoughts 
that  passed  through  the  mind  of  manj'  an  American  ornitholo- 
gist when,  three  years  ago,  we  heard  that  Elliott  Coues  was  no 
more. 

"Of  course  you  heard  the  sad,  sad  news  that  John  Cassin's 
labors  are  ended.  The  loss  to  science  none  of  us  can  measure; 
nor  can  those  privileged  to  call  him  friend  adequately  express 
the  depth  of  that  bereavement.  And  many  as  are  our  American 
ornithologists— high  as  some  stand  in  American  Ornithology — 
there  is  none  left  in  all  our  land  who  can  lift  up  the  mantle  that 
has  fallen  from  his  shoulders.  His  good  work  is  accomplished, 
and  he  has  gone  to  reap  the  rich  reward  of  a  life  nobly  spent  in 
the  survey  of  Nature's  beauties,  in  drinking  from  the  perennial 
fountain  of  Nature's  truths.  Since  Audubon  passed  away  from 
the  scene  of  his  usefulness,  death  has  struck  no  such  cruel  blow 
to  our  beloved  science.  As  Dr.  Brewer  has  said  to  me,  '  Which 
one  of  our  younger  ornithologists  will  undertake  to  stand,  after 
thirty-five  years  of  training,  where  Cassin  stood  at  his  death  ?  ' 
The  all-worthy,  time-honored  quartette  has  been  rudely  broken. 
Now  only  a  triangle,  Lawrence,  Brewer  and  Baird,  remains  of 
the  last  generation  of  American  ornithologists.  Who  shall  lead 
opinion  when  they,  too,  are  gathered  to  their  fathers  ?  A  higher 
trust  than  we  perhaps  appreciate  is  laid  upon  the  few  of  us  of 
this  later  day  who  pay  devotion  to  the  beautiful  study  of  orni- 
thology. It  is  no  less  than  the  keeping  bright  and  untarnished, 
and  transmitting  to  our  successors,  the  name  and  fame  of  the 
science  that  has  absorbed  such  minds  as  those  of  Wilson,  Nutt- 
all,  Audubon,  Bonaparte  and  Cassin.  May  we  prove  worthy 
servitors,  guarding  with  jealous  care  our  trust,  watchful  that  the 
vestal  fires  shall  ever  burn  at  the  shrine  we  worship  with  a  clear 
and  steady  flame. 

' '  Ever  yours,  faithfully,  Elliott  Coues.  ' ' 

(50,) 


Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  for  1902 


January  2,  1902. — Annual  Meeting.  Twenty-seven  members 
present.  The  present  officers  were  re-elected  to  serve  for  the 
ensuing  year,  as  follows: 

President — Charles  J.  Pennock. 

Vice-President — William  A.  Shryock. 

Secretary — William  B.  Evans. 

Treasurer — Stewardson  Brown. 

The  resignation  of  Mr.  Henry  W.  Fowler  from  Active  mem- 
bership and  of  Mr.  William  M.  Strang  from  Associate  member- 
ship were  accepted.  Mr.  Fowler  having  moved  his  residence 
to  California,  he  was  elected  a  Corresponding  member. 

Messrs.  Herbert  L.  Coggins  and  Witnier  Stone  described  a 
wagon  trip  of  six  days  across  the  pine  barrens  of  New  Jersey 
(see  pp.  26-31),  and  Mr.  Wm.  L.  Baily  read  a  paper  on  the 
"  Gulls  and  Terns  of  the  Maine  Coast,"  illustrating  his  remarks 
with  lantern  slides  of  the  country  and  the  birds.  The  paper 
was  based  upon  a  trip  made  bj'  Mr.  William  Dutcher  and  the 
writer  during  June,  1901,  in  the  interest  of  bird  protection. 
(See  Auk,  1902,  pp.  44-47.)  The  club  later  adjourned  to  a 
lunch. 

January  16,  1902. — Fourteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Palmer  read  a  list  of  the  birds  observed  by  him  at  Bus- 
tin's  Island,  Maine,  during  the  past  summer,  and  commented 
on  several  species.  The  Vireos  of  eastern  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey  were  then  discussed  by  all  the  members  present. 

The  Warbling  Vireo  (  V.  gilvus)  was  reported  as  not  uncommon 
in  the  upper  part  of  Germantown  (Emleti),  common  at  Kennett 

(51) 


52  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Square,  Pa.   {Pennock'),  and  a  regular  breeder  at  Moorestown, 
N.  J.  {Evans]. 

At  least  two  pairs  of  the  Yellow-throated  Vireo  (  V.  flavifrons) 
nested  regularly  at  Moorestown  {Evans),  where  their  song  is 
rather  a  common  summer  sound,  and  the  parent  has  been  ob- 
eerved  to  sing  on  the  nest. 

February  6,  1902. — Nineteen  members  present. 

The  resignation  of  Mr.  Frederick  Clark,  Associate  member, 
was  accepted. 

Mr.  Arthur  C.  Emlen  read  a  paper  '  'A  Study  of  the  German- 
town  Crackle  Roost."      (See  pp.  22-25.) 

Mr.  DeHaven  stated  that  there  was  a  Crackle  roost  near  Bryn 
Mawr,  Montgomery  county,  and  a  very  large  one  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  below  Peach  Bottom,  Lancaster  county,  Pa.,  on  the  Sus- 
quehanna river.  ]\Ir.  Stone  mentioned  a  large  roost  at  Media, 
Delaware  county,  and  others  near  Coatesville  and  Pocopson, 
Chester  county.  Pa. 

February  20,  1902. — Sixteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Thomas  D.  Keim  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Dr.  Spencer  Trotter  spoke  on  the  birds  observed  during  a 
summer's  outing  at  Barrington  Bay,  Nova  Scotia. 

A  general  discussion  on  the  Swallows  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey  followed,  with  the  object  of  bringing  forth 
matter  supplementary  to  that  contained  in  the  Club  book. 

The  Purple  Martin  {Progne  subis)  was  still  regarded  as  local 
in  eastern  Pennsylvania,  colonies  being  reported  at  Wawa, 
Idlewild,  Media,  Glen  Mills,  West  Chester  and  Lenape. 

The  Cliff  Swallow  {Petrochelidon  Imufrons)  appears  to  be  losing 
ground.  Colonies  were  reported  at  Chestnut  Hill  {S.  Trotter) 
aud  Lansdowne  (  Wright),  while  four  out  of  five  stations  about 
Kennett  Square  have  been  deserted  {Pennock)  and  other  aban- 
doned stations  were  mentioned  at  Lenape,  Radnor  and  Wynne- 
wood.  The  Tree  Swallow  {Tachycineta  bicolor)  is  found  in  small 
numbers  every  mild  winter  at  Cape  IMaj',  N.  J.  {H.  W.  Hand) 
and  breeds  regularly  on  the  tops  of  the  Alleghanies  in  Sullivan 
and  Wyoming  Counties,  Pa.  {Stone). 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  53 

The  Bank  Swallow  {Clivicola  riparia)  has  been  found  breeding 
abundantly  at  various  localities,  Chester,  Holmesburg,  and 
Bethayres,  Pa.,  and  also  on  the  lower  Susquehanna,  Pa.,  and 
Pensauken  Creek,  N.  J. 

March  6,  1902. — Fifteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Mark  L.  C.  Wilde  resigned  from  Associate  membership. 

Mr.  Hannum  described  the  "  Birds  of  an  Inland  Marsh"  sit- 
uated in  Delaware  Co.,  Pa. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  spoke  of  a  visit  he  had  made  to  various 
institutions  in  eastern  Pennsylvania  and  northern  New  Jersey 
in  search  of  information  relative  to  the  mammals  of  these  States, 
and  commented  upon  the  collections  of  birds  that  he  had  seen. 
That  at  Lehigh  University  was  particularly  noteworthy.  He 
had  also  found  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Campbell,  of  Pittston, 
a  specimen  of  Razor-billed  Auk  {Alca  iorda),  shot  on  a  lake  in 
the  vicinity;  and  had  learned  of  the  regular  breeding  of  the 
Duck  Hawk  (Falco  peregrinus  anatum)  at  Campbell's  Ledge  on 
the  Susquehanna  near  Pittston. 

March  20,  1902. — Twenty-six  members  present.  Dr.  W.  E, 
Hughes  addressed  the  club  on  his  trip  to  the  mountains  of  Chi- 
huahua, northern  Mexico.  He  described  the  country  and  the 
larger  game  animals,  and  dwelt  at  length  on  the  birds  of  the 
region,  speaking  especially  of  the  Thick-billed  Parrot  (Rhyncho- 
psitta  pachyrhy)icha),  the  Imperial  Woodpecker  {Campephilus 
imperialis),  Trogon  and  Fool  Quail  (Cyrtonyx  montezuma^. 

April  S,  1902. — Sixteen  members  present.  A  general  discus- 
sion was  held  on  the  progress  of  the  spring  migration  (see  pp. 
32—42.  Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  spoke  of  an  excursion  from  Bridge- 
ton  to  Greenwich,  southern  New  Jersey,  on  March  27.  He 
found  birds  scarce,  and  there  were  apparently  no  Sharp-tailed 
Sparrows  on  the  salt  marshes  along  the  bay. 

Mr.  Stone  exhibited  a  Cedar  Bird  {Ampelis  cedrorum)  from  the 
collection  of  Mr.  Philip  Laurent,  obtained  at  Mt.  Airy,  Phila- 
delphia, March  17,  1900,  which  had  the  tips  of  the  primaries 
gray,  much  the  same  color  pattern,  as  prevails  in  the  other 


54  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

species  of  this  genus.  He  regarded  it  as  a  probable  reversion 
to  an  older  type  of  coloration.  One  other  specimen  in  the 
Academy's  collection  showed  a  similar  tendency  to  a  slight 
degree. 

April  17,  1902. — Fourteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Coggins  described  a  Night  Heron  rookery  on  the  Dela- 
ware River  near  Red  Bank,  N.  J.,  which  he  visited  in  1898.  At 
that  time  the  birds  were  quite  numerous,  but  Ihej'  have  since 
deserted  the  place.  Mr.  Pennock  reported  a  colony  of  about 
forty  nests  of  these  birds  at  Joanna's  Furnace,  northern  Chester 
County,  Pa.  The  heronry  at  Port  Kennedy,  Pa.,  was  described 
and  two  others  recorded  near  Moorestown,  N.  J.  At  Haddon- 
field,  N.  J.,  a  few  scattered  pairs  nest  regularly. 

Mr.  Pennock  described  his  experience  of  several  years  with 
the  nesting  of  the  Great  Horned  Owl  (Bubo  virginianus).  Of 
fourteen  nests  that  had  come  under  his  observation,  nine  were 
outside  nests  and  five  in  hollow  trees.  The  earliest  date  he  had 
recorded  for  a  full  set  of  eggs  was  February  15,  at  Kennett 
Square,  Pa.  In  one  of  the  nests  in  a  hollow  tree  the  tail  of  the 
sitting  bird  projected  several  inches  from  the  opening  on  the 
side  of  the  trunk,  while  another  had  been  lined  with  a  rabbit 
skin,  fur  side  up. 

May  1,  1902. — Twenty  members  present. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  presented  a  paper  on  "  New  Localities  for  the 
Henslow's  Bunting  {Ammodramxis  henslovdi) ."  A  general  discus- 
sion on  the  bird  followed. 

May  15,  1902. — Twenty-three  members  present. 

Messrs.  Norman  A.  Passmore  and  Edward  W.  Woolman 
were  elected  Associate  members. 

Mr.  Frederick  Sorensen  read  a  paper  entitled  "A  Glance  at 
English  Literature  of  Field  and  Forest,"  treating  especially  of 
the  works  of  Isaac  Walton,  Gilbert  White  and  Richard  Jefferies. 

October  2,  1902. — Sixteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Bartram  W.  Griffiths  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  55 

Mr.  Morris  described  a  recent  trip  to  Town  Point,  Md.,  on 
the  Chesapeake.  He  found  two  Mockingbirds  but  nothing  else 
of  importance,  though  birds  were  abundant  and  he  regarded  the 
locality  as  a  particularly  good  one  for  the  study  of  bird  life. 

Mr.  Enilen  followed  with  some  notes  on  a  late  summer  visit 
to  a  wild  section  of  Rhode  Island,  some  sixteen  miles  back  of 
Narragansett.  In  a  dense  bog,  near  Wauchaug  pond,  a  number 
of  distinctly  northern  plants  were  found,  and  he  thought  it  a 
good  place  to  look  for  possible  boreal  birds. 

Mr.  E.  M.  Evans,  who  accompanied  Mr.  Emlen,  saw  a 
Mockingbird  in  this  vicinity  on  August  20,  1902. 

Mr.  Roberts  reported  that  the  pair  of  Mockingbirds  that  bred 
last  year  in  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  returned  the  present  season  but  re- 
mained in  the  vicinity  only  about  a  week. 

October  16,  1902. — Sixteen  members  present. 

Messrs.  Frederick  N.  Owen  and  Chreswell  J.  Hunt  were 
elected  Associate  members,  and  Mr.  Wm.  E.  Hannum  was 
elected  an  Active  member. 

Mr.  J.  A.  G.  Rehn  furnished  the  paper  of  the  evening,  de- 
scribing an  expedition  to  southern  New  Mexico,  undertaken  by 
Mr.  H.  L.  Viereck  and  himself,  in  the  interests  of  the  Academy, 
in  April  and  May  of  the  present  year.  The  country  was  de- 
scribed with  the  aid  of  maps  and  photographs  and  the  bird  life 
was  treated  in  detail,  (see  Proc.  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila., 
1903. ) 

Mr.  Coggins  spoke  of  birds  observed  at  York  Furnace,  Pa.,  on 
May  30,  1902,  and  Dr.  Trotter  reported  the  Northern  Shrike  as 
common  during  summer  in  Nova  Scotia,  where  he  had  been 
located. 

Mr.  Stone  called  attention  to  two  Arkansas  Goldfinches  in 
Mr.  Rehn's  New  Mexican  collection  which,  contrary  to  the 
custom  in  the  eastern  species,  were  renewing  the  remiges  along 
with  the  body  plumage  in  the  prenuptial  molt. 

November  6,  1902. — Sixteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Edw.  A.  Selliez  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  addressed  the  meeting  on  "Some  Old  Tes- 


56  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

tament  Birds,"  illustrating  his  remarks  with  specimens  from 
Palestine  in  the  collection  of  the  Academy. 

November  20,  1902. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Asa  P.  Way  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  Carter  spoke  on  the  "Birds  of  the  Shawangunk  Moun- 
tains," covering  observations  made  on  two  successive  summer 
visits.  The  Hermit  Thrush  and  Veery  were  found,  the  latter 
abundantly,  but  only  a  few  Wood  Thrushes.  The  Yellow- 
breasted  Chat  was  twice  heard,  and  other  birds  mentioned  as 
breeders  were  the  Black-throated  Blue  and  Chestnut-sided 
Warblers,  Purple  Finch  and  Black-billed  Cuckoo.  Dr.  Trotter 
commented  on  the  differences  between  the  bird-life  of  this  re- 
gion and  the  Beaver  Kill,  which  he  had  visited.  Mr.  Carter 
recorded  the  capture  of  a  male  Duck  Hawk  at  Lenape,  Chester 
county.  Pa.,  October  10,  1902,  and  the  nesting  of  the  Hairy 
Woodpecker  in  Fairmount  Park. 

William  B.  Evans  gave  an  outline  of  the  sessions  of  the 
20th  Congress  of  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  and  additional  particulars  were  furnished  by 
Messrs.  Wright  and  Morris. 

December  4,  1902. — Twenty-one  members  present. 

Dr.  Wm.  E.  Hughes  described  a  second  trip  to  Chihuahua, 
Mexico,  undertaken  in  September,  1902,  and  exhibited  a  num- 
ber of  specimens  secured  by  him.  Comments  followed  by  Mr. 
Rehn. 

December  18,  1902. — Eighteen  members  present. 

W.  B.  Evans  read  a  paper  on  "The  Unusual  Flight  of 
White  Herons  of  1902,"  illustrating  his  remarks  with  specimens 
and  maps.     (See  pp.  15-21.) 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  gave  a  brief  summary  of  the  occurrence  of 
Henslow's  Sparrow  in  New  Jersey,  being  an  abstract  of  a  paper 
which  he  presented  for  publication.      (See  pp.  6-14. ) 

Mr.  Stone  summarized  the  work  accomplished  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Club  in  the  study  of  the  spring  migration  of 
1902  in  the  Delaware  Valley. 


DELAWARE  VALLEY  ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB.  57 

On  behalf  of  Mr.  McCadden,  the  occurrence  of  a  Red-throated 
Loon  (Gavia  lumme)  at  Radnor,  Pa.,  December  16,  1902,  was 
recorded.  The  bird  was  caught  alive  by  the  roadside.  It  was 
supposed  that  it  had  been  driven  to  the  ground  by  the  recent 
storm  and  was  unable  to  get  on  the  wing  again. 


Bird  Club  Notes^ 

With  this  number  of  Cassinia  we  present  a  sketch  of  another 
of  Philadelphia's  famous  ornithologists,  accompanied  by  a  por- 
trait. In  each  succeeding  issue  we  hope  to  present  an  outline 
of  the  life  of  one  of  our  predecessors  who  helped  to  make 
Philadelphia,  for  many  years,  a  center  of  ornithological  activity, 

*  *  * 

The  club  held  sixteen  meetings  during  1902,  with  an  average 
attendance  of  eighteen,  forty-six  members  attending  one  or 
more  meetings. 

*  *  * 

The  Club  has  this  year  successfully  organized  a  corps  of  ob- 
servers for  the  study  of  bird  migration  which  bids  fair  to  pro- 
duce some  records  of  considerable  scientific  value,  as  well  as  to 
bring  into  closer  touch  all  persons  interested  in  bird  study  in 
Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  Southern  New  Jersey;  forty-two 
observers  were  engaged  in  the  work  during  the  past  year  and  we 
hope  to  largely  increase  the  number  next  season.  We  shall  be 
glad  of  the  assistance  of  any  one  familiar  with  our  commoner 
birds,  and  so  situated  as  to  be  able  to  note  the  progress  of  the 
spring  migration.  A  blank  schedule  will  be  forwarded  to  any 
one  who  desires  to  engage  in  the  work.  Inquiries  should  be 
addressed  to  William  E.  Hannum,  Chairman  D.  V.  0.  C, 
Committee  on  Bird  Migration,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware 
County,  Pa. 

*  *  * 

In  beginning  its  third  year  the  Spencer  F.  Baird  Club  starts 
with  renewed  interest  and  greater  enthusiasm  among  its  mem- 
bers. Plans  for  the  year's  work  have  been  discussed  and  a  reg- 
ular course  of  study  planned  with  the  definite  aim  in  view  of 
creating  a  greater  interest  in  the  study  of  birds  in  Philadelphia. 
It  is  purposed  to  celebrate  annually,  February  3d,  Prof.  Baird' B 

(68) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  59 

birthday  by  a  public  meeting,  to  which  all  interested  in  the 
study  of  birds  will  be  invited.  The  officers  for  the  ensuing 
year  are:  President,  Mrs.  Edward  Robins;  Secretary  and  Treas- 
urer, Miss  Mary  Parker  Nicholson;  Corresponding  Secretary, 
Mrs.  William  Channing  Russel. 

*  *  * 

The  Pennsylvania  Audubon  Society  has  reached  a  general 
membership  of  over  7,000  representing  all  but  six  of  the  sixty- 
eight  counties  of  the  state. 

At  the  meeting  of  the  National  Committees  of  the  Audubon 
Societies  held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  November  19,  1902,  fifteen 
societies  were  represented. 

Mr.  F.  M.  Chapman  addressed  the  annual  meeting  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Audubon  Society  at  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  January  10,  1903,  on  "The  Life  of  the  Nest." 

The  old  officers  were  re-elected  for  the  ensuing  year. 

*  *  * 

At  the  A.  0.  U.  Congress  held  in  Washington,  D.  C,  Nov., 
1902,  the  D.  V.  0.  C.  was  represented  by  Messrs.  Pennock, 
Morris,  Baily,  Evans,  Wright,  Rehn  and  Stone,  and  four  papers 
were  presented  by  club  members. 

"Notes  on  the  life  of  Edward  Harris  with  extracts  from  his 
Journals, ' '  George  Spencer  Morris. 

"A  Contribution  to  the  Life  History  of  the  Herring  Gull," 
Wm.  L.  Baily  and  Wm.  Dutcher. 

"A  Glance  at  the  Historical  Side  of  the  Check-List  of  North 
American  Birds,"  Witmer  Stone. 

"The  Significance  of  Trinomials  in  Nomenclature,"  Witmer 
Stone. 

Bartram  W.  Griffiths,  Thomas  D.  Keim  and  Chreswell  J. 
Hunt,  of  the  D.  V.  0.  C. ,  were  elected  Associates  of  the  Union. 

The  twenty-first  congress  of  the  A.  0.  U.  will  be  held  at  the 
Academy  of  Natural  Sciences,  Philadelphia,  Nov.  16,  1903,  and 
a  committee  of  arrangements  has  been  appointed,  consisting  of 
Witmer  Stone,  William  L.  Baily  and  Charles  J.  Pennock. 


OFFICERS  AND  MEMBERS 


or  THE 


Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club. 


1903. 

CHARLES  J.  PENNOCK,  President. 

WILLIAM  A.  SHBYOCK,  Vice-President. 

WILLIAM  B.  EVANS,  Secretary,  56  N.  Front  St.,  PhUa. 

STEWARDSON  BROWN,  Ti-easurer,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown. 


ACTIVE  MEMBERS. 

William  L.  Baily,  Ardmore,  Pa Founder. 

Stewardson  Brown,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila *  1891 

Herbert  L.  CoGGiNS,  5025  McKean  Ave. ,  Germantown,  Phila.     .   .   .1897 

I.  Norris  DeHaven,  Ardmore,  Pa 1891 

Arthur  C.  Emlen,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Pa 1897 

William  B.  Evans,  Moorestown,  N.  J 1898 

Henry  W.  Fowler,  Holmesburg,  Phila 1894 

William  E.  Hannum,  Swarthniore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1901 

William  E.  Hughes,  M.  D.,  3945  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1891 

George  Spencer  Morris,  Olney,  Phila Founder. 

Charles  J.  Pennock,  Kennett  Square,  Pa 1895 

Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa 1890 

Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  Audabon,  N.  J Founder. 

William  A.  Shryock,  21  N.  Seventh  St.,  Phila 1891 

Witmer  Stone,  Academy  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila Founder. 

Spencer  Trotter,  M.  D.,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.  Founder. 
Samuel  Wright,  Conshohocken,  Pa 1892 

*Date  indicates  year  of  election  to  Club. 

(60) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  61 

HONORARY  MEMBER. 
Samuel  W.  WooDHODSE.  M.  D.,  1306  Pine  St.,  Phila 1900 


ASSOCIATE  MEMBERS. 

Chakles  W.  BuviNGEK,  911  N.  Sixteenth  St.,  Phila 1900 

William  D.  Carpentee,  228  S.  Twenty-first  St.,  Pliila 1899 

John  D.  Cakter,  Haverford,  Pa 1900 

Francis  E.  Cope,  Jr.  ,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Pliila 1895 

William  J.  Cresson,  Swarthmore,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1899 

Ernest  M.  Evans,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Phila 1899 

A.  J.  Fellows,  4006  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1894 

George  Forsythe,  West  Chester  (Route  4),  Chester  Co.,  Pa 1891 

Samuel  M.  Freeman,  13  E.  Penn  St. ,  Germantown,  Phila 1896 

Alfred  Morton  GiTHENS,  1512  Pine  St.,  Phila 1895 

Bartram  W.  Griffiths,  4024  Green  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 

Samuel  S.  Haines,  M.  D.  ,  Mill  St.  et  Central  Ave.,  Moorestown,  N.  J.  1901 

Thomas  L.  Hammersley,  839  N.  Forty-first  St.,  W.  Phila 1896 

Chreswell  J.  Hunt,  1306  N.  Fifty-third  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 

William  W.  Justice,  Jr.,  Manheim  and  McKean  Aves.,  Germantown, 

Phila 1903 

Thomas  D.  Keim,  405  Eadclifi'e  St.,  Bristol,  Pa 1902 

Raymond  Kester,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1892 

Nathan  Kite,  Moylan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1898 

Joseph  B.  Lodge,  3340  N.  Sixteenth  St.,  Phila 1900 

DavidMcCadden,  4204  Powelton  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1892 

H.  E.  McCoRMiCK,  507  S.  Forty-third  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

Walter  VV.  Malbes,  M.  D.,  939  N.  Twelfth  St.,  Phila 1899 

F.  Guy  Meyers,  4603  Cedar  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1896 

J.  R.  Moon,  836  Broadway,  Camden,  N.  J 1897 

Robert  T.  Moore,  Haddonfield,  N.  J 1897 

Elmer  Onderdonk,  4221  Parrish  St.,  M'.  Phila 1903 

Frederick  N.  Owen,  1812  Green  St. ,  Phila 1902 

Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore  Prep.  School,  Swarthmore,  Pa.   .   .    .  1899 

Norman  H.  Passmore,  Swarthmore  College,  Pa 1902 

James  F.  Prendeegast,  M.  D.,  3833  Spring  Garden  St.,  W.  Phila.  .    .  1899 

J.  Harris  Reed,  Aldan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

John  H.  Reese,  Riverton,  N.  J 1894 

James  A.  G.  Eehn,  1918  N.  Twenty-first  St.,  Phila 1899 

William  R.  Eeinick,  Wagner  Institute,  Seventeenth  and  Montgomery 

Ave.,  Phila 1900 

William  E.  Egberts,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1901 

Anthony  Robinson,  409  Chestnut  St.,  Phila 1898 

W.  E.  Rotzell,  M.  D.,  Narberth,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa 1891 

William  B.  Scheulng,  3024  W.  York  St.,  Phila 1893 


62  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

C.  Few  Seiss,  1338  Spring  Garden  St.,  Phila 1892 

Edward  A.  Selliez,  1317  N.  19th  St.,  Phila 1902 

Wii-LiAM  J.  Sereii,!.,  Haverford,  Pa 1891 

Edwin  Sheppard,  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila 1891 

Wamer  G.  Sibley,  6626  McCallum  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1900 

L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  3908  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

Walter  Gordon  Smith,  5870  Drexel  Koad,  W.  Phila 1898 

Reynold  A.  Spaeth,  7300  Boyer  Ave.,  Mt.  Airy,  Phila 1901 

James  L.  Stanton,  5218  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1901 

William  H.  Trotter,  Chestnut  Hill,  Phila 1899 

Joseph  W.  Tatum,  5220  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1892 

Charles  A.  Voelker,  Adanisford,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

Henry  Wakrinoton,  1700  Mt.  Vernon  St.,  Phila 1896 

Asa  P.  Way,  Swarthniore  College,  Delaware  Co. ,  Pa 1902 

Chakles  S.  Welles,  El wyn,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Cornelius  Weyoandt,  79  Upsel  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1891 

Albert  Whitaker,  Cedar  Grove,  Frankford,  Phila 1896 

Edward  W.  Woolman,  44  N.  Thirty-eighth  St.,  W.PhUa 1902 


CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 

Charles  H.  Baker,  Grassmere,  Orange  Co. ,  Fla 1900 

Thomas  J.  Beans,  Moorestown,  N.  J 1895 

Herman  Behr,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co. ,  Pa 1897 

Otto  Behr,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa 1897 

W.  H.  BuLLEE,  Marietta,  Lancaster  Co. ,  Pa 1895 

Walter  D.  Bush,  Wilmington,  Del 1898 

Frank  B.  Eastman,  Wilmington,  Del 1898 

Marcus  S.  Farr,  Princeton,  N.  J 1901 

Harry  L.  Graham,  Redlands,  Cal 1897 

Allen  H.  Grosh,  York,  York  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Henry  Hales,  Kidgewood,  N.  J 1895 

H.  Walker  Hand,  1002  AVashington  St.,  Cape  May,  N.  J 1900 

JcsiAH  HoopES,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

Thomas  H.  Jackson,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

J.  Warren  Jacobs,  Waynesburg,  Greene  Co. ,  Pa 1895 

August  Koch,  Williamsport,  Pa 1895 

Samuel  B.  Ladd,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

Waldron  D.  W.  Miller,  Plainfield,  N.  J 1900 

Howard  Y.  Pennell,  M.  D.,  Downingtown,  Pa 1894 

A.  H.  Phillips,  Princeton,  N.  J 1895 

M.  W.  Eaub,  M.  D.,  Lancaster,  Pa 1895 

H.  Justin  Roddy,  State  Normal  School,  Millersville,  Lane.  Co.,  Pa.  .    .  1896 
Frederick  Sorensen,  Chalmersgarten,  Gothenburg,  Sweden 1900 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB.  63 

HnoH  E.  Stone,  Coatesville,  Pa 1895 

H.  A.  Surface,  State  College,  Pa 1900 

C.  F.  SYI.VESTEE,  Princeton,  N.  J •    •    •    .  1901 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburg,  Pa 1895 

William  H.  Werner,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J 1901 

William  L.  Whitaker,  Joplin,  Mo 1893 

Egbert  T.  Young,  Boulder,  Colo 1892 


DECEASED  MEMBERS. 

DUd. 

J.  Fabnum  Brown,  Active  member May,  1894 

John  W.  Detwiller,  M.  D.  ,  Corresponding  member 1898 

Gilbert  H.  Moore,  Associate  member May,  1899 

William  Patterson,  Corresponding  member August  27,  1900 

William  W.  Smith,  Associate  member July  3,  1892 


INDEX  TO  SPECIES. 


Every  mention  of  a  bird,  either  by  common  or  technical  name,  except  in  the 
migration  tables,  is  indexed  under  the  current  technical  name  of  the  species. 


Acanthis  linaria,  46 
Aegialitis  semipalmata,  44 
Agelaius  phoeniceus,  46 
Alca  torda,  53 
Ammodramus  henslowii,  6,  54 

sandw.  savanna,  49 
savan.  passerinus,  49 
Ampelis  cedrorum,  47,  49,  53 
Anas  boschas,  43 

obscura,  30,  43 
obscura  rubripes,  43 
Anthus  pensilvanicus,  48 
Antrostomus  vociferus,  25 
Archibuteo  lag.  sancti-johannis,  45 
Ardea  caerulea,  15,  16,  17,  21 

candidissima,  15,  16,  17,  21 
egretta,  15,  16 
herodias,  44 
virescens,  21 
Ardetta  exilis,  43 
Astragalinus  psaltria,  55 
Aythya  affinis,  43 

americana,  43 
marila,  43 

Bartramia  longicauda,  44 
Botaurus  lentiginosus,  43 
Bubo  virginianus,  45,  54 
Buteolatissimus,  45 

Campephilus  imperialis,  53 
Carpodacus  purpureus,  46,  56 
Cathartes  aura,  29,  31 
Ceryle  alcyon,  45 
Chsetura  pelagica,  27 
Circus  hudsonius,  45 
Clangula  c.  americana,  43 
Clivicola  riparia,  53 
Coccyzus  americanus,  27 

erythrophthalmus,  56 
Colaptes  auratus  luteus,  45 
Colinus  virginianus,  44 
Colyrabus  auritus,  43 


Colymbus  holboelli,  43 
Compsothlypis  americana  usneae,  28,  49 
Cyanospiza  cyanea,  28,  49 
Cyrtonyx  montezuma,  53 

Dafila  acuta,  43 
Dendroica  castanea,  47 

ccerulescens,  49,  56 

coronata,  47 

discolor,  29,  30 

palm,  hypochrysea,  49 

pensylvanica,  66 

tigrina,  47 

virens,  49 
Dryobates  pubescens  medianus,  28,  45 

villosus,  28,  56 

Empidonax  flaviventris,  45 

traillii  alnorum,  45 
Erismatura  jamaicensis,  43 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum,  53,  56 
sparverius,  45 

Galeosooptes  carolinensis,  36,  48,  49 
Gallinago  delicata,  44 
Gavia  lumme,  -57 
Geothlypis  agilis,  49 

trichas,  28,  29,  49 

Haliieetus  leucocephalus,  45 

Harelda  hyemalis,  43 

Harporhynchus.     See  Toxostoma. 

Helmintliophila  chrysoptera,  47 
rubricapilla,  47 

Hylocichla  aliciae,  49 

fuscescens,  56 
guttata  pallasii,  48,  56 
mustelinus,  49,  56 
ust.  swainsonii,  49 

Icteria  virens,  56 
Icterus  spurius,  27 

(65) 


66 


INDEX. 


J  unco  hyemalis,  47 
Lanius  borealis,  55 

ludovicianus,  47 
Larus  argentatus,  43 

delawarensis,  43 

Philadelphia,  43 

Mareca  americana,  43 
Melanerpes  erythrocephalus,  45 
Melospiza  georgiana,  47 
Merganser  americanus,  43 

serrator,  43 
Merula  migratoria,  48,  49 
Mimus  polyglottos,  55 
Mniotilta  varia,  49 
Molothrus  ater,  46 

Nettion  carolinensis,  43 
Nuiiienius  hudsonious,  44 
Nyctea  nyctea,  45 
Nycticorax  nyct.  nsevius,  44,  54 

Olbiorchilus  hiemalis,  48 
Otocoris  alpestris,  46 

a.  praticola,  46 

Parus  bicolor,  48 

septentrionalis,  3 
Passerina  nivalis,  46 
Petrochelidon  lunifrons,  52 
Phalacrocorax  dilophus,  43 
Philohela  minor,  44 
Pipilo  erythrophthalmus,  29,  30,  47 
Piranga  erythromelas,  28,  49 
Podilymbus  podiceps,  43 
Porzana  Carolina,  49 
Progne  subis,  26,  52 

Querquedula  discors,  43 


Quiscalus  quiscula,  22,  46,  52 

Rallus  elegans,  44 

virginianus,  44 
Regulus  calendula,  49 
Ehynchopsitta  pachyrhyncha,  53 

Scolecophagus  carolinus,  46 
Seiurus  motacilla,  47 

noveboracensis,  49 
Setophaga  rulicilla,  49 
Sialia  sialis,  4.S 
Sitta  canadensis,  48 
Sphyrapicus  varius,  45 
Spinus  pinus,  46 
Spizella  pusilla,  29,  30,  49 
Sturnella  magna,  46 
Syrnium  nebulosum,  4.5 

Tachycineta  bicolor,  28,  52 
Trochilus  colubris,  27 
Thryotliorus  ludovicianus,  48 
Totanus  melanoleucus,  44 
Toxostoma  rufa,  29,  30,  36 
Tringa  minutilla,  44 
Troglodytes  aedon,  30 
Tyrannus  verticalis,  3 

Vireo  flavifrons,  52 
gilvus,  52 

noveboracensis,  28,  47 
olivaceus,  27,  49 

Wilsonia  mitrata,  47 
pusilla,  48 

Zenaidura  raacroura,  27 
Zonotricliia  albicoUis,  46 
leucophrys,  46 


PRICE  FIFTY  CENTS. 


CASSINIA 

An  Annual  Devoted  to  the  Ornithology  of 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey. 


CONTENTS  1903. 

Jojin  K.  Townsend  (portrait) 

The  Red-headed  Woodpecker  as  a  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey  Bird 

Notes  on  the  Summer  Birds  of  Lehigh  Gap, 
Pennsylvania 

Exit  the  Dickcissel— A  Remarkable  Case  of  Lo- 
cal Extinction 

Crow  Roosts  and  Flight  Lines  in  Southeastern 
Pennsylvania,  and  New  Jersey  (two  plates) 

Water  Birds  of  the  Middle  Delaware  Valley 

A  Remarkable  Night  Migration  at  Mt.  Pocono,  Pa. 

Report  on  the  Spring  Migration  of  1903 

Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  1903 

City  Ornithology 

Bird  Club  Notes 

List  of  Officers  and  Members  of  the  D.  V.  O.  C.   1904 

Index 


WiTMER  Stone 

I 

Spencer  Trotter 

6 

James  A.  G.  Rehn 

II 

Samoei.  N.  Rhoads 

17 

Herbert  l.  Coggins 

Henry  W.  Fowler 

WimAM  L.  Baily 

Witmer  Stone 

29 
43 
54 
58 

71 
78 
80 

83 

87 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE  D.  V.  O.  C. 

The  Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,  by  Witmer 
Stone,  pp.  176  with  two  maps  and  portrait  of  Alex. 
Wilson  One  Dollar.         (Post  paid  51.12) 

Abstract  of  Proceedings,  Full  Set  Nos.  I-IV.  (1890-1900)  pp.  98,  Fifty  cents 
Cassinia,  published  annually  beginning  with  1901 ;  comprising 
papers  relating  to  the  Ornithology  of  Pennsylvania 
and  New  Jersey  and  an  abstract  of  the  proceedings  of 
the  Club.  Edited  by  Witmer  Stone.  Subscription 
price  Fifty  cents 


Address  Dekware  Valley  Ornithological  Club, 

Care  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 

Logan  Square,  Philadelphia. 


■^. 

^ 


cJ^y!^<2^ 


CASSINIA 


PROCEEDINGS  OF   THE   DELAWARE  VALLEY 
ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB 


No.  Vn.  PHILADELPHIA,  PA.  1903. 


John  Kirk  Townsend 


BY  WITHER  STONE. 


It  not  infrequently  happens  that  a  man  of  marked  ability 
who  would  have  shown  as  a  star  of  the  first  magnitude  at 
another  period,  is  forced  to  enter  upon  his  activities  at  a  time 
when  another  star  is  already  in  the  ascendant,  whose  radiance  to 
a  great  extent  casts  his  light  into  the  shadow. 

Such  in  a  measure  was  the  fate  of  John  K.  Townsend.  As 
an  ornithologist  he  appears  to  have  been  equal  to  any  this 
country  has  produced,  a  painstaking  and  reliable  observer  and 
a  fluent,  scholarly  writer.  But  with  Audubon  as  a  competitor, 
an  artist  of  the  first  rank,  whose  pictures  alone  would  have 
given  him  world-wide  reputation,  with  an  almost  daring  self- 
reliance,  and  with  rich  friends  to  back  his  undertakings,  it  was 
practically  impossible  for  this  modest,  non-assertive  student,  to 
achieve  the  notoriety  that  might  otherwise  have  been  his. 
Furthermore,  Townsend  was  unfortunate  in  Uving  at  a  time 
when  it  was  difiicult  to  secure  salaried  museum  positions  which 
would  have  enabled  him  to  pursue  his  favorite  study,  and  his 
premature  death  cut  ofl"  a  career  that  might  in  spite  of  all 
have  developed  a  still  greater  reputation. 


I  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

John  K.  Townsend  was  born  in  Philadelphia,  October  10, 
1809,  the  son  of  Charles  and  Priscilla  Kirk  Townsend,  his  family 
being  of  Quaker  ancestr}',  highly  intellectual  and  cultivated. 
One  of  his  brothers  was  a  prominent  penalogist,  and  his  sisters 
were  writers  of  some  note,  one  of  them  being  the  author  of  an 
early  popular  book  on  Natural  History  called  "Life  in  the 
Insect  World."  John  was  educated  at  Westtown  Boarding 
School  in  Chester  Co. ,  Pa. ,  the  famous  Quaker  institution,  upon 
whose  rolls  may  be  found  the  names  of  Thomas  Say,  John 
Cassin,  Edward  D.  Cope,  and  many  others  prominent  in  science. 
He  was  even  then  much  interested  in  birds,  and  became  a  most 
skilful  taxidermist,  his  work  attracting  the  admiration  of  all 
who  saw  it.  He  spent  some  time  in  early  life  with  a  cousin, 
the  late  Wm.  P.  Townsend,  of  West  Chester,  Pa.,  a  man  of 
kindred  tastes,  and  together  they  formed  a  nearly  complete  col- 
lection of  local  birds,  which  is  still  preserved  in  the  West 
Chester  State  Normal  School. 

About  this  time  Townsend  made  his  first  noteworthy  orni- 
thological discovery.  While  collecting  specimens  for  his  friend 
Dr.  Ezra  Michener,  May  11,  1833,  at  New  Garden,  Chester 
County,  he  shot  a  curious  finch,  unlike  any  that  had  previously 
been  described.  Dr.  Michener  states  that  they  named  it  in  their 
note-book  Evspiza  albigula,  the  White-throated  Bunting.  It 
was  subsequently,  however,  published  by  Audubon,  and  named 
in  honor  of  its  discoverer  E.  townsendi.  The  specimen  now  in 
the  National  Museum  remains  unique,  which  fact  would  seem 
to  point  to  its  hybrid  origin. 

In  1834,  when  twenty-five  years  of  age,  Townsend,  in  com- 
pany with  Thomas  Nuttall,  the  botanist  and  ornithologist,  made 
a  trip  across  the  continent  with  an  expedition  headed  by  Capt. 
Wyeth,  who  was  interested  in  the  recently  formed  Columbia 
River  Fishing  and  Trading  Company.  They  went  from  Pitts- 
burg by  steamboat  to  St.  Louis,  and  after  purchasing  their 
necessary  outfits,  the  two  naturalists  started  on  foot  across  the 
state  to  Independence,  where  the  caravan  was  encamped.  They 
encountered  birds  of  all  sorts,  including  vast  numbers  of  the 
brilliant  Carolina  Paroquets  and  dense  flocks  of  "Wild  Pigeons. 

On  April  28th  the  expedition  started,  crossing  to  the  Platte 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  d 

river,  thence  along  the  North  Fork  to  Laramie,  to  the  Sweet 
Water,  and  through  the  South  Pass  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
Thence  their  route  followed  the  Bear  River,  to  the  upper  spurs 
of  the  Wasatch  Mountains,  and  down  to  Snake  River,  where 
they  built  Fort  Hall  and  left  part  of  their  company.  From 
here  they  traveled  westward,  following  the  Boise  and  Snake 
Rivers,  and  crossing  the  Blue  Mountains,  apparently  by  the 
same  route  now  followed  by  the  Oregon  Railroad.  From  Fort 
Walla  Walla  they  went  down  the  Columbia  and  reached  Fort 
Vancouver  on  September  16th. 

After  three  months'  sojourn  in  this  vicinity  Townsend  and 
Nuttall  visited  the  Sandwich  Islands,  where  they  collected  many 
interesting  specimens,  and  also  made  the  acquaintance  of  the 
king,  Kauikeaouli. 

Returning  to  Vancouver,  Townsend  spent  some  time  in  further 
explorations,  and  during  the  absence  of  Dr.  Gairdner  was  for  a 
time  in  charge  of  the  hospital.  Nuttall  left  for  home  October, 
1835,  and  in  December,  1836,  Townsend  also  started  to  return. 
He  stopped  again  at  the  Sandwich  Islands,  as  well  as  at  Tahiti 
and  Valparaiso,  rounded  the  horn,  and  finally  reached  Phila- 
delphia again  in  November  13,  1837,  after  an  absence  of  three 
years  and  a  half. 

Townsend  collected  specimens  wherever  possible,  and  his 
material  was  the  basis  of  many  new  species  described  by 
Audubon,  Bachman  and  Cassin. 

Among  his  discoveries  in  the  western  United  States  were  the 
Sage  Thrasher,  Townsend's  Solitaire,  Hermit,  Audubon's  and 
Townsend's  Warblers,  Townsend's  Bluebird,  Harris'  Wood- 
pecker, Vaux's  Swift,  and  many  others. 

Some  of  his  Hawaiian  birds  are  now  specimens  of  the  greatest 
rarity,  owing  to  the  rapid  extermination  of  the  native  fauna  of 
those  interesting  islands.  The  letters  recently  published  by  Mr. 
Rhoads  in  the  Auk  explain  how,  unable  to  adequately  publish 
his  new  species  of  American  birds,  Townsend  sold  them  to 
Audubon  or  his  patrons,  and  supplied  him  with  the  informa- 
tion that  he  had  secured  concerning  them. 

In  1839  he  did  succeed  in  publishing  his  famous  "Journal," 
a,  most  entertaining  account  of  his  entire  trip,  supplemented  by 


4  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

brief  descriptions  of  his  new  species  and  lists  of  all  that  he  saw. 
The  first  edition  of  this  work  was  exhausted  in  three  weeks,  and 
in  1842  he  contemplated  publishing  another,  but  so  far  as  I 
know  this  intention  was  never  carried  out.  He  published  also 
two  short  papers  in  the  Journal  of  the  Academy  containing 
lists  of  the  species  that  he  had  met  with  in  his  travels.  The  real 
results  of  his  labors  were,  however,  embodied  in  the  later  vol- 
umes of  Audubon's  great  work,  and  the  identity  of  the  con- 
tributor is  to  a  great  extent  lost  in  the  fame  of  the  artist  author. 

Later  Townsend  conceived  the  idea  of  publishing  an  illus- 
trated work  on  the  Ornithology  of  the  United  States  with  plates 
of  royal  octavo  size.  A  single  part  was  issued,  now  one  of  the 
rarest  brochures  on  American  Ornithology,  but  apparently  owing 
to  the  almost  simultaneous  appearance  of  the  small  edition  of 
Audubon,  the  undertaking  was  abandoned. 

Townsend  had  been  elected  a  member  of  the  Academy  of 
Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia  in  September,  1833,  and  upon 
his  return  from  the  west  he  was  made  a  Curator,  serving  Decem- 
ber, 1839-December,  1840,  and  later  December,  1845-December, 
1846. 

In  1842  he  was  employed  by  the  National  Institute,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. ,  in  securing  and  mounting  birds  for  their  exhibit, 
while  he  served  also  as  Recording  Secretary. 

In  1843  controversies  arose  between  Capt.  Wilkes  who  was 
superintending  the  preparation  of  the  specimens  brought  back 
by  the  U.  S.  Exploring  Expedition,  and  the  National  Institute, 
in  whose  rooms  the  material  was  stored,  which  resulted  in  the 
discharge  of  Townsend,  just  as  he  was  becoming  established 
where  he  would  apparently  have  been  in  direct  line  for  scien- 
tific positions  under  the  soon-to-be-established  Smithsonian 
Institution. 

Congress  undertook  an  investigation  of  the  National  Insti- 
tute's affairs,  and  Townsend  had  hopes  of  being  reinstated  as 
Curator,  but  apparently  nothing  came  of  the  matter,  and  by  the 
end  of  1845  we  find  him  back  in  Philadeli^hia,  living  at  Ninth 
and  Cherry  Streets,  and  studying  dentistry,  a  profession  in 
which  two  of  his  brothers  had  attained  eminence. 

Some  years  previous  to  this  Townsend  married  Miss  Harriet 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  O 

Holmes,  of  Cape  May  Court  House,  N.  J.,  a  locality  which  he, 
in  company  with  all  the  other  ornithologists  of  the  day,  visited 
in  pursuit  of  water  birds.  Frequent  trips  were  later  made 
by  him  and  Wm.  Baird  to  the  Holmes  establishment,  from 
which  they  scoured  the  swamps  and  marshes  for  ducks,  white 
herons,  shore  birds,  and  other  species  of  interest. 

His  experiment  as  a  dentist  does  not  seem  to  have  been  a 
success,  and  in  1851  his  health  failed.  His  family  attributed 
this  to  the  effects  of  arsenic,  and  Dr.  Mahlon  Kirk,  his  brother- 
in-law,  in  a  recent  letter  tome,  writes:  "I  often  saw  John  when 
employed  by  the  government  to  mount  specimens  in  Washing- 
ton, bending  over  a  big  tray  of  arsenic  in  what  was  then  called 
the  Patent  Office,  now  the  Department  of  Interior,  enveloped 
in  a  cloud  of  the  dust,  which  being  a  cumulative  poison, 
destroyed  his  health  and  ended  in  liis  premature  death." 

With  the  hope  of  recovering  his  health  he  engaged  to  go  as 
naturalist  with  Commodore  Aulich  on  a  government  cruise  to 
the  east  coast  of  Africa.  His  sickness,  however,  so  increased 
that  he  was  unable  to  sail  with  the  expedition,  and  he  died 
soon  after  it  left  port,  February  6,  1851,  at  the  age  of  42.  Dr 
Kirk  adds: 

"Since  his  death  over  half  a  century  has  passed,  but  his  lov 
able  qualities  and  scientific  attainments  are  as  fresh  and  green 
now  as  I  recall  them  in  the  first  development  of  my  manhood. 
His  personality  was  most  attractive.  His  courtesy,  kindness  of 
heart,  and  his  brilliant  conversational  powers,  fortified  with  a 
vivacious  intellect  and  a  fund  of  knowledge  covering  almost  all 
subjects,  made  him  a  delightful  companion  and  endeared  him 
to  every  one  who  came  within  his  influence." 


The  Red-headed  Woodpecker  as  a  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey  Bird 

BY  SPEKCER  TROTTEB. 

This  bird  has  always  been  associated  in  my  mind  witli  some 
rare  days  of  the  year  when  cool  winds  are  wandering  through 
summer  woods;  days  full  of  bright  sunshine  and  redolent  of  the 
coming  autumn.  I  first  saw  tlie  bird  on  a  certain  hill-side  in 
Maryland  that  was  grown  up  with  tall  white-oaks,  not  thickly, 
but  open  enough  for  a  sheep-jiasture,  with  vistas  of  close-cropped 
grass  among  the  gray  tree-trunks.  In  this  setting  a  Woodpecker 
winged  before  me  from  tree  to  tree  with  its  strongly  contrasted 
blotches  of  black,  white,  and  crimson  flashing  in  the  sunlight. 
That  was  in  the  early  seventies,  and  on  that  hill-side  a  spell 
was  cast  that  has  worked  its  subtle  charm  through  all  the  years. 

So  was  it  when  my  life  began; 

So  is  it  now  I  am  a  man; 

So  be  it  when  I  shall  grow  old. 

For  a  number  of  years  I  continued  to  find  the  Red-headed 
Woodpecker  a  fairly  abundant  bird  in  the  farm  lands  close  to 
the  cities  of  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore,  especially  during  the 
fall.  It  was  conspicuous  at  times  among  the  tall  trees  that 
crown  the  hills  along  the  Schuylkill  above  the  Girard  Avenue 
Bridge.  In  late  years  it  has  disappeared  from  the  immediate 
vicinity  of  the  city,  and  I  do  not  recall  having  seen  it  about  its 
old  haunts  in  the  nearer  parts  of  the  park  for  the  past  twenty 
years.  In  the  more  remote  farming  districts,  however,  it  is  still 
fairlj'  common,  though  never  at  any  time  or  in  any  place  an 
abundant  species  like  the  Flicker  or  the  Downy  Woodpecker.  I 
have  picked  up  a  curious  bit  of  folk-lore  concerning  the  bird,  a 
belief  that  the  Red-headed  Woodpeckers  when  unusually  num- 
erous in  autumn  presage  a  winter  of  great  sickness.     I  have 

(6) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  / 

noted  the  bird  quite  regularly  among  the  shellbark  hickories 
and  plane-trees  in  the  meadows  along  Chester  Creek  near  Chey- 
ney,  Pennsylvania,  and  have  seen  the  young  birds  practicing 
short  flights  during  the  earlier  weeks  of  summer.  In  February, 
1898,  I  saw  it  in  this  locality  after  an  unusually  mild  winter, 
which  was  followed  by  a  spell  of  abnormally  warm  weather  in 
March.  On  the  27th  of  December,  1901,  Stone,  Rhoads  and 
myself  saw  the  bird  in  a  piece  of  open  woodland  along  one  of 
the  tide-water  creeks  below  Camden,  N.  J.  The  following  is 
from  niy  note-book  under  date  of  March  30,  1901,  at  North- 
brook,  Chester  county,  Pennsylvania,  on  the  west  branch  of  the 
Brandywine: 

"■Red-headed  Woodpecker,  Obs. ,  brought  what  was  apparently 
a  small  acorn  and  stuck  it  into  the  crevice  of  a  limb  and  seemed 
afterward  to  pound  it  in." 

This  jDarticular  bird  I  watched  for  some  time.  It  kept  con- 
tinually flying  up  and  down  between  the  ground  and  the  lower 
limbs  of  an  oak  that  grew  in  the  meadow,  and  at  intervals  vis- 
ited a  tree  on  the  roadside  near  the  spot  where  I  was  standing. 
On  one  of  these  visits  it  brought  some  object,  possibly  an  acorn 
picked  up  in  the  meadow,  and  poking  it  into  a  crack  began 
pounding  it  in  with  sledge-hammer  strokes  delivered  with  the 
force  of  the  whole  body,  the  head  being  held  rigid,  while  the 
body  moved  on  the  leg  joints  as  a  pivot.  This  fact  of  the 
acorn-storing  on  the  part  of  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker  is 
interesting  in  connection  with  a  similar  well-known  habit  of  the 
closely  allied  Californian  Woodpecker. 

I  have  never  observed  this  species  in  the  heavy  timber  of  the 
Alleghanies,  though  I  have  noted  it  in  the  farm  lands  of  moun- 
tainous districts,  as  at  New  Bloomfield,  Perry  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  I  once  procured  a  specimen  in  an  orchard  in  the 
outskirts  of  the  town.  So  far  as  my  own  observations  go,  I  am 
led  to  believe  that  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker  is  distinctly  a 
bird  of  the  agricultural  districts  where  considerable  remnants  of 
woodland  still  exist.  That  as  the  farm  lands  give  place  to  the 
suburbs  in  the  vicinity  of  cities,  the  bird  tends  more  and  more 
to  forego  its  old  haunts  and  ultimately  to  retire  to  less  populous 
districts.     Its  distribution  in  general  must  be  largely  a  matter 


8  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

of  food  supply,  and  increasing  population  in  a  district  means 
the  cutting  down  of  trees  and  the  loss  of  many  species  of  birds 
to  that  particular  locality.  It  is  not  a  wilderness  bird,  like  the 
Yellow-bellied  and  Hairy  Woodpeckers,  nor  yet  as  familiar  a 
bird  as  the  Flicker,  but  a  lover  of  that  delectable  tract,  the  re- 
moter farmland  districts,  where  the  shrill  and  oft-repeated,  roll- 
ing notes  of  its  voice  breaks  the  stillness  that  broods  over  the 
meadow  pastures  and  through  the  groves  of  old  homesteads. 
Possibly  its  retirement  from  the  more  crowded  districts  may  be 
due  to  its  having  been  persistently  shot  at,  for  a  bird  at  once  so 
restless  and  loud-voiced  and  with  such  striking  contrast  of  color 
would  always  be  a  conspicuous  object  and  a  target  for  the  pro- 
fanwn  vulgus.  Ever  in  action  and  ever  in  evidence  in  the  im- 
mediate locality  that  it  frequents,  it  is  anything  but  shy  and 
rarely  appears  disconcerted,  allowing  one  to  approach  often 
within  a  few  feet  without  betraying  any  alarm. 

In  reply  to  inquiries  directed  to  a  number  of  members  of  the 
Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club  and  others,  relative  to  the 
distribution  of  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker  in  eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania and  southern  New  Jersey,  some  notes  of  much  interest 
have  been  received. 

It  would  seem  that  the  bird  is  never  seen  in  the  Pine 
Barren  district  of  New  Jersey  and  is  furthermore  a  rare  species 
in  the  western  part  of  the  state  between  the  barrens  and 
the  Delaware  river.  Mr.  Rhoads  has  found  it  occasionally  in 
winter  at  Haddonfield  and  at  Audubon  and  Wm.  B.  Evans  at 
Moorestown.  Farther  south  Mr.  Stone  reports  one  seen  near 
Salem,  May  7,  1896.  At  Paterson,  N.  J.,  Mr.  Josiah  H.  Clark 
states  that  the  species  is  an  irregular  but  rare  permanent  resi- 
dent. Sometimes  it  is  tolerably  common,  in  April  and  May, 
and  nests  in  June,  its  favorite  site  being  in  telegraph  poles 
along  country  roads  where  there  is  not  much  travel. 

In  Pennsylvania  it  is  much  more  plentiful  and  according  to 
Mr.  Stone  is  a  bird  of  the  larger  valleys  and  of  cultivated  areas 
generally.  Over  the  greater  part  of  Lancaster  county  it  is  par- 
ticularly common,  also  in  Chester  coimty,  and  along  the  Sus- 
quehanna and  Schuylkill  rivers.  Mr.  Stone  writes,  "In  the 
higher  mountains  it  seems  to  extend  its  range  as  the  primeval 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  V 

forest  is  removed  and  on  the  top  of  North  Mountain,  Sullivan 
county,  it  can  now  be  seen  in  small  numbers  flying  about  among 
the  blackened  stubs  left  by  the  fires  which  have  swept  through 
the  slashings  and  will  no  doubt  gradually  replace  its  larger  rel- 
ative, the  Pileated  Woodpecker,  which  disappears  from  the 
country  along  with  the  hemlock  forests  which  form  its  home. 
Immediately  about  Philadelphia  I  used  to  see  it  breeding  in  a 
large  buttonwood  tree  near  Wayne  Junction  about  1879.  Some 
five  years  later  it  had  disappeared  from  this  section  entirely  as 
a  summer  resident,  though  considerable  flights  of  the  birds  were 
seen  going  overhead  in  the  autumn.  During  the  last  few  years, 
so  far  as  my  experience  goes,  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker  is  a 
rare  bird  within  the  city  limits,  though  during  May,  1902,  I 
several  times  saw  a  pair  flying  over  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
city  and  they  possibly  nested  on  the  Sherwood  tract  near  An- 
gora. Some  years  ago  one  remained  for  part  of  the  winter 
in  Logan  Square.  In  Lancaster  county  I  have  frequently  no- 
ticed the  male  bird  perch  on  the  lightning-rod  on  top  of  a 
barn  near  where  the  female  had  her  nest,  and  rattle  repeatedly 
on  the  iron  apparently  for  pure  enjoyment  of  the  sound." 

Mr.  Thos.  D.  Keim  states  that  in  the  vicinity  of  Bristol  he 
observed  several  throughout  the  winter  of  1901-2  until  May  4, 
1902,  when  they  disappeared. 

Mr.  W.  E.  Roberts  writes  that  near  New  Hope,  Pa.,  he  knows 
of  the  nesting  place  of  a  single  pair  which  has  been  used  annually 
for  the  last  five  years.  Besides  this  pair,  he  has  seen  the  bird 
only  occasionally  in  that  vicinity,  but  he  has  not  known  it  to 
winter. 

Prof.  H.  A.  Surface,  of  State  College  (Bellefonte),  Pennsyl- 
vania, informs  Mr.  Stone  that  the  bird  is  common  there  in  the 
summer  and  that  he  had  observed  young  birds  in  the  autumn 
picking  up  acorns  and  jaming  them  into  cracks  in  the  bark.  He 
regarded  this  habit  in  the  young  birds  as  particularly  significant, 
if  it  is  to  be  regarded  as  a  reversion  to  a  habit  of  some  ances- 
tral species  of  Melanerpes. 

Mr.  Waldron  D.  W.  Miller,  of  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  writes  that 
"in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  Plainfield,  the  Red-headed  Wood- 
pecker is  usually  a  rare  or  rather  rare  bird,  but  some  seasons 


10  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

common,  or  rather  so,  in  fall.  I  have  never  found  it  breeding, 
nor  in  the  breeding  season,  within  six  miles  of  Plainfield  (though 
it  possibly  breeds  within  that  distance  southwesterly  from  here, 
between  New  Market  and  Bound  Brook).  It  is  of  much  more 
common  and  regular  occurrence  in  the  Passaic  Valley  and  Great 
Swamp  region  north  of  the  mountain  north  of  Plainfield.  It  is 
a  permanent  resident  there  as  I  have  found  it  in  the  winter 
in  several  different  years,  and  on  July  1,  1900,  observed  one 
(and  one  or  two  more  near  by)  at  its  nest  in  the  Great  Swamp 
region,  one  mile  north  of  Myersville.  Through  the  country  east 
and  south  of  Plainfield,  it  is  probably  wholly  absent  as  a  sum- 
mer resident,  though  may  possibly  be  found  in  a  few  spots 
which  I  have  not  visited.  On  September  21,  1901,  and  August 
16  and  30,  1902,  I  made  canoe  trips  along  the  Canal  and  Raritan 
river,  just  west  of  Raritan,  and  there  found  this  species  more 
numerous  than  I  have  found  it  anywhere  else.  I  was  informed 
that  the  birds  were  seen  throughout  the  summer  and  have  no 
doubt  that  they  breed." 

Mr.  Frank  L.  Burns,  of  Berwyn,  Chester  county,  Pennsyl- 
vania, writes  that  he  has  always  regarded  the  bird  as  a  resident 
in  that  vicinity,  though  he  believed  that  he  never  observed  it 
during  the  month  of  January.  According  to  his  statements  it 
undoubtedly  winters  in  certain  years  in  the  Chester  Valley. 
"Up  to  1887,"  writes  Mr.  Burns,  "it  was  not  uncommon,  be- 
came so  until  1893  in  this  neighborhood,  and  at  the  present 
time  three  pairs  are  a  goodly  number  to  meet  in  a  day's  ramble 
over  Easttown  township  or  in  the  Great  Valley." 

These  scattered  notes  simply  serve  to  show  that  this  erratic 
bird  is  probably  more  erratic  than  we  had  supposed.  He  is 
certainly  a  "great  genius,"  as  Dr.  Coues  has  remarked,  "no 
less  brilliant  and  versatile  in  character  than  in  i^l'^iniage. " 
Even  as  far  back  as  the  time  of  Mark  Catesby  he  was  playing 
the  harlequin,  rattling,  with  evident  delight,  on  the  "boarded 
houses,"  and  from  the  very  first  manifesting  a  preference  for 
the  villages  and  plantations.  Apart  from  his  beauty  and  the 
sentiment  with  which  manj'  of  us  may,  perchance,  associate 
him,  we  are  attracted  by  the  bold  way  in  which  he  seems  to  set 
at  defiance  the  laws  of  distribution  and  migration,  and  by  the 
strange  habits  which  he  now  and  then  displays. 


Notes  on  the  Summer  Birds  of  Lehigh  Gap, 
Pennsylvania 

BY  JAMES  A.   G.   REHN. 

The  Blue  Ridge  of  central  eastern  Pennsylvania  is  a  rather 
uniform  mountain  range  of  an  average  elevation  of  about  twelve 
liundrecl  feet  above  sea-level,  though  rising  here  and  there  into 
rounded  domes  some  three  hundred  feet  higher.  As  is  well 
known,  the  larger  streams  of  this  section  of  the  country  follow 
courses  all  more  or  less  at  right  angles  to  the  general  trend  of 
this  outpost  ridge  of  the  Appalachian  system.  Of  the  several 
breaks  in  the  chain  caused  by  or  utilized  for  the  passage  of 
streams,  the  most  noted  is  the  Delaware  Water  Gap,  but  prob- 
ably none  present  more  beautiful  surroundings  or  a  more  desir- 
able and  secluded  spot  for  the  nature  student  than  that  known 
as  Lehigh  Gap.  There  the  writer  has  spent  a  number  of  pleas- 
ant days  during  six  visits  covering  a  period  of  three  years. 

The  Lehigh  Gap  region  may  be  called  the  corner-stone  of 
three  counties,  as  to  the  northwest  of  the  ridge  stretches  Carbon 
County,  while  on  the  southeast  the  Lehigh  river  separates  the 
counties  of  Northampton  and  Lehigh.  The  small  village  of 
Lehigh  Gap  nestles  directly  at  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge  on  the 
south  side  of  the  river,  and  is  distant  about  two  miles  from  the 
important  town  of  Slatington.  Near  this  place  the  writer  re- 
sided and  here  many  of  the  following  observations  were  made. 
Lehigh  Gajj,  Carbon  county  (also  known  as  Palmerton),  is  sit- 
uated on  the  north  shore  of  the  river  and  has  recently  assumed 
commercial  importance  due  to  its  rather  extensive  zinc  plant. 

The  Lehigh  river  receives  an  affluent  from  the  southwest, 
about  three  miles  above  the  Gap,  which  is  known  as  Lizard 
creek.  Immediately  to  the  north  of  the  mountains  the  stream 
is  further  recruited  by  the  beautiful  Aquanchicola  creek.  This 
latter  stream  meanders  close  to  the  foot  of  the  Blue  Ridge,  and 

(11) 


12  PROCEEDINGS    OP    THE 

stretches  off  toward  the  higher  Pocono  country  to  the  northeast. 
No  other  important  tributaries  are  received  by  the  river  north 
of  Slatington. 

The  Blue  Ridge  on  the  southwestern  side  of  the  river  is  de- 
veloped into  a  rounded  dome,  which  bears,  about  half  way  up 
one  of  its  slopes,  a  jagged  point  known  as  the  Devil's  Pulpit. 
The  northeastern  side  of  the  river  is  guarded  by  a  very  rugged 
promontory,  which  is  divided  into  two  parts  by  a  gully.  The 
upper  portion  of  the  Northampton  half  of  this  peak  is  formed 
into  a  distinct  "hog  back."  Both  of  these  sentinels  reach  fif- 
teen hundred  feet  above  sea-level,  and  the  view  from  the  top  of 
either  is  very  extensive,  taking  in  the  full  sweep  of  the  valley  of 
the  Lehigh. 

As  far  back  as  1845,  Rupp  *  describes  the  passage  through 
the  Lecha  Wasser-Kaft,  or  Lehigh  Gap,  in  terms  which  put  the 
English  language  severely  to  task,  but  the  general  facts  of  which, 
aside  from  the  redundancy  of  adjectives,  are  quite  true  to  nature. 

The  country  along  the  valleys  of  the  river  and  the  Aquanchi- 
cola  creek  has,  to  a  great  extent,  been  cleared,  but  the  sections 
a  short  distance  back  and  on  the  mountains  are  almost  wholly 
clothed  with  forest.  The  greater  part  is,  of  course,  second 
growth,  but  some  patches  and  scattered  trees  remain  of  the 
original  hemlocks.  These  patriarchs  rear  their  heads  above  the 
surrounding  forest,  and  the  mouldering,  prostrate  trunks  of 
many  of  their  brethren  may  be  found  on  the  slopes.  The  valley 
region  and  the  lower  slopes,  as  a  rule,  bear  mixed  deciduous 
forest,  chestnut  predominating;  while  the  immediate  river  bank 
is  clothed  with  willows.  On  the  upper  slopes  of  the  mountains 
the  timber  is  smaller  and  poor,  while  the  tops  themselves  are 
covered  with  a  scragged  growth,  almost  entirely  pines  and  very 
open  in  character.  A  number  of  open,  park-like  spots  on  the 
very  summits  are  thickly  overgrown  with  two  species  of  huckle- 
berries. 

Hemlock  is  the  prevailing  tree  in  the  gully  on  the  north- 
eastern peak,  and  a  small  patch  exists  at  the  base  of  the  south- 
western dome,  but  elsewhere  it  is  the  exception. 

*  History  of  Northampton,  Lehigh,  Monroe,  Carbon  and  Schuylkill  Counties, 
Harrisburg,  pp.  113,  114. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICiVL    CLUB.  13 

Rhododendron  and  laurel  (Kabm'a  laiifolia)  are  both  present 
in  the  deeper  and  more  shaded  nooks  on  the  lower  slopes,  but 
do  not  seem  to  occur  on  the  higher  portions,  probably  on  account 
of  the  lack  of  shade  and  moisture.  Vast  tangles  of  both  of  these 
shrubs  occur  along  the  Aquanchicola  creek. 

As  my  observations  have  all  been  made  in  late  June,  July 
and  the  middle  of  August,  it  is  fair  to  assume  that  practically 
none  but  breeding  birds  were  noticed.  To  be  more  exact,  the 
dates  spent  in  the  Gap  region  were:  Julj'  9-14,  1900;  June  24- 
July  6,  1901  ;  July  20-23,  1902  ;  June  28,  July  19-24  and 
August  16,  17,  1903.  The  August  observations  were  very  few 
and  unimportant. 

The  bird  life  is  Alleghanian  in  character,  the  Black-capped 
Chickadee,  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak,  and  several  birds  more 
characteristic  of  this  zone  than  of  the  Carolinian  being  among 
those  noted.  A  touch,  however,  of  the  pure  Carolinian  seems 
to  be  felt,  as  the  Worm-eating  Warbler  was  noticed  in  the  river 
valley,  and  the  Chat  in  a  number  of  situations,  in  fact,  once  on 
the  very  summit  of  the  ridge. 

The  lower  woods  seem  to  possess  as  characteristic  species  the 
Wood  Thrush  and  Red-eyed  Vireo;  the  open  farming  country 
the  Catbird,  Robin,  Bluebird,  Baltimore  Oriole,  Barn  Swallow, 
Purple  Martin,  Goldfinch  and  Quail;  the  upper  slopes  and  tops 
of  the  ridge  the  Blue  Jay,  Flicker,  Maryland  Yellow-throat, 
Hairy  Woodpecker,  Black-capped  Chickadee  and  Towhee. 

Unless  otherwise  stated  the  abundance  of  a  species  is  under- 
stood to  be  the  same  as  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,  and 
where  no  annotations  are  given  the  species  are  understood  to  be 
common  and  generally  distributed. 

1.  Nycticorax  nycticorax  namus.  Black-crowned  Night  Heron. 
Seen  on  two  occasions  flying  along  the  river. 

2.  Actitis  macularia.  Spotted  Sandpiper.  Noticed  frequently 
along  the  river  banks,  and  probably  nested  in  a  piece  of  waste 
land  bordering  the  river,  as  here,  on  one  occasion  (June  28, 
1901),  two  adults  and  one  young  were  observed. 

3.  Colinus  virginianus.  Quail.  Heard  and  noticed  frequently 
in  the  farming  section  between  the  Gap  and  Slatington. 

4.  Bonasa  umbellvs.     Ruffed  Grouse.     Probably   moderately 


14  PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE 

common.     On  June  26,  1901,  an  adult  and  young  were  located 
near  a  snake  fence  in  close  proximity  to  a  house. 

5.  Zenaidura  macroura.  Jlourning  Dove.  Several  noticed, 
July  12,  1900,  some  distance  up  the  northeastern  peak. 
Apparently  not  numerous. 

6.  Cathartes  aura.  Turkey  Vulture.  One  soaring,  July  10, 
1900. 

7.  Buteo,  sp.     Several  noticed,  but  species  not  determined. 

8.  Falc.o  peregrinus  analum.  Duck  Hawk.  A  pair  of  these 
birds  evidently  nested  near  the  Devil's  Pulpit,  and  nearly  every 
visit  to  this  crag  found  them  somewhere  in  the  vicinity.  They 
were  noticed  on  July  14,  1900,  June  30,  1901,  and  July  22,  1903. 

9.  Coccyzus  americanus.  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo.  Several  in 
the  vicinity  of  houses,  July  10,  1900  and  July  21,  1903. 

10.  Ccnjle  alcyon.  Kingfisher.  One  noticed  flying  along  the 
river,  August  17,  1903. 

11.  Dryobates  villosus.  Hairy  Woodpecker.  Two  observed 
well  up  on  the  northeastern  peak,  July  12,  1900. 

12.  Dryobates  pubescens  medlanus.  Downy  Woodpecker.  Ob- 
served but  once,  July  10,  1900. 

13.  Colaptes  auratus  luteus.     Flicker. 

14.  Antrostomus  voci/erus.  Whippoorwill.  Numerous,  and 
heard  on  many  occasions. 

15.  Chordeiles  virginianus.  Night-hawk.  Noted  on  but  two 
occasions,  July  1,  1901  and  July  21,  1902. 

16.  Chsetura  pelagica.     Chimney  Swift. 

17.  Trochilus  colubris.     Ruby-throated  Humming-bird. 

18.  Tyrannus  tyrannus.     King-bird. 

19.  Sayornis  phoebe.     Phoebe. 

20.  Contopus  virens.  Wood  Pewee.  Observed  on  two  occa- 
sions, July  13,  1900  and  June  27,  1901. 

21.  Oyanodtta  cristata.  Blue  Jay.  Observed  and  heard  only 
in  the  forest  regions,  and  apparently  more  numerous  on  the 
rugged  northeastern  peak. 

22.  Corvus  americanus.     Crow. 

23.  Slum clla  magna.  Meadow-lark.  Observed  but  once,  then 
in  the  cultivated  country  between  the  Gap  and  Slatington. 

24.  Icterus  galbula.  Baltimore  Oriole.  Rather  numerous 
near  houses,  and  frequently  observed. 


DELAWAKE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  15 

25.  Quiscalus  quiscula.  Purjile  Grackle.  Several  observed  on 
July  9,  1900,  the  only  record. 

26.  Astragalinus  tristis.     Goldfinch. 

27.  Passerciibis  sandwichensis  savanna.  Savanna  Sparrow. 
Observed  but  one,  July  12,  1900. 

28.  Spizella  socialis.     Chipping  Sparrow. 

29.  Spizella  pusilla.     Field  Sparrow. 

30.  Melospiza  cinerea  melodia.     Song  Sparrow. 

31.  Pipilo  erythropthalmus.  Towhee.  Abundant  on  all  the 
upper  slopes,  and  observed  or  heard  on  almost  every  trip  to  the 
summits.     Never  observed  in  the  valleys. 

82.  Zamelodia  ludoviciana.  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  One 
female  observed,  July  21,  1903,  near  the  Gap. 

33.  Cyanospiza  cyanea.  Indigo-bird.  Observed  twice,  July 
10  and  13,  1900. 

34.  Progne  subis.  Purple  Martin.  Several  observed  between 
Lehigh  Gap  and  Slatington,  July  21,  1903. 

35.  Hirundo  erythrogadra.     Barn  Swallow. 

36.  Vireo  olivaceus.     Red-eyed  Vireo. 

37.  Mniotilta  varia.  Black  and  White  Warbler.  Two  speci- 
mens noticed  in  heavy  timber,  July  13,  1900. 

38.  Helmitheros  vermivorus.  Worm-eating  Warbler.  One  spe- 
cimen noticed  along  the  river,  July  12,  1900. 

39.  Dendroica  sestiva.  Yellow  Warbler.  Heard  on  one  occa- 
sion, July  10,  1900. 

40.  Seiurus  aurocapillus.  Oven-bird.  Several  noticed  on  two 
occasions,  June  30  and  July  2,  1901. 

41.  Geothlypis  trichas.  Maryland  Yellow-throat.  Abundant 
on  the  upper  slopes.  Possibly  this  was  the  northern  form  G.  t. 
brachydadyla,  but  as  no  specimens  were  secured  this  point  re- 
mains in  doubt. 

42.  Icteriavirens.  Yellow-breasted  Chat.  Several  noticed  on 
July  10,  1900,  one  specimen  being  on  the  extreme  summit  of 
the  southwestern  dome. 

43.  Setophaga  ruticilla.  Redstart.  One  specimen  noticed  on 
the  lower  slopes  July  13,  1900. 

44.  Galeoscoptes  carolinensis.     Catbird. 

45.  Toxostoma    rufum.     Brown    Thrasher.      Two    specimens 


16  PROCEEDINGS    OP    THE 

noticed  on  July  11,  1900,  low  down  on  the  mountain  near  an 
orchard. 

46.  Troglodytes  aedon.     House  Wren. 

47.  Pants  atricapillus.  Black-capped  Chickadee.  Quite  num- 
erous on  the  upper  slopes  of  the  mountain,  and  on  several  occa- 
sions their  cheery  notes  were  heard  around  the  house  by  the  river. 

48.  Hylocichla  mustelina.  Wood  Thrush.  Abundant,  but 
only  in  the  deep  timbered  section  at  the  foot  of  the  ridge. 

49.  Merula  migratoria.     Robin. 

50.  Sialia  sialis.  Bluebird.  Not  noticed  until  1903,  and 
then  seen  on  three  occasions,  July  22  and  24  and  August  17, 
between  Lehigh  Gap  and  Slatington.  From  my  observations  it 
would  appear  that  the  Blue-bird  was  practically  absent  from 
this  region  in  1900,  1901  and  1902.  At  all  events  it  was  so 
scarce  as  to  totally  escape  notice. 


Exit  the  Dickcissel— A  Remarkable  Case  of  Local 
Extinction 

BY  SAMUEL  N.   RHOADS. 

The  Black-throated  Bunting,  or  Dickcissel,  of  the  Atlantic 
coast  plain,  is  a  bird  of  the  past.  This  fact  has  been  emphasized 
by  the  experience  of  the  last  fifteen  years.  In  that  period  per- 
haps a  dozen  stragglers  have  been  seen  or  shot  in  the  extensive 
regions  reaching  from  South  Carolina  to  Maine  and  from  the 
eastern  foothills  of  the  Alleghanies  to  the  Atlantic  coast.  This 
large  area  was,  in  favored  spots,  especially  in  the  lowlands, 
meadows  and  valley  bottoms  of  the  tidal  plain,  the  breeding 
ground  of  thousands  of  this  species  in  the  days  of  Wilson, 
Audubon,  Nuttall,  Cassin,  Woodhouse  and  Baird.  Even  up  to 
near  the  days  when  John  Krider  was  preparing  his  "Forty 
Years'  Notes  of  a  Field  Ornithologist,"  in  the  year  1879,  the 
once  familiar  bird  lingered  in  its  Philadelphia  county  haunts. 
My  own  first  rambles  as  a  full-fledged  bird  collector  in  the 
vicinity  of  Frankford,  Philadelphia,  in  the  years  1877  to  1880, 
with  my  friend  W.  L.  Collins,  revealed  a  remnant  of  the  Dick- 
cissel host  yet  breeding  in  certain  grass  and  grain  fields  border- 
ing the  old  Bustleton  turnpike  and  Castor  road  a  mile  outside 
of  Frankford.  Two  or  three  fields  in  that  immediate  vicinity 
on  the  Levick,  Shallcross  and  Comly  farms,  were  the  only  spots 
known  to  me  in  the  whole  circle  surrounding  Philadelphia  at 
that  distance,  or  indeed  anywhere  in  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jersey,  where  the  bird  could  be  taken. 

In  short,  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  Black-throated 
Bunting  only  three  or  four  years  before  its  final  disappearance 
as  a  regular  summer  visitant  in  Pennsylvania.  This  fact  is  con- 
firmed by  the  list  of  records  accompanying  this  article,  which 
shows  the  bird's  status  in  this  and  other  counties  of  the  State 
and  in  New  Jersey. 

(17) 


18  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

In  the  present  paper,  it  is  my  intention  merely  to  speak  of 
the  bird  in  its  relation  to  the  Delaware  Valley.  With  this  object 
first  in  view,  I  soon  became  convinced  that  it  would  be  fully 
worth  while  to  collect  all  our  literature  relating  to  its  history  in 
the  east  Atlantic  region  with  a  view  to  discover,  if  possible,  the 
causes  of  its  extirjjation.  This  larger  subject  it  is  j^roposed  to 
touch  upon  in  a  future  paper. 

A  few  words  more  regarding  my  personal  experience  with  the 
bird  in  our  State.  A  year  or  two  before  I  ever  saw  one,  Mr. 
Collins  had  written  to  me  of  it  as  one  of  the  prizes  of  his  local- 
ity. He  was  about  seventeen  years  old  at  that  time,  a  year  or 
two  my  senior,  and  had  recently  been  entrusted  with  one  of  his 
deceased  father's  guns.  This  was  cause  of  much  envy,  as  I  had 
not  been  allowed  the  use  of  any  more  effective  weapon  against 
the  poor  birds  than  a  "slap-jack."  Armed  with  his  gun  and  a 
copy  of  the  original  quarto  edition  of  Wilson's  Ornithology, 
my  good  friend  soon  added  the  Dickcissel  to  his  catalogue  of 
known  rarities. 

Three  or  four  pairs  of  breeding  birds  seemed  to  be  the 
total  of  one  season's  observations  in  that  vicinity  and  when  we 
went  farther  away  there  were  none  to  be  found.  I  remember 
seeing  the  bird  on  only  three  or  four  occasions,  and  then  only 
when  the  male  mounted  a  telegraph  pole  or  v.'ire  along  the  Cas- 
tor road  and  sang  his  tireless  two-by-three  ditty  with  such  pro- 
voking regularity  that  I  could  not  long  refrain  from  firing  a 
stone  at  him,  in  spite  of  my  friend's  warning  to  spare  him  till 
we  could  find  the  much-coveted  and  rarely-discovered  nest. 
Collins  often  sat  on  a  fence  rail  for  hours  and  days  in  the  hot 
June  sun  watching  a  pair  of  these  birds  as  they  capered  around 
the  grass  fields  with  the  double  intention  of  rearing  a  brood  and 
fooling  him  as  to  the  whereabouts  of  their  nests.  Frequent 
were  his  letters  to  me  touching  upon  this  topic,  and  if  he  found 
one  nest  in  a  season  he  was  happy.  They  usually  nested  in  a 
full-blown  tussock  of  daisies  or  the  narrow-leaved  dock  in  the 
open  grass  fields  reserved  for  mowing.  Their  nests  were  placed 
on  or  near  the  ground  and  the  eggs  secured  were  always  blue, 
lacking  the  subdued  spots  and  lines  reported  by  other  observers 
as  sometimes  occurring,  a  condition  denied  by  some  but  well 
proven  by  good  authorities  in  oology. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  19 

I  find  by  a  careful  examination  of  our  correspondence  during 
the  period  between  1877  and  1883  that  Mr.  Collins'  notes  on 
this  species  represent  a  most  continuous  and  valuable  set  of 
data  regarding  the  status  of  this  bird  on  the  Atlantic  coast  plain, 
during  its  period  of  final  extinction  as  a  summer  resident  in  an 
area  where  it  was  very  abundant  locally  during  the  lives  of  Wil- 
son and  Audubon.  They  show  too  that  its  disappearance  from 
the  Delaware  Valley  was  contemporary  with  its  final  adieu  as  a 
summer  resident  in  the  District  of  Columbia.  Coues  and 
Prentiss,  in  their  list  of  1861,  call  it  an  abundant  summer  resi- 
dent around  Washington,  but  in  1883  they  say  of  it:  ''Now, 
however,  the  bird  appears  to  have  forsaken  us,  few,  if  any, 
being  heard  of  for  the  past  few  years. ' '  In  Massachusetts,  their 
northeastern  breeding  limit,  where  they  never  were  abundant 
as  in  the  Middle  States,  the  records  show  a  similar  dwindling 
down  to  about  1880,  all  the  last  breeding  records  occurring  in 
the  seventies.  It  was  my  off-hand  opinion  before  consulting 
these  records  that  the  extinction  of  this  species  was  sudden, 
indicating  a  catastrophe  during  migration  or  at  some  critical 
period  in  the  bird's  winter  life  in  the  tropics  which  had  involved 
the  whole  eastern  contingent  of  Dickcissels.  But  such  does  not 
seem  to  have  been  the  case.  Our  earliest  accounts  of  the  bird, 
given  by  Wilson,  Audubon  and  Nuttall,  show  it  to  have  been 
abundant  in  the  Delaware  Valley  in  all  places  suited  to  it,  es- 
pecially in  meadows  and  low-lying  grass  fields  in  the  clay-loam 
districts,  but  not  in  sandy  or  light  soils  or  at  higher  elevations. 

Briefly  stated,  it  was  in  such  situations  a  universally  common 
and  familiar  bird.  My  friend,  Dr.  S.  W.  Woodhouse,  who  was 
the  companion  of  Nuttall  and  other  Philadelphia  bird-hunters 
in  the  early  forties,  says  that  this  was  also  the  status  of  the 
Dickcissel  at  that  time.  During  the  fifties  and  sixties  the  records 
are  meagre,  but  there  are  enough  data  to  show  that  the  bird  was 
fairly  abundant  in  Connecticut,  Long  Island,  near  Hoboken, 
N.  J. ,  and  in  the  District  of  Columbia,  up  to  late  in  the  sixties 
and  probably  later.  But  in  the  early  seventies,  when  I  first 
began  to  take  intelligent  notice  of  birds,  the  Dickcissel  was  not 
to  be  found  breeding  in  any  part  of  Camden  county,  New  Jersey, 
as  in  Dr.  Woodhouse' s  time,  nor  was  it  known  in  those  parts  of 


20  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Pennsylvania  which  I  frequented  most — Delaware  and  Chester 
counties,  nor  in  any  other  part  of  Philadelphia  county  than  the 
one  already    mentioned  near  Frankford.     Wo  must   conclude 
therefore  that  a  very  marked  diminution  in  the  number  of  the 
Dickcissels  had  been  going  on  for  at  least  ten  or  fifteen  years 
previously  to  1870.     The  history  of  their  final  decadence  in  the 
Delaware  Valley  is  given  in  the  records  appended  to  this  paper. 
But  what  has  caused  this  remarkable  local  decadence  and  dis- 
appearance ?     This  is  the  paramount  query  of  every  one  inter- 
ested in  this  unique  case.     I   say  unique.     So  far  as  I   can 
recollect  there  is  no  parallel  to  it  in  this  country  where  a  species 
of  migratory  bird  inhabiting  in  summer,  two  stretches  of  low- 
land country  separated  by  a  mountain  chain  but  wintering  in 
common  territory,  should  be  extirpated  from  the  eastern  branch 
of  that  breeding  area,   and  at  the  same  time  increase  in  the 
western  one.     The  persistency  of  migratory  individuals  in  re- 
turning to  their  natal  homes  is  one  of  the  recognized  instincts  of 
birds.     On  this  account  we  would  be  slow  to  believe  that  the 
Dickcissel  history  here  recorded  indicates  merely  a  deflection  of 
the  migrating  host  and  not  a  case  of  extinction  or  extirpation. 
On  the  other  hand,  we  know  of  no  local  causes  of  decrease. 
Our  native  birds  of  similar   range  and  habits  in  the  Middle 
States  have  shown  no  serious  diminution.     The  English  Sparrow 
and  the  pot-hunter  do  not  figure  especially  in  the  life  economy 
of  the  Dickcissel.     It  has  been  suggested  by  some  that  the  mow- 
ing machine  at  nesting  time  did  the  business.     It  is  true  that  the 
great  increase  in  use  of  mowing  machines  covers  the  later  period 
of  their  disappearance;  but  it  appears  they  were  diminishing 
before  the  day  of  mowing  machines.     Then  again  in  the  west, 
where  they  are  as  numerous  as  ever  in  the  most  highly  cultivated 
regions,  the  mowing  machine  is  quite  as  fatal  as  with  us.     Why 
should  a  mowing  machine  be  more  fatal  than  the  old  mowing 
scythe  ?     Both  of  them  cut  at  or  below  the  level  of  the  average 
nest  of  this  species,  which  is  generally  a  few  inches  above  the 
ground,  and  often  much  higher.     If  it  can  be  proved  that  the 
eastern  birds  always  nested  on  or  very  near  the  ground  in  mow- 
ing fields  and  the  western  contingent  generally  in  bushes  and 
such  places  as  were  not  mowed  or  were  avoided,  there  would 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  21 

seem  to  be  a  solution.  I  thought  I  might  prove  this  at  one 
time,  and  there  is  data  to  support  such  a  theory,  but  enough 
exceptions  have  been  noted  to  malce  it  too  weak  an  argument. 

Eeturning  again  to  the  migration  phase  of  the  question,  I 
would  reassert  the  belief  that  there  was  no  period  during  the 
decadence  of  the  Dickcissel  on  the  Atlantic  coast  jilain  where  it 
suddenly  disappeared  again  to  reajipear,  as  we  have  known  to  be 
the  case  with  the  Bluebird  in  a  large  part  of  the  same  region  a 
few  years  ago.  I  doubt  not  this  sudden  dearth  of  Bluebirds  was 
due  to  a  catastrophe  which  destroyed  them  during  the  fall 
migration  or  the  following  winter  in  immense  quantities  and 
probably  in  a  short  space  of  time.  I  have  no  records  which 
indicate  such  a  happening  to  the  subject  of  this  sketch.  Even 
if  such  existed,  what  are  we  to  say?  The  gentle  Bluebird  has 
re-peopled  its  old  haunts  and  makes  us  rejoice  in  its  Phoenix- 
like indifference  to  calamity,  but  poor  "Dick"  seems  to  have 
left  us  forever.  Reasoning  upon  the  all  too  meagre  data  at  hand 
may  be  useless,  perhaps  it  is  dangerous,  but  I  would  rather 
believe  that  the  Mississippi  Valley  stock  of  Black-throated 
Buntings  had  gradually  influenced  their  trans- Alleghany  breth- 
ren to  accompany  them  in  their  spring  flight  to  the  western 
breeding  grounds  than  believe  that  the  eastern  birds  were  extir- 
minated.  Many  local  causes  may  have  aided  this,  but  probably 
the  strongest  agency  for  the  deflection  of  eastern  birds  into 
western  territory  must  be  sought  for  in  their  status  during 
winter  residence  in  the  tropics  and  in  the  meteorological  condi- 
tions attending  the  spring  migration.  But  this  subject  cannot 
be  more  than  tentatively  taken  up  in  such  a  brief  paper  as  this. 
I  shall  hope  by  these  remarks,  however,  to  incite  others  to  a 
study  of  it  and  to  elicit  more  data  which  lies  slumbering  in 
older  minds  and  manuscripts  as  well  as  in  many  a  forgotten 
printed  page.  If  this  is  forthcoming,  I  may  be  heard  from 
again  on  this  theme. 

The  following  notes  relate  to  the  Black -throated  Bunting,  as 
found  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey: 

About  1800-1811.  Alexander  Wilson,  Amer.  Ornith.,  1811, 
vol.  Ill,  p.  86.  "They  arrive  in  Pennsjdvania  from  the  south 
about  the  middle  of  May;  abound  in  the  neighborhood  of  Phil- 


22  PROCEEDINGS  OP  THE 

adelphia  and  seem  to  prefer  level  fields  covered  with  timothy  or 
clover.  They  nest  on  the  ground.  Every  level  field  of  grain  or 
grass  is  perpetually  serenaded  with  chip,  chip,  che,  che,  che. 
In  traveling  through  different  parts  of  New  York  and  Pennsyl- 
vania in  spring  and  summer,  whenever  I  came  to  level  fields  of 
deep  grass,  I  have  constantly  heard  these  birds  around  me." 

1825-1832.  Thoiiias  Nuttall,  Manual  Ornith.,  1832,  vol.  I, 
p.  461.  "These  birds  arrive  in  Pennsylvania  and  New  Eng- 
land from  the  south  about  the  middle  of  May  and  abound  in 
the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia,"  etc.  Evidently  based  on  Wilson, 
above.  In  the  early  forties,  Dr.  Woodhouse  used  to  observe  this 
bird  abundantly  in  his  walks  with  Nuttall  around  Philadelphia 
and  adjoining  counties. 

"1825-1835..  Audubon,  Ornith.  Biog.,  vol.  IV,  1838,  pp.  579, 
580.  "Although  this  handsome  Bunting  may  be  said  to  be 
abundant  in  our  middle  Atlantic  districts,  it  is  much  less  so 
than  in  the  vast  prairies  of  the  southwest.  *  *  *  Abundant  on 
the  open  lands  of  Missouri  and  Illinois,  but  rarer  in  Ohio  and 
scarce  in  Kentucky.  They  are  rarely  observed  to  joass  over 
South  Carolina  but  in  Pennsylvania  they  are  plentiful,  and 
there  breed  in  every  field  covered  with  grass  or  grain.  I  have 
also  met  them  in  Massachusetts,  but  beyond  this  the}'  are  not 
to  be  seen  to  the  eastward."  In  late  summer,  "  I  once  went 
from  Philadelphia  in  search  of  them,  accompanied  by  my  friend 
Edward  Harris  and  my  son  John  Woodhouse.  Having  reached 
Salem,  in  New  Jersey,  we  rambled  some  time  in  the  neighbor- 
hood and  found  an  elevated  piece  of  ground,  closeh'  covered 
with  high  rush  weeds,  among  which  a  great  number  of  these 
birds  had  assembled.  It  being  late  in  July,  the  males  were 
moulting,"  etc.  "These  birds  are  very  partial  to  particular 
localities.  Sandy  soil,  unmixed  with  clay  or  earth,  is  not  favor- 
able to  them,  and  it  is  probably  for  this  reason  that  none  are 
found  in  an}'  purely  sandy  part  of  the  State  of  New  .Jersey." 

1844-1845.  S.  F.  Baird,  Catalogue  of  Birds  near  Carlisle, 
Cumberland  county,  Pa.,  Silliman's  Amer.  Jour.  Sci.,  1844, 
and  Lit.  Pvec.  Linn.  Assn.,  Pa.  College,  1845,  p.  253.  "Com- 
mon, summer." 

1840-1850.     Dr.  S.  W.  Woodhouse:   "Philadelphia,  Decern- 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  23 

ber  28,  1903.  Dear  Mr.  Rhoads:  In  reply  to  j'our  question  in 
regard  to  the  Blaclc-throated  Bunting,  I  would  state  that  in  the 
forties,  when  I  was  so  much  in  the  country  and  closely  observ- 
ing the  habits  of  our  birds,  it  was  very  common  and  was  to  be 
seen  and  heard  in  every  grass  field  in  the  eastern  portion  of  this 
state  [Pennsylvania]."  Dr.  AVoodhouse  also  tells  me  that  it 
was  found  in  Camden  county,  N.  J.,  in  almost  equal  numbers  at 
that  time.     After  the  j'ear  1850,  he  was  not  engaged  in  this  field. 

1850-1860.  F.  M.  Chapman,  Auk,  1891,  p.  395.  "Mr.  C.  S. 
Galbraith  informs  me  that  forty  years  ago  the  Dickcissel  was  a 
common  summer  resident  near  his  home  at  Hoboken,  N.  J." 

The  continuity  of  our  notes  is  here  badly  broken.  Data  re- 
garding this  period  is  jaarticularly  desirable.  It  covers  a  time 
when  the  activities  of  Delaware  Valley  ornithologists  were  at  a 
standstill. 

1860.  Vincent  Barnard.  Birds  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  Ann.  Re- 
port, Smithson.  Inst.,  1860  (1861).  "April  27  to  May  3." 
This  note  refers  to  the  dates  of  their  arrival  during  ten  years'  ob- 
servations in  the  county.  See  also  his  manuscript  note  under 
C.  J.  Pen  nock  below. 

1862.  John  Cassin,  in  Smith's  History  Delaware  Co.,  p.  438. 
"Frequent." 

1863.  Ezra  Michener.  Birds  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  Report  U.  S. 
Dept.  Agric,  1863,  p.  303.      "  Sunmier  resident.     Common." 

1868.  W.  P.  Turnbull.  Bds.  East  Pa.  and  N.  J.  "Plen- 
tiful." 

1868.  C.  C.  Abbott,  Geol.  N.  J.  (Cook),  p.  779.  "Rare. 
Appears  in  meadow  lands  in  May,  but  none  probably  remain 
during  the  summer.  Re-appears  in  September,  and  remains 
for  several  weeks,  in  few  numbers." 

1869.  Libhardt  in  Mombert's  History  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. 
"Resident — frequent.     Breeds  in  the  county." 

1870-1871.  Thomas  H.  Jackson:  "West  Chester,  Pa.,  De- 
cember 31,  1903.  I  regret  to  say  that  I  can  give  little  informa- 
tion concerning  the  'Dickcissel.'  The  only  eggs  (a  set  of  6) 
in  my  collection  were  taken  near  Lancaster,  Pa.,  by  Chas.  H. 
Nauman  about  1870.  With  the  exception  of  a  single  specimen 
seen  and  heard  near  West  Chester  a  year  or  two  later  I  have  no 
recollection  of  any  occurrence  here." 


24  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

1871.  C.  F.  P[hillips],  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  VI,  187G,  p. 
67.  "A  nest  with  eggs  found  July  4,  1871  near  Avondale 
[Chester  Co.],  Pa." 

1874.  Witnier  Stone.  "Nest  and  eggs  taken  near  Eagle 
Hotel,  Radnor  Twp.,  Jlontgy.  Co.,  Pa.,  in  1874,  by  D.  N.  Mc- 
Cadden  and  Geo.  C.  Thayer — eggs  in  Mr.  Thayer's  possession." 
Mr.  McCadden  tells  me  further  that  the  nest  was  in  a  currant 
bush  in  a  garden;  and  was  very  conspicuous  because  of  being 
made  of  bleached  green  grass.  The  bird  was  a  rare  species  in 
that  region,  even  then. 

1871-1875.  Charles  J.  Pennock,  in  letter  of  December  30, 
1903.  "This  bird  was  fairlj'  abundant  in  southern  Chester 
county,  Pa.,  up  to  1875  but  seemingly  locally  distributed  as  to 
breeding  places.  I  recall  two  localities  where  we  always  ex- 
pected to  find  the  birds  in  nesting  season,  one  near  the  village 
of  Avondale,  where  nests  were  found  in  the  Osage  Orange  hedge 
at  roadside,  the  other  locality  was  one-half  mile  south  of  Ken- 
nett  Square.  I  have  frequently  heard  the  male  singing  from  a 
few  scattered  trees  or  bushes  by  the  roadside  but  never  found  a 
nest.  I  moved  away  from  the  neighborhood  of  Kennett  Square 
in  spring  of  1875,  returning  spring  of  1880,  since  which  time  I 
have  never  seen  the  bird  in  this  county.  Vincent  Barnard,  in 
MSS.  on  Birds  of  Chester  county  in  my  possession  about  1860, 
lists  it  as  'Known  to  be  a  Chester  county  bird,'  and  indicates 
it  as  being  in  his  collection.  In  Dr.  Warren's  list  of  the  Birds 
of  Chester  county,  Pa.,  Forest  and  Stream,  February  5,  1880, 
he  says,  'Rare,  arrives  April  27th  to  May  7th,  I  have  never 
known  it  to  breed.'  In  his  list  of  breeding  birds  of  Chester 
county.  Pa.,  from  Daily  Local  News  (newspaper),  September  3, 
1885,  he  says,  'This  species  seems  to  be  somewhat  plentiful  in 
the  southern  portion  of  the  county  during  the  summer,'  but  I 
suspect  he  was  inferring  this  from  old  records  of  Michener,  Bar- 
nard, etc."  Mr.  Pennock  further  tells  me  he  never  saw  the  bird 
in  Pennsylvania  after  1875,  having  gone  to  Ithaca,  New  York, 
for  a  few  years'  schooling,  during  which  time  it  became  extinct 
in  his  home  locality.  He  first  became  acquainted  with  it  about 
1871,  and  never  knew  of  more  than  two  or  three  pairs  which 
always  affected  certain  spots. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  25 

1876.  J.  Thomas,  in  Davis'  History  Bucks  Co.,  Pa.,  Appen- 
dix, p.  33.      "Occasionally  seen." 

1876.  Thomas  Gentry,  Birds  E.  Penna.,  vol.  I,  p.  328. 
"Tolerably  abundant  in  eastern  Pennsylvania."  Mr.  Gentry 
evidently  does  not  make  this  and  his  following  remarks  on  the 
Dickcissel  from  personal  experience.  It  is  more  a  record  of  its 
past  history  than  of  conditions  in  1876. 

1877.  The  following  specimens  were  all  taken  by  my  friend 
W.  L.  Collins  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  his  home  near  Frank- 
ford  at  Bustleton  pike  and  Castor  road: 

June  4.   Nest  and  4  eggs  in  grass  field  along  Castor  road  at 
foot  of  daisy  tussock.     Eggs  advanced  in  incubation. — Collins. 
Aug.  25.     Yg.  female. — Collins.     In  Coll.  of  Witmer  Stone. 
Aug.  30.     Ad.    male.— Collins.     In  Coll.  of  Witmer  Stone. 

1878.  W.  L.  Collins.  The  following  notes  are  quoted  from 
letters  written  to  me  by  Mr.  Collins: 

May  19.  "There  seem  to  be  quite  a  number  of  Euspiza 
americana  about  here  this  season." 

June  2.     Two  males  collected  in  the  past  week. 

June  4.  Just  as  we  [Trotter  and  Collins]  had  got  out  of  our 
lane  [Levick  farm]  into  the  Castor  road  we  saw  a  pair  of  black- 
th.  buntings."  After  describing  the  actions  of  the  birds  near 
their  nest  in  the  field  he  states,  "  I  knew  there  was  a  nest  at  the 
foot  of  the  daisy  bunch,  so  over  I  went  and  there,  sure  enough, 
was  a  beautiful  nest  with  5  nice  blue  eggs  in  it." 

1879.  Spencer  Trotter,  Bull.  Nutt.  Ornith.  Club,  vol.  iv,  p. 
285.  "A  few  pairs  of  these  birds  breed  regularly  every  year  in 
a  small  area  of  country  north  of  Philadeljihia  [Levick  and 
Shallcross  farms  near  Frankford],  but  in  no  other  locality  in 
this  neighborhood  have  I  authentic  information  of  their  being 
seen.  In  former  times  this  bird  was  quite  common  here,  but 
has  now  become  comparatively  scarce." 

See  also  Trotter  in  Forest  and  Stream,  vol.  xii.  No.  2,  jd.  25, 
for  similar  statements. 

1879.  John  Krider,  Forty  Years'  Notes  Field  Orn.,  Phila., 
1879,  p.  49.  "Many  years  ago  this  was  a  very  common  bird 
about  Philadelj)hia,  but  for  some  seasons  it  has  become  rare." 

1879.  W.  L.  Collins.  In  letter  June  3  ^ '  &\\oi  a.  ma\&  Euspiza 
but  lost  it." 


26  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

1879.  Dr.  W.  L.  Abbott.  A  specimen  obtained  by  him 
near  Chestnut  Hill,  Phikulelpbia,  June  7,  is  in  the  collection 
of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences. 

1879.  Spencer  Trotter.  A  female  taken  by  him  June  13, 
near  Frankford.     Now  in  Bryn  Mawr  College  Collection. 

1879.  Spencer  Trotter,  Bull.  Nutt.  Orn.  Club,  vol.  iv,  p.  235. 
"A  few  pairs  of  these  birds  breed  regularly  every  year  in  a 
small  area  of  country  north  of  Philadeli)hia,  but  in  no  other 
locality  in  this  neighborhood  have  I  autbentic  information  of 
their  being  seen.  In  former  times  this  bird  was  quite  common 
here,  but  has  never  become  comparatively  scarce. 

1879.  W.  L.  Collins.  In  letter  June  15.  "Spencer  and 
I  went  after  birds  a  little  while  in  the  afternoon  and  succeeded 
in  getting  a  female  Black-throated  Bunting." 

June  29th.  "I  found  a  nest  of  Euspiza  americana  in  the 
orchard  [Levick's]  which  had  been  cut  down  by  the  mowing 
machine." 

1879.  W.  L.  Collins,  The  Friend,  Phila.,  vol.  52,  1879,  p. 
114.  "Though  this  bird  may  not  be  familiar  to  most  readers 
of  the  Friend,  it  is  not  by  any  means  rare  in  some  of  the  states, 
thougli  in  the  eastern  portion  of  our  own  [Pennsylvania]  it  is 
not  frecjuently  met  with.  It  appears  to  inhabit  certain  locali- 
ties, while  in  others  it  is  rarely  seen.  For  instance,  there  is  a 
district  of  countr}'  about  six  miles  north  of  Philadelphia  where 
some  five  or  six  pairs  of  the  species  can  be  seen  every  summer, 
and  these  birds  are  confined  to  an  area  of  not  more  than  one 
mile  square.  *  *  *  They  make  their  appearance  in  Pennsyl- 
vania from  the  south  about  the  12th  of  5th  mo.,  and  commence 
nest  building  about  the  1st  of  6th  mo.  *  *  *  The  nest  is  placed 
in  a  bunch  of  daisies  or  burdock,  generally  three  or  five  inches 
from  the  ground,  and  is  composed  of  fine  dried  grass  and  the 
root.s  of  plants.  It  is  lined  with  horse-hair.  The  eggs,  which 
are  four  or  five  in  number,  are  of  a  uniform  pale  bluish  color, 
about  the  size  of  a  Bluebird's." 

1880.  W.  L.  Collins,  in  letter.  July  2.  "Went  up  to 
Bustleton  on  horseback  about  a  week  ago.  Saw  a  great  many 
E.  americana  on  the  way." 

1881.  W.    L.    Collins    in   letters.       July    10.       "Heard   a 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  27 

Euspiza  americana  this  morning.  They  are  getting  rather  scarce 
about  here.  I  should  not  be  surprised  if  in  a  few  years  they 
would  disappear  entirely  from  this  neighborhood." 

October  7.  "I  did  not  see  one  this  summer,  though  I  did 
hear  them  several  times." 

1882.  W.  L.  Collins  in  letter.  Last  May  or  early  June. 
"I  have  not  seen  nor  heard  a  Black-throated  Bunting  this 
season." 

1888.  Dr.  J.  Percy  iVIoore,  of  Philadelphia,  furnishes  me 
the  following  from  his  journal.  The  locality  is  in  Montgomery 
Co.,  Pa.     Under  date  of  Maj'  13,  1888,  the  following  is  recorded: 

"A  pair  of  Black-throated  Buntings  were  seen  here,"  and 
further  on  "In  a  grassy  meadow  along  Mill  Creek  not  far  from 
Merion  Square  a  male  Black-throated  Bunting  was  observed  on 
the  ground  apparently  feeding  on  fallen  seeds.  He  perched  on 
a  small  bush  and  chirped  for  a  few  moments  and  then  flew  into 
a  thicket,  probably  to  seek  a  roosting  place  as  the  sun  was 
getting  low."     Dr.  Moore  writes  me  in  addition  as  follows: 

"The  first  observation  was  made  in  a  meadow  along  the  Old 
Gulph  road  near  Arrowmint  creek  in  I^ower  Merion  township, 
and  among  cultivated  fields.  At  the  time  I  was  much  engrossed 
in  watching  the  antics  of  courting  Bobolinks  which  were  com- 
mon that  morning  in  the  small  trees  and  bushes  along  the  fence 
rows,  and  the  duller  birds  evidently  did  not'  draw  my  attention 
for  more  than  a  passing  moment  from  their  fascinating  com- 
petitors. I  am  quite  certain  that  the  Black-throated  Bunting 
was  seen  on  other  occasions  in  the  same  region,  but  the  above 
are  the  only  references  in  those  portions  of  my  notes  which  have 
been  indexed." 

Extraordinary  as  these  notes  may  appear,  so  long  after  the 
disappearance  of  the  bird  from  that  region,  I  have  no  reason 
to  doubt  the  correctness  of  Dr.  Moore's  identification.  He  tells 
me  that  there  was  an  unusually  large  wave  of  migrants  passing 
through  that  day,  and  that  he  did  not  think  the  Dickcissels 
were  anything  but  migrants.  They  are  known  to  associate  with 
Bobolinks  in  their  winter  home  as  well  as  in  the  fall  migrations, 
and  were  no  doubt  going  farther  north.  Such  spasmodic  ap- 
pearances of  migrants  are  to  be  looked  for,  but  are  rarely  noted. 


28  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

1890.  Witmer  Stone,  Auk,  1891,  p.  245.  "One  bird  in 
immature  plumage  obtained  from  a  gunner  who  shot  it  with 
Reed  birds  on  Maurice  River,  New  Jersey,  September  18.  Now 
in  the  collection  of  W.  L.  Baily,  Philadelphia,  Pa. ' ' 

Stone,  Birds  Eastern  Pa.  &  N.  J.,  1894,  p.  421.  "Twenty 
years  ago  this  was  a  common  species  in  certain  parts  of  New 
Jersey  and  eastern  Pennsylvania,  though  always  of  local  distri- 
bution." 


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Crow  Roosts  and  Flight  Lines  in  Southeastern 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey 

BY  HERBERT  L.   COGGINS. 
"  The  black'ning  train  of  Crows  to  their  repose." — Burns. 

If  for  no  better  reason  than  mere  local  pride  the  subject  of 
winter  Crows  and  Crow  roosts  should  be  one  of  prime  import- 
ance to  every  member  of  the  Delaware  Valley  Ornithological 
Club.  For  undoubtedly  the  region  surrounding  the  lower  Dela- 
ware Valley,  besides  affording  a  home  for  the  body  already 
mentioned,  contains  more  winter  Crows  than  any  equal  area  in 
the  country. 

To  one  who  is  sufficiently  gifted  in  the  way  of  imagination 
the  study  of  our  local  Crow  roosts  might  distantly  be  likened  to 
a  golf  ball.  The  first  impulse  to  this  visionary  sphere  was 
given  in  1886  by  Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads,  whose  vigorous  drive, 
"Crow  Roosts  and  Roosting  Crows,"  sent  it  well  on  in  its 
course.     Then  as  if  lost,  it  lay  motionless  for  nearly  ten  years. 

The  next  stroke  was  from  the  arm  of  Mr.  Witmer  Stone. 
As  a  preparation  to  this  new  impetus  to  the  science  of  '  Crow- 
ology,'  government  jjostmasters,  respectable  private  citizens  and 
lighthouse  keepers,  who  were  suspected  of  possessing  any  in- 
formation upon  the  subject  of  Crows,  were  promptly  and  effect- 
ually besieged,  and  as  a  partial  and  visible  result  of  these 
investigations  was  the  article  on  the  Reedy  Island  Roost  that 
appeared  in  Bird  Lore  of  December,  1899. 

The  bulk  of  the  information  gathered  together  bj'^  Mr.  Stone, 
as  well  as  much  secured  by  Mr.  Rhoads  and  Mr.  Joseph  W. 
Tatum,  has  remained  untouched,  until  at  the  request  of  the  edi- 
tor of  Cassinia  the  writer  undertook  to  confirm  its  accuracy  as 
applied  to  present  conditions,  and  to  prepare  it  for  publication. 

Whatever  ma}'  be  the  final  judgment  of  the  farmer  and  the 
Department  of  Agriculture  as  to  his  economic  worth,  the  Crow 

(29) 


30  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

himself,  his  personality,  has  never  been  done  justice.  It  is 
true  that  for  the  convenience  of  our  own  mind  we  have  raised 
him  to  a  co-partnership  with  the  industrious  bee  in  the  sym- 
bolic representation  of  a  straight  line.  But  with  the  farmer  we 
have  also  written  him  as  a  destroyer  of  crops.  We  think  of  him 
as  a  rogue,  a  loud-mouthed  roister,  the  personification  of  craft, 
of  arrogance  toward  man  and  beast. 

And  yet  in  my  own  memory  arises  a  very  different  vision. 
It  is  a  snow  storm  on  the  Delaware  meadows.  All  is  white, 
and  save  for  the  wind,  silent.  A  powdery  snow  sifts  monoto- 
nously down  from  a  gray,  cloudy  sky.  Now  caught  up  by  a  cold 
wind  it  is  hurled  into  my  face  Avith  a  blinding  force,  before 
which  I  bend  my  head  and  close  my  eyes.  Again  with  a  sud- 
den change  of  wind  the  air  is  cleared  partially  before  me  and  I 
see  the  vague  outlines  of  distant  trees  and  even  the  dark  lines  of 
the  river  beyond. 

Suddenly,  and  with  no  more  noise  than  the  flakes  themselves, 
a  thousand  spectre-like  objects  rise  from  the  snowy  ground 
before  me.  There  is  no  outburst  of  indignation.  They  take 
wing  wearily,  as  if  in  a  stupor.  They  rise  hesitatingly  and 
struggle  piteously  against  the  wind.  Some  turn  and  are  borne 
before  it;  others  flutter  vainly,  waver  and  are  swept  backward 
by  an  irresistable  force — thrown  as  it  were  into  the  drift  beyond. 

Crows?  The  shadows  of  Crows,  rather!  The  spirit,  the  arro- 
gance, is  gone.  Poor,  starved,  benumbed  creatures.  No  wonder 
they  do  not  resent  my  intrusion.  Nature  has  taught  them  to 
endure  suffering. 

This,  then,  is  the  other  side  of  Crow-life.  Bufi'eted  by  winds, 
at  the  mercy  of  snow  and  starvation  and  man,  thus  hordes  of 
them  perish  each  winter. 

But  contrary  to  what  their  presence  in  winter  might  indicate, 
crows  are  partially  migratory.  The  thousands  that  gather  along 
the  Delaware  river  each  j'ear  doubtless  come,  in  a  large  part, 
from  the  north.  For  winter  quarters,  they  seek  the  low-lying 
river-valleys,  where  the  snow  melts  quicklj'  and  where  the  tides 
offer  at  least  a  scanty  supply  of  food.  There  are  many  such 
areas  drained  by  the  rivers  which  empty  into  the  Delaware  and 
Chesapeake  Bays,  and  here,  in  the  east  at  least,  is  the  centre  of 
the  winter  Crow  population. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAIi    CLtJB.  31 

During  the  day,  Crows  forage  for  food.  Separating  in  clans, 
as  it  were,  they  distribute  themselves  throughout  the  country. 
Then  toward  sunset,  as  if  in  response  to  some  mystic  call,  they 
betake  themselves  in  flights  to  the  roosts,  sometimes  many  miles 
distant. 

Although  the  most  characteristic  trait  of  Crows,  the  roosting 
habit  has  received  but  comparatively  little  attention  from  orni- 
thologists. For  those  who  have  never  visited  a  roost  and  so 
observed  one  of  Nature's  most  interesting  phenomena,  we  can 
do  no  better  than  to  quote  Mr.  Stone's  account*  of  a  visit  to  such 
a  winter  colony  in  the  neighborhood  of  Salem,  New  Jersey: 

"It  was  just  dusk  as  we  hitched  our  horse  and  entered  the 
woods;  there  was  still  no  sign  of  Crows,  but  as  we  emerged  on 
the  farther  side  we  found  that  an  immense  flight  was  just  be- 
ginning to  pass  overhead  from  the  westward,  evidently  the 
river  Crows  had  concluded  that  bed-time  had  come.  They  did 
not,  however,  alight  in  the  trees,  but  passed  over  and  dropped 
noiselessly  into  the  low  fields  just  before  us,  seeming  to  select  a 
black,  burnt  area  on  the  far  side.  To  our  amazement  this 
'  burnt '  area  proved  to  be  a  solid  mass  of  Crows  sitting  close 
together,  and  in  the  gathering  gloom  it  was  difficult  to  see  how 
far  it  extended.  Four  immense  flights  of  birds  were  now  pour- 
ing into  the  fields,  in  one  of  which  we  estimated  that  500  Crows 
passed  overhead  per  minute  during  the  height  of  the  flight. 

"  It  was  now  quite  dark,  and  we  began  to  think  that  the  birds 
had  no  intention  of  retiring  to  the  woods,  so  determined  to  vary 
the  monotony  of  the  scene  and  at  the  same  time  warm  our 
chilled  bodies.  We,  therefore,  ran  rapidly  toward  the  nearest 
birds,  and  shouted  together  just  as  the  first  took  wing.  The 
effect  was  marvellous;  with  a  roar  of  wings  the  whole  surface  of 
the  ground  seemed  to  rise.  The  birds  hovered  about  a  minute 
and  then  entered  the  woods;  we  soon  saw  that  but  a  small  por- 
tion of  the  assemblage  had  taken  wing.  Those  farther  off  had 
not  seen  us  in  the  darkness,  and  doubtless  thought  that  this  was 
merely  the  beginning  of  the  regular  nightly  retirement  to  the 
trees.     The  movement  once  started,  became  contagious,  and  the 

*Bird  Lore,  December,  1899. 


32  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

crows  arose  steadily,  section  by  section.  The  bare  branches  of 
the  trees  whicli  stood  out  clearly  against  the  western  sky  but  a 
minute  before  seemed  to  be  clothed  in  thick  foliage  as  the  mul- 
titude of  birds  settled  quietly  down." 

The  evening  flight  lines  converging  to  the  various  roosts  are  a 
familiar  feature  of  the  winter  in  most  of  the  country  districts  in 
the  Delaware  and  Susquehanna  valleys. 

Though  the  flights  passing  into  the  nearby  roosts  have  for 
years  given  the  built-up  portions  of  Philadelphia  a  wide  berth, 
in  old  days  they  seem  to  have  occasionally  come  into  the  very 
heart  of  the  city.  A  communication  made  before  the  Academy 
of  Natural  Sciences  by  John  Cassin,  January  21,  1862,  described 
a  rather  unusual  occurrence  of  this  kind;  and  fortunately  in  the 
History  of  North  American  Birds  Dr.  Brewer  has  given  us  the 
account  as  he  heard  it  from  Cassin' s  lips,  though  he  has  some- 
how transferred  the  date  to  April,  1868,  a  time  of  year  when 
the  Crows  have  scattered  from  their  winter  flocks. 

He  says:  "On  a  Sunday  morning  when  Philadelphia  was 
enveloped  in  a  fog  so  dense  and  impenetrable  that  it  was  hardly 
possible  to  distinguish  objects  across  the  street,  Mr.  Cassin'e 
attention  was  attracted  to  an  immense  accumulation  of  these 
birds  in  Independence  Square.  The  whole  park  he  found  to 
his  utter  astonishment  occupied  by  an  immense  army  of  Crows. 
They  filled  all  the  trees,  bending  down  the  overloaded  branches, 
and  swarmed  over  and  covered  the  ground.  The  entire  space 
seemed  alive  with  Crows.  They  had  evidently  become  bewild- 
ered in  the  fog  and  had  strangely  taken  refuge  in  this  small  park 
in  the  very  heart  of  Philadelphia.  As  if  aware  of  their  close 
proximity  to  danger,  the  whole  assembly  was  quiet,  orderly, 
and  silent."  Scouts  from  time  to  time  went  out  and  returned  as 
if  to  get  their  bearings,  and  eventually  ' '  the  whole  of  the  immense 
congregation,  numbering,  Mr.  Cassin  estimated,  hundreds  of 
thousands,  rose  slowly  and  silently,  preceded  by  their  scouts, 
and  moving  off  in  a  westerly  direction,  were  soon  lost  to  view." 

For  records  of  the  famous  old  roosts,  notably  those  of  Pea 
Patch  and  Reedy  Islands  in  the  Delaware,  we  need  only  refer  to 
the  accounts  of  Wilson  and  Audubon.  Just  how  man}'  other 
roosts  there  were  in  the  early  days  of  the  past  century  it  is  hard 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  33 

to  say,  but  certain  it  is  that  there  are  a  large  number  to-day, 
and  probably  many  that  have  not  yet  come  to  our  notice. 

■Whether  this  indicates  a  breaking-up  of  the  larger  roosts  on 
account  of  molestation  is  a  question  that  we  are  not  prepared  to 
solve,  since  there  does  not  seem  to  be  any  data  available  to  show 
whether  any  of  the  roosts  have  suffered  diminution  or  not. 
Certain  it  is  that  we  have  secured  evidence  of  Crows  roosting 
to-day  in  small  companies  or  singly  in  various  places,  but  here 
again  we  cannot  say  but  that  investigations  such  as  we  have 
made,  if  carried  on  fifty  or  a  hundred  years  ago,  would  have 
brought  to  light  similar  conditions. 

In  collecting  the  data  here  presented  there  were  two  objects 
in  view;  first,  to  ascertain  the  location  and  any  interesting  facts 
relating  to  Crow-roosts  and,  secondly,  to  learn  the  direction  of 
evening  flight  at  as  many  points  as  possible.  In  most  neigh- 
borhoods there  is  within  a  few  miles  a  regular  line  of  flight 
which  the  Crows  travel  night  after  night  and  year  after  year  in 
seeking  their  winter  roosting-place,  following  an  invisible  path- 
way that  takes  them  always  across  the  same  field  and  frequently 
indeed  over  the  same  fence  panel  with  almost  mathematical 
precision. 

Arrows  showing  the  evening  flight-lines  at  various  points 
would,  when  plotted  on  a  map,  obviously  point  to  the  various 
roosts  and  give  some  idea  of  the  country  which  each  one 
"drained."  This  was  the  plan  which  we  had  in  view  and  the 
accompanying  map  shows  its  realization  so  far  as  a  part  of  the 
country  studied  is  concerned.  Other  roosts  and  flight-lines 
which  are  tributary  to  them  are  described  beyond.  We  may 
note  as  a  point  of  interest  that  there  seem  to  be  no  roosts  in  the 
pine-barren  region  of  New  Jersey,  all  the  roosts  in  that  state 
being  in  the  Delaware  Valley  region  west  of  the  barrens. 

To  the  many  correspondents  who  have  aided  in  compiling 
this  data  the  writer  would  express  his  indebtedness. 

DESCRIPTION  OF  ROOSTS  REPRESENTED  ON  THE  ACCOMPANYING  MAP. 

1.   Merchantville,  Camden  Co.,  N.  J. 

This  is  the  nearest  roost  to  Philadelphia  and  has  for  years 
existed  in  oak  and  chestnut  woodland  near  Merchantville,  a  few 


34  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

miles  northeast  of  Camden.  It  is  the  one  described  in  Mr. 
Rhoads'  paper,  American  Naturalist,  1886,  p.  785,  and  is  still 
the  winter  rendezvous  for  thousands  of  Crows.  The  exact  roost- 
ing spot  has  changed  once  or  twice  within  the  past  twenty  years, 
from  one  patch  of  woodland  to  another,  but  a  short  distance  off, 
both  lying  south  of  the  town.  Crows  fly  to  this  roost  from 
Mount  Ephraim,  Haddonfield,  Colestown,  Moorestown  and 
League  Island,  while  they  formerly  crossed  over  from  Olney 
and  Frankford,  flying  high  in  the  air.  This  latter  flight  has 
now  ceased,  owing  to  the  fact  that  the  Crows  no  longer  find  a 
feeding  ground  to  the  northeast  of  Philadelphia,  where  build- 
ings are  rapidly  sj^reading. 

2.    Valley  Forge,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

Although  not  mentioned  by  Mr.  Rhoads,  this  roost  is  a  very 
old  one.   Its  location,  however,  seems  to  have  shifted  somewhat. 

Dr.  W.  E.  Rotzell  sends  us  the  following  information  regard- 
ing it: 

"The  roost  is  now  located  at  Diamond  Rock,  in  the  North 
Valley  hills  about  two  miles  west  by  southwest  from  Valley 
Forge.  I  think  I  first  visited  the  roost  in  1899,  and  subse- 
quently in  1900  and  1901.  It  was  located  in  chestnut  woods 
and  occupied  probably  ten  acres,  shifting  from  place  to  place  as 
the  birds  were  disturbed.  The  wooded  area  in  this  region  ex- 
tends over  the  hills  for  miles.  The  Crows  come  from  all  points 
of  the  compass  for  miles  to  reach  this  roost.  I  have  noted 
them  as  early  as  3:30  p.  m.  six  miles  to  the  southward  going 
towards  it.  By  4 :30  many  flocks  may  be  seen  flying  in  various 
directions  about  the  roosting-place  often  going  a  mile  or  two  in 
an  apparently  uncertain  manner  and  finally  returning  to  the 
roost.  As  to  the  number  of  birds  I  would  not  pretend  to  guess, 
there  must  have  been  thousands  and  thousands,  and  at  times 
they  blackened  the  sky." 

Replies  to  inquiries  regarding  flight-lines  show  that  the  Crows 
seek  this  roost  from  Shannonville  on  the  Perkiomen,  Port  Ken- 
nedy, Norristown,  Conshohocken,  Bryn  Mawr,  Radnor,  Devon, 
etc.,  as  well  as  from  Wawa  and  Westtown,  and  possibly  from 
West  Chester. 

Some  of  the  League  Island  Crows  are  also  reported  to  fly  in 
this  direction  at  night. 


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DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  35 

3.   Bensnlem,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

A  roost  accommodating  a  large  number  of  Crows  situated  in 
oak  and  other  deciduous  woods  north  from  Eddington  Station 
and  east  of  Byberry.  Located  and  visited  in  winter  of  1902-3 
by  Thomas  D.  Keim,  who  was  informed  by  residents  that  the 
roost  had  been  in  use  for  a  number  of  years.  Crows  fly  hither 
from  Woodbourne,  Bucks  Co.,  also  from  Holmesburg,  and  otlier 
points  down  the  river,  and  from  New  Jersej',  crossing  southwest 
at  Bristol,  and  at  points  between  Beverly  and  Burlington;  at 
Rancocas  the  Ci'ows  also  fly  to  this  roost.  Dr.  Joseph  D. 
Abbott  writes  that  formerly  at  Bristol  they  flew  the  other  way, 
at  evening  crossing  the  river  into  New  Jersey.  This  was  prob- 
ably at  the  time  that  the  Hainsport  roost  was  still  in  use,  and 
would  indicate  that  the  Crows  forming  the  latter  colony  had 
transferred  their  quarters  to  this  spot.  The  Hainsi^ort  roost 
was  visited  by  Mr.  Rhoads,  and  a  further  account  of  it  is  ap- 
pended, furnished  by  Mr.  Thomas  J.  Beans.  He  writes  as 
follows : 

' '  The  roost  was  located  on  the  creek  road  and  the  Rancocas 
creek.  There  were  about  sixty  acres  in  the  tract.  It  is  now 
cleared  and  farmed.  It  was  a  very  large  roost,  and  the  evening 
flights  were  from  Pennsylvania,  from  the  N.  E.  and  S.  E. 
mainly,  though  they  seemed  to  come  at  times  froni  every  point 
of  the  compass.  You  know  Crows  have  a  habit  of  alighting  a 
short  distance  from  the  roost  before  entering.  They  used,  many 
of  them,  to  alight  on  our  place,  one  mile  away,  and  noisily  dis- 
cuss subjects  of  interest  to  Crows.  Gunning  parties  would  go 
to  the  roost  at  night  and  shoot  them  in  great  numbers,  and 
finally  drove  them  away.  Whether  they  have  an  hereditary 
dread  of  the  locality  I  do  not  know,  but  save  a  few  breeding 
birds,  no  Crows  are  to  be  seen  here,  and  there  is  no  line  of  fly- 
ing birds  at  evening." 

Dr.  Charles  C.  Abbott,  from  his  home  south  of  Trenton,  writes 
under  date  of  October  19,  1898,  as  follows; 

"The  daily  to-and-fro  movement  from  roost  to  feeding-grounds 
and  return  commences  about  September  15  here,  and  from  my 
point  of  view  is  eastward  in  the  morning  and  westward  in  the 
afternoon.     As  to  hours,  from  dawn  to  11  a.  m.  eastward,  and 


36  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

from  2.30  p.  m.  to  dark  westward.  To  be  more  explicit,  the 
Crows  used  to  roost  at  the  river  shore  at  Florence  Heights  up  to 
circa  1860-62,  and  gathered  there  from  Jersey  (eastward),  but 
whether  other  Crows  came  from  over  in  Pennsylvania  to  this 
roost  I  do  not  know.  For  as  far  back  as  I  can  trace,  over  a 
century.  Crows  in  this  immediate  neighborhood  always  spread 
over  Jersey  in  the  forenoon,  coming  eastward,  from  the  river  or 
from  across  it,  and  the  afternoon  flight  was  always  westward  or 
towards  the  river.  It  was  about  1860-62  that  the  Florence 
Heights  roost  was  destroyed,  and  then  as  I  am  told,  the  Pigeon 
Swamp  roost  was  greatly  increased  by  the  Jersey  Crows  joining 
them.  The  great  original  roost  was  and  a  trace  of  it  still  is  in 
the  Pigeon  Swamp,  near  Bristol,  Pa." 

Perhaps  the  "Pigeon  Swamp  roost"  mentioned  by  Dr.  Ab- 
bott is  the  one  here  referred  in  Bensalem  township,  but  we  can 
find  no  evidence  of  any  roost  in  the  Pigeon  Swamp  now  or  for 
some  years  back.  It  is,  on  the  other  hand,  possible  tliat  the 
Crows  crossing  at  Trenton  go  to  the  Davis  Grove  roost. 

Whether  the  five  roosts  here  mentioned  existed  together  or 
whether  the  Davis  Grove,  Pigeon  Swamp  and  Bensalem  roosts 
one  or  all  owed  their  foundation  to  the  breaking  up  of  those  at 
Florence  Heights  and  Hainsport  we  cannot  say;  but  only  two  of 
the  five  seem  now  to  be  in  existence. 

4.   Davis  Grove,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa. 

One  of  the  largest  and  most  important  roosts. 

In  1886-7  a  large  number  of  Crows  also  roosted  near  War- 
ringtonville  on  the  farm  of  Isaac  Warner,  while  others  made 
use  of  the  hemlocks  on  the  Almshouse  farm  at  Doylestown. 
These  latter  are  probably  mere  branch  colonies  from  the  main 
roost.  So  far  as  we  can  learn  the  roost  is  still  in  use  and  flights 
from  Doylestown  and  Fort  Washington  are  directed  toward  it. 

6.  South  of  Doimingtown,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.  (?) 

The  evening  flight  at  Downingtown  is  south  according  to  Dr. 
Howard  Y.  Pennell,  and  this  coupled  with  the  northward  flight 
at  West  Chester  would  seeiii  to  indicate  another  roost  some- 
where midway  between  these  places.  No  further  evidence  of 
such  a  roost  is  in  our  possession  however. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  37 

EOOSTS  OUTSIDE  OF  THE  DISTRICT  COVERED  BY  THE  MAP. 

The  country  covered  by  the  following  list  is  so  extensive  that 
there  is  little  doubt  but  that  a  number  of  other  roosts  exist 
within  its  limits  which  are  still  to  be  located  by  the  ornitholo- 
gist: 

6.    Coatesville,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

Mr.  Hugh  E.  Stone,  who  visited  this  roost  in  1895,  writes  as 
follows : 

"The  roost  is  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  here  on  a 
wooded  ridge  about  half  a  mile  long,  running  parallel  with  and 
a  short  distance  south  of  the  Pennsylvania  R.  R.,  between 
Coatesville  and  Pomeroy.  The  wood  is  of  oak  and  chestnut 
timber,  most  of  the  trees  being  about  forty  feet  high  and  covers 
the  top  and  northern  slope  of  the  hill. 

"Yesterday  (.January  29),  when  I  visited  it,  the  snow  which 
covered  the  ground  was  completely  coated  and  discolored  with 
the  droppings  of  the  birds,  and  this  not  in  small  patches  only 
but  all  over  the  ground  for  hundreds  of  yards.  At  this  season 
the  Crows  begin  to  arrive  about  half  past  four  and  continue  to 
stream  in  from  all  directions  until  dark,  the  greatest  numbers 
seeming  to  come  from  the  southeast. 

"The}'  settle  on  the  trees  at  either  end  of  the  wood,  seeming 
to  prefer  the  ends  to  the  middle  and  keep  up  until  dark  a  clatter 
that  can  be  heard  a  mile  away. 

"Last  evening  I  visited  the  roost  about  dusk  and  had  no 
trouble  in  approaching  quite  near  the  trees  without  disturbing 
many  of  the  Crows  which  seemed  quite  stupid  and  sleepy.  I 
cannot  understand  why  the  birds  should  have  selected  such  a 
cold  and  unprotected  wood  for  their  roost."  As  to  its  former 
location  we  learn  from  Mr.  Thos.  H.  VVindle  that  "The  roost 
was  formerly  on  the  north  valley  hills,  a  quarter  of  a  mile  north 
of  Coatesville  (prior  to  about  1890).  The  reason  for  the  change 
was  because  they  were  annoyed  by  gunners  who  visited  the 
roost  after  dark.  Number  of  birds  estimated  at  30,000  to 
50,000."  Later  Mr.  Stone  writes  that  the  birds  have  again 
crossed  the  valley  to  the  north  hills,  where  they  have  now  roosted 
for  several  years.  Crows  fly  to  this  roost  from  Kennett  Square, 
Timicula  and  Morton ville,  Chester  Co.,  and  probably  also  from 


38  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

Lenape,  while  a  number  of  other  flight-lines  converge  from 
the  north  and  west. 

7.  Milton,  Sussex  Co.,  Del. 

Mr.  Jos.  M.  Laiip  states  that  "there  are  winter  Crow  roosts 
in  the  vicinity  of  Milton,  on  the  farms  of  Wm.  W.  Conwell, 
Greenbery  W.  Betts,  David  M.  Robbins  and  David  H.  AVilt- 
bank.  The  number  of  birds  is  almost  innumerable  but  the  best 
estimation  we  can  give  for  those  which  use  the  Conwell  farm 
would  be  2,500  to  3,500.  The  woodland  on  this  farm  comprises 
about  ten  acres,  most  of  which  is  pine  and  large  shrubbery." 

8.  Fishing  Creek,  Cape  May  Co.,  K  J. 

Mr.  H.  Walker  Hand  states  that  there  was  formerly,  and  prob- 
ably still  is,  a  roost  near  the  head  of  Fishing  creek,  on  the  bay 
shore  of  Cape  May  county,  and  that  Crows  feeding  on  the  mead- 
ows at  Dias  creek  and  northward  flew  south  at  night  to  this 
roost. 

9.  Salem,  N.  J. 

A  very  large  roost  about  two  miles  south  of  Salem  in  low,  oak 
woodland.  This  was  visited  in  January,  1899,  by  Mr.  Witmer 
Stone  and  described  by  him  in  Bird  Lore  for  December,  1899. 
Later,  IMr.  Chas.  D.  Kellogg  succeeded  in  photographing  a  sec- 
tion of  the  roost  (see  accompanying  plates).  It  seems  prob- 
able that  this  is  the  successor  of  the  Reedy  Island  roost,  as  the 
latter  location  was  deserted  when  the  quarantine  station  was 
built.  Mr.  Geo.  W.  Jones,  keeper  of  the  Reedy  Island  light, 
writes  that  the  Crows  now  pass  over  the  island  from  Delaware 
to  New  Jersey,  but  few  stop  and  then  only  in  very  stormy 
weather. 

10.  Alloway,  Salem  Co.,  N.  J. 

A  small  roost  comprising  several  thousand  Crows  is  located 
near  Alloway  station,  northeast  of  Salem,  and  was  in  use  in 
Januarj',  1899,  when  it  was  visited  by  Mr.  Stone.  We  have  no 
data  as  to  the  flight-lines  toward  this  roost.  It  would  appear, 
however,  that  the  birds  do  not  come  from  the  west,  as  Crows 
for  some  miles  north  of  Salem  fly  south  at  night  to  the  large 
roost. 

11.  Ash  Swamp,  Union  Co.,  N.  J. 

Mr.  Dennis  C.  Crane  writes  :  "As  long  as  I  can  remember, 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  39 

Crows  have  every  winter  roosted  in  some  part  of  Union  Co. 
Years  ago  I  can  remember  they  roosted  in  Linden  township,  in 
a  ten-acre  piece  of  young  oak,  elm,  maple  and  other  hard  wood, 
in  low,  wet  ground,  somewhat  isolated.  The  trees  were  close 
together  and  the  underbrush  was  so  tangled  that  it  was  impos- 
sible to  go  through  except  in  a  few  cow-paths.  For  some  years 
back  they  have  chosen  some  woods  between  Fanwood  and  Clark 
township,  near  Ash  Swamp.  As  to  numbers,  it  is  hard  to  esti- 
mate. I  should  say  I  have  seen  the  above  ten-acre  woods  cov- 
ered at  the  rate  of  ten  to  every  ten  feet  square.  I  have  every 
morning  and  night,  for  one  hour,  seen  them  pass  over  our  house 
(Westfield,  N.  J.),  the  flock  averaging  two  hundred  feet  wide 
and  continuous  in  length.  I  should  say  500  in  every  square  of 
200  feet,  or  in  every  acre  of  space.  Every  minute  500  would 
pass  overhead. 

"In  March  they  have  their  pow-wows  or  mating-parliament 
in  some  large,  open  fields.  I  remember  a  field  near  our  old 
home  in  Linden  township  which  seemed  a  favorite  meeting- 
place;  a  flock  of  one  thousand  or  more  would  alight  there  every 
pleasant  day  and  seem  to  discuss  and  arrange  for  the  coming 
summer.  There  would  be  a  spell  of  jabbering  and  then  a  chorus 
of  '  caw,  caw,'  at  the  same  time  flying  up  and  around  to  some 
extent  and  alighting  again,  apparently  confirming,  ratifying  or 
rejoicing  over  some  subject  they  had  under  consideration." 

12.  PL  Pleasant,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

In  the  winter  of  1886-7  thousands  of  Crows  roosted  in  low 
woods  on  the  farm  of  John  Myers  near  Pt.  Pleasant,  Bucks  Co., 
Pa.,  and  the  spot  was  reported  to  be  still  in  use  in  1894-5. 

13.  New  Holland,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. 

M.  B.  Hutchinson  writes:  "We  have  a  place  two  and  a  half 
miles  south  of  New  Holland  where  Crows  congregate  during  the 
evenings  in  winter.  The  ground  covered  is  about  one  mile  long 
and  about  three-fourths  of  a  mile  wide.  It  is  covered  by  many 
cedar  trees  in  a  ravine,  sheltered  from  the  north  wind  by  a  high 
hill.  The  number  of  Crows  may  vary  from  a  thousand  to  five 
thousand.  They  generally  fly  to  their  roost  in  a  south,  south- 
east or  southwesterly  direction.  During  a  storm  or  approach  of 
a  storm,  their  flight  is  quite  close  to  the  ground. 


40  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

"There  is,  or  used  to  lie,  a  large  roost  in  the  northern  end  of 
Martic  township,  along  the  Susquehanna  river,  but  I  cannot 
now  give  you  information  about  it  as  I  have  never  seen  it." 

14.  Mountville,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. 

Prof.  H.  Justin  Rodd}'  reports:  "There  is  a  very  large  Crow 
roost  near  Mountville,  Lancaster  county,  about  four  and  a  half 
miles  northwest  of  Millersville,  and  when  I  last  visited  it  the 
grove  in  which  the  Crows  roost  was  black  with  the  birds  for 
quite  a  distance.  The  area  of  the  roosting  grove  was  not  less 
than  twenty-five  or  thirty  acres,  and  all  the  available  space  on 
the  branches  seemed  taken  up  by  the  roosting  birds.  The  point 
is  located  about  the  center  of  an  extensive  farming  region,  com- 
prising Lancaster  county  wholly  and  the  eastern  half  of  York 
county.  This  causes  the  birds  to  flock  towards  it  from  all 
points.  The  Crows,  however,  converge  towards  the  roost  along 
probably  four  important  radii,  and  of  these  the  most  important 
line  of  flight  was,  and  is  yet,  from  the  east  or  a  little  north  of 
east  from  the  Welsh  Mountains  along  the  Neflsville  hills — an 
eastern  extension  of  the  Chiques  hills. 

"In  mid-winter,  when  the  wind  is  high,  the  flight  of  the 
Crows  is  very  interesting;  the  birds  screening  themselves  from 
the  wind  by  flying  on  the  southeast  side  of  the  hills  and  their 
crowning  woodlands.  The  flight  reaches  Neffsville,  five  miles 
northeast  of  Mountville,  at  about  3  p.  m.  on  windj'  days  and  at 
about  4  p.  m.  on  calm  days.  The  morning  flight  along  these 
hills  is  not  so  well  defined. 

"The  flight  from  the  north  I  used  to  watch  from  Elizabeth- 
town,  fifteen  miles  north  of  Mountville,  and  at  one  time,  in  1882, 
I  counted  12,000  Crows  passing  over  a  hill  near  the  town." 

15.  Long  Level,  York  Co.,  Pa. 

Mr.  J.  Jay  Wisler  writes  :  "In  York  county,  from  the  post- 
oflice  known  as  Long  Level,  southward  some  eighteen  or 
twenty  miles  down  the  river  and  among  the  river  hill.s  in  shel- 
tered valleys,  there  are  said  to  be  a  number  of  Crow  roosts.  I 
have  never  had  the  opportunity  to  visit  these  roosts  in  the  even- 
ing, but  I  saw  one  of  them  in  the  middle  of  the  day  and  of 
course  there  were  no  birds  there  at  that  time,  but  from  the  drop- 
pings there  must  have  been  large  numbers  of  Crows  roosting 


X     X 

s  -• 


DELAWARE  VALLET   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  41 

there  for  many  years.  This  place  is  on  the  northeast  side  of  a 
hill,  about  seven  miles  below  Columbia,  on  the  York  county 
side  of  the  Susquehanna,  and  perhaps  half  a  mile  from  the 
river.  The  other  roosts  farther  down  I  know  only  from  hear- 
say. From  Columbia  the  Crows  fly  southwest  as  evening  ap- 
proaches, crossing  the  river  towards  the  above  location." 

SUMMARY. 

Summarizing  the  preceding  list,  we  have  the  following  known 
roosts  which  are  all  believed  to  be  occupied  at  the  present  time: 

Merchantville,  Camden  Co.,  N.  J. 

Valley  Forge,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

Bensalem,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

Davis  Grove,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa. 

Coatesville,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

Milton,  Sussex  Co.,  Del. 

Fishing  Creek,  Cape  May  Co.,  N.  J. 

Salem,  Salem  Co.,  N.  J. 

Alloway,  Salem  Co.,  N.  J. 

Ash  Swamp,  Union  Co.,  N.  J. 

Pt.  Pleasant,  Bucks  Co.,  Pa. 

New  Holland,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa. 

Mountville.  Lancaster  Co. ,  Pa. 

Long  Level,  York  Co.,  Pa. 

And  a  possible  roost  south  of  Downingtown,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 

The  deserted  roosts  are  as  follows: 

Beverly,  N.  J.,  deserted  1884  (Rhoads). 

Bridgeboro,  N.  J.,  deserted  1881  (Rhoads). 

Centertown,  N.  J.,  deserted  1885  (Rhoads).  This  was  so 
close  to  the  Hainsport  roost  that  it  must  have  been  merely  a 
shifting  of  the  same  body  of  birds. 

Hainsport,  N.  J.,  deserted  1888  (about). 

Newbold's  Island,  Delaware  River,  deserted  1866  (Rhoads). 

Florence  Heights,  N.  J.,  deserted  1841  (Rhoads),  1860-2 
(Abbott). 

Pea  Patch,  Delaware  River,  deserted  1816  (Rhoads). 

Reedy  Island,  Delaware  River,  deserted  at  the  time  the  quar- 
antine station  was  built  (since  1886). 


42  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Pigeon  Swamp,  near  Bristol,  Pa.,  deserted  (?)  (Abliott). 

Camp  Hill,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.,  deserted  1878  (Rhoads). 

Medford,  Tabernacle  and  Burlington  Island,  N.  J.,  roosts 
mentioned  with  queries  by  Rhoads.  We  can  find  no  records 
of  these  and  it  is  doubtful  if  roosts  ever  existed  at  any  of  these 
localities. 

The  roost  entered  in  the  list  on  p.  12,  Bull.  G,  U.  S.  Dep. 
Agric,  Div.  Ornith.  and  IMamm.,  as  "Lancaster,  INIontgomery 
Co.,  Pa.,"  is  intended  to  denote  one  six  miles  south  of  Lan- 
caster, Lancaster  Co.,  Pa.,  described  by  S.  S.  Eathvon  in  the 
American  Naturalist,  1869,  p.  102.  Whether  it  still  exists  we 
have  been  unable  to  ascertain. 


Water  Birds  of  the  Middle  Delaware  Valley 

BY  HENRY  W.   FOWLER. 

At  tlie  time  of  the  publication  of  Mr.  Stone's  "  Birds  of  East- 
ern Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,"  the  Club  was  much  in  need 
of  definite  information  regarding  the  water  birds  of  the  Dela- 
ware valley.  Knowledge  of  this  nature  seems  still  to  be  a 
desideratum,  and  as  the  writer  has  for  some  ten  years  past  paid 
considerable  attention  to  the  water  birds  of  the  river  north  of 
Philadelphia — from  Holmesburg  to  Bristol — the  following  list, 
embodying  his  observations,  is  offered  as  a  contribution  to  a  sub- 
ject already  too  long  neglected. 

Records  jaublished  in  the  above-mentioned  work  are  omitted, 
but  those  scattered  through  the  pages  of  the  Club's  Proceedings 
since  1894  are  included,  as  well  as  much  important  data  fur- 
nished by  Mr.  Richard  F.  Miller,  Mr.  Thos.  D.  Keim,  Mr.  L.  V. 
Morris,  of  Bristol,  and  reliable  gunners  whom  I  have  inter- 
viewed. Mr.  Miller's  observations  relate  chiefly  to  Bridesburg 
and  Richmond,  and  covering  as  they  do  some  seven  years,  are 
of  particular  interest. 

The  Delaware  valley,  from  the  northern  environs  of  Phila- 
delphia to  Trenton,  has  long  been  the  resort  of  many  gunners. 
Though  not  so  famous  as  the  celebrated  Chesapeake  flats  about 
Havre  de  Grace,  it  has  in  past  years  supplied  not  only  various 
sportsmen  but  also  the  market  with  water  fowls  of  various  sorts. 
At  present  the  birds  do  not  congregate  in  such  numbers  as  for- 
merly, according  to  reports,  but  large  flocks  of  ducks  and  geese 
are  still  seen  frequently,  and  many  other  Sf)ecies  are  by  no 
means  rare. 

The  river  in  this  region  is  generally  wide,  with  low  swamp 
and  meadow  land  stretching  for  long  distances  along  either 
shore.  It  is  seldom  that  the  banks  at  any  point  rise  much  above 
the  water,  the  elevation  of  about  fifty-eight  feet  at  Florence 

(43) 


44  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

being  the  highest  point.  Below  Trenton,  on  the  Jersey  shore, 
there  is  a  long,  low  expanse  of  meadow  and  swampy  land, 
skirted  by  a  high  embankment  which  is  mostly  well  wooded 
and  rises  abruptly  to  form  a  large  plateau.  Low  islands,  bars 
and  shallows  are  also  numerous  and  these,  as  usual,  are  very 
attractive  to  migrant  water  birds.  In  fact,  all  the  natural  con- 
ditions prevailing  along  this  part  of  the  river  are  admirably 
adapted  to  a  variety  of  bird  life,  although  the  proximity  to  a 
great  city  must  naturally  have  its  effect  upon  the  abundance  of 
the  more  wary  species. 

The  principal  tributaries  flowing  into  this  part  of  the  river  are 
on  the  Pennsylvania  side,  the  Neshaminy,  Poquessing,  Penny- 
pack  and  Frankford  creeks,  and  on  the  New  Jersey  side,  Cross- 
wick's,  the  Rancocas  and  Pensauken  ;  the  estuaries  of  which 
form  a  harbor  for  many  birds  which  do  not  prefer  the  more 
open  water. 

The  river  is  tidal  as  far  as  Trenton,  covering  the  whole  section 
under  consideration,  and  the  tide-water  extends  some  distance 
up  the  tributaries,  especially  on  the  Jersey  side. 

Of  the  birds  in  the  following  list  only  a  few  are  known  to 
breed  along  this  part  of  the  river,  namely,  the  Least  Bittern, 
Green  Heron,  Night  Heron,  King  Rail,  Virginia  Rail  and 
Spotted  Sandpiper.  It  is  probable  that  the  American  Bittern 
and  Sora  Rail  may  be  added  to  the  list,  though  I  have  no  per- 
sonal knowledge  to  that  effect. 

The  Great  Blue  Heron  has  a  nesting  colony  in  the  vicinity  of 
Glass boro,  N.  J.,  and  possibly  another  nearer,  while  the  Killdeer 
and  Bartramian  Sandpiper  nest  in  the  uplands  or  interior  not 
very  far  back  from  the  river.  The  Wood  Duck  was  unquestion- 
ably a  resident  species  in  former  years. 

With  the  exception  of  the  above  species  the  notes  in  the 
following  list  will  be  understood  to  refer  only  to  the  winter 
months  or  the  seasons  of  migration  : 

Colymbus  holbcellii.     Holbcfill's  Grebe. 

Although  I  have  never  taken  this  bird  on  the  Delaware 
myself  it  has  been  seen  at  rare  intervals  according  to  local  gun- 
ners, and  one  was  shot  by  Mr.  John  Reese  at  Riverton,  N.  J. , 
February  12,  1894. 


DELAWAKB   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  45 

Colymbus  auritus.     Horned  Grebe. 

Common  on  (lie  Delaware  during  the  fall  and  winter.  Gener- 
ally sliy  and  seldom  ascending  creeks  beyond  tide-water. 

Podilymbus  podiceps.     Pied-billed  Grebe. 

A  number  were  observed  on  tlie  Delaware  during  November, 
1895.  It  is  most  frequently  seen  on  the  Rancocas,  Pennypack 
and  Neshaminy  creeks  and  is  shot  at  by  gunners  whenever  an 
opportunity  is  offered.  The  mill  pond  at  Bristol  is  also  a  favor- 
ite resort  for  these  birds.  Mr.  Miller  states  that  all  the  "Hell 
Divers"  seen  by  him,  that  were  shot  on  the  river,  proved  to  be 
this  species;  though  he  thinks  it  likely  that  the  former  species 
is  often  killed  as  it  is  confused  with  this  by  gunners. 

Gavia  iviher.     Loon. 

This  species  has  frequently  been  seen  on  the  Delaware,  during 
November  especially,  but  they  are  shy  and  usually  keep  well 
out  in  the  channel.  A  number  of  years  ago  several  were  seen 
together  at  the  mouth  of  the  Pennyjiack  creek,  though  they  are 
usually  solitary.  One  killed  on  the  river  at  Frankford  in  the 
fall  of  1902  {Miller). 

Gavia  lumme.     Red-throated  Loon. 

Apjjarently  more  abundant  than  the  preceding.  At  times  as 
many  as  a  dozen  are  seen  together.  Not  long  ago  one  was  re- 
ported as  taken  in  a  fish-net. 

Ui-ia  lomvia.     Brunnich's  Murre. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Reed  has  observed  a  large  flock  of  these  birds  on 
the  Delaware  opposite  Beverly,  N.  J.,  December  15  and  16, 
1896  (see  Auk,  1897,  p.  202).  The  rather  imperfect  accounts 
or  descriptions  submitted  to  me  by  gunners  point  to  the  occur- 
rence of  individuals  occasionally  during  the  winter,  and  I  have 
one  in  my  collection  killed  at  Byberry,  January  11,  1901. 

Stercorarius  pomarinus.     Pomerine  Jaeger. 

A  rare  straggler,  one  specimen  secured  by  Mr.  Chas.  Vansciver 
opposite  Andalusia,  October,  1898,  now  in  the  D.  V.  0.  C.  col- 
lection at  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences. 

Larus  argentatus.     Herring  Gull. 

Common  winter  resident.  They  seldom  wander  far  from  the 
main  course  of  the  river,  only  occasionally  following  the  smaller 
creeks  for  short  distances.     Mr.  W.  L.  Whitaker  secured  one 


46  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

October,   1893,   on  a  mill  dam  at  Cedar  Grove,  Philadelphia, 
five  miles  from  the  Delaware. 

Mr.  Miller  states  that  one  was  observed  by  his  brother  at 
Sandiford,  Philadelphia,  February  28,  flying  very  low.  He 
also  furnishes  the  following  dates,  based  on  his  observations  at 
Frankf  ord : 

Arrival:  October  19,  1898;  September  19,  1901;  November 
13,  1902;  October  24,  1903. 

Departure:  June  2,  1897;  April  3,  1899;  April  16,  1900;  May 
5,  1901;  May  8,  1902;  May  2,  1903. 

Lams  delawarcnsis.     Ring-billed  Gull. 

Rarely  observed.  Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  observed  them  from  the 
Market  Street  Ferry,  at  Philadelphia,  between  the  17  and  27 
of  February,  1895,  but  they  appeared  much  more  abundant 
after  the  ice  had  broken  up.  The  same  remarks  apply  to  the 
Herring  Gull. 

Lams  atriciUa.     Laughing  Gull. 

Most  abundant  during  the  spring  and  fall,  seldom  wandering 
any  distance  from  the  river.  During  the  late  spring  they  hover 
about  the  shad  and  herring  fishermen.  At  this  time  they  have 
been  seen  attempting  to  devour  freshly-killed  herring,  which 
examination  proved  to  he  the  adult  Alewiie  (Pomolobus  pseudo- 
harengus).  Possibly  they  also  attempt  to  devour  other  dead 
fish,  such  as  the  Catfish  {Ameiurus  catus)  and  Perch  {Morone 
americana),  which  are  occasionally  observed  floating  on  the 
water.  I  have  not  observed  them  devouring  living  fishes.  Two 
were  taken  at  Bristol,  October  23,  1895,  and  one  at  Fish  House, 
N.  J.,  fall  of  1901  (Miller). 

Sterna  sp. 

Mr.  Miller  also  reports  a  tern  of  some  species  observed  by  a 
reliable  gunner,  but  it  was  not  secured. 

Phalacrocorax  dilophus.     Double-crested  Cormorant. 

This  bird  has  been  frequently  seen  during  migrations  about 
Burlington  Island,  where  two  specimens  were  captured. 

Merganser  americanus.     American  Merganser. 

Abundant  and  locally  known  as  Irish  Canvas-back.  Also 
seen  in  small  creeks.  I  have  seen  them  along  the  Pennypack, 
hugging  the  shelter  of  coves  and  shallow  pools  protected  by 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  47 

high  grass  or  rushes.  They  have  also  been  seen  in  large  flocks 
on  the  Rancocas  flats,  many  of  them  adult  males.  Frequent  at 
Bristol.  Often  killed  behind  the  dyke  which  extends  from 
Petty' s  Island  toward  the  New  Jersey  shore  at  Delair. 

Merganser  serrator.     Red-breasted  IMerganser. 

Not  observed  by  myself,  but  included  on  the  authority  of 
gunners  at  Bristol.  Reported  also  by  Mr.  Miller  as  killed  near 
Frankford. 

Lophodytcs  cucuUatus.     Hooded  IMerganser. 

According  to  most  of  the  gunners,  this  species  has  not  been 
seen  for  many  years.  Three  specimens  were,  however,  killed 
at  Bristol. 

Anas  boschas.     Mallard. 

Two  observed  during  November,  1895,  at  Holmesburg. 
Killed  occasionally  at  Bristol. 

Anas  obscura.     Black  Duck. 

Five  seen  during  November,  1895,  on  the  river,  and  a  number 
also  observed  later  about  the  mouth  of  the  Pennypack  creek. 
Killed  at  Bristol.  (Keim.)  Many  killed  behind  Petty's  Island 
and  the  dyke.  (Miller. )  Two  were  also  observed  by  Mr.  Miller 
at  Bristol,  May  27,  1903,  flying  down  the  river. 

Chaulelasmus  streperus  ?     Gadwall. 

This  is  reported  from  Bristol  on  the  authority  of  Mr.  Morris, 
but  I  have  never  seen  it  from  this  region  and  various  gunners 
whom  I  have  questioned  do  not  seem  to  know  it.  It  is  prob- 
ably unusual. 

Mareca  americana.     Baldpate. 

Not  many  observed.  Taken  at  Bristol.  Common,  according 
to  Mr.  Miller,  in  late  fall  and  early  winter  in  small  flocks. 

Nettion  caroUnensis.     Green-winged  Teal. 

Scarce,  only  taken  occasionally.  Has  been  shot  at  Bristol. 
Mr.  Miller  reports  it  as  rather  rare,  he  has  seen  but  one  or  two. 

Querquedula  discors.     Blue-winged  Teal. 

Not  abundant.  Generally  seen  on  the  marshes.  One  in  my 
collection  taken  at  Bristol,  April  14,  1896,  now  in  the  collection 
of  the  Academy.  It  is  also  reported  by  Mr.  Morris.  Mr.  Miller 
regards  it  as  rather  common,  mostly  seen  in  September. 

Dafila  acuta.     Pintail. 


48  PROCEEDmCS  OF   THE 

A  large  flock  seen  on  the  Delaware  during  November,  1895. 
At  times  they  ahnost  completely  cover  the  Rancocas  flats.  Also 
shot  at  Bristol.  Many  shot  behind  Petty's  Island  and  the  dyke. 
(Miller. ) 

Spatula  dypeatn.     Shoveller. 

Reported  on  the  authority  of  gunners  as  rare.  Has  been 
taken  at  Bristol. 

Aix  sjwnsa.     Wood  Duck. 

Common  near  Bristol  in  tlie  fall  of  1895,  where  a  number 
were  taken.  According  to  reliable  authoritj^,  prior  to  18G0 
many  were  killed  on  the  river  above  Richmond.  Tliey  fre- 
quentl}'  occurred  on  the  Pennj'jjack  till  1895,  l)ut  subsequently 
have  been  seldom  seen.  Mr.  Miller  states  that  but  few  are  shot 
in  his  neigliborhood.  He  saw  one  at  Volunteertown,  May  28, 
1901,  which  flew  from  a  wood.  One  was  also  seen  at  Fish 
House,  N.  J.,  May  21,  and  a  search  made  for  the  nest  without 
success.  A  pair  was  reported  to  liave  bred  near  Parry,  Bur- 
lington Co.,  N.  J.,  in  a  wood  along  the  Pensauken  creek,  in  the 
spring  of  1897.  The  observer  stated  that  the  young,  eight  or 
nine  in  number,  were  reared  in  an  old  flickers'  cavity  about 
thirty  feet  up  in  a  dead  tree.  Another  gunner  stated  that  a 
pair  bred  on  one  of  the  islands  in  the  Delaware,  near  Trenton. 
(Miller.)  In  June,  1896,  Mr.  Hazen  Brown  several  times  saw  a 
Wood  Duck  on  the  Pennyi^ack  creek  near  Melmar,  which  from 
its  actions  must  have  been  breeding  in  the  xacinity.    (S.  Brown. ) 

Aythya  americana.     Redhead. 

Many  killed  opposite  Holmesburg  during  the  early  eighties 
but  their  occurrence  in  any  numbers  has  not  been  noted  since. 
Has  been  taken  in  past  years  at  Bristol  (Morris). 

Aythya  vallisneria.     Canvas-back. 

Reported  with  and  at  the  same  time  as  the  preceding  but  very 
rare  now.  Two  were  shot  at  the  mouth  of  Pennypack  creek  at 
that  time.     Has  also  been  shot  at  Bristol  (Morris). 

Aythya  marila.     Greater  Scaup. 

Confused  by  gunners  with  tlie  following,  but  is  apparently 
taken  occasionally. 

Aythya  affinis.     Lesser  Scaup. 

Probably  more  common  than  the  last. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLVB.  49 

Aythya  coUaris.     Ring  Neck  Duck. 

Rare;  has  been  shot  at  Bristol  {Morris). 

Clangula  clangula  americana.     Golden-eye. 

Rather  common;  a  few  killed  ever}'  year;  generally  occurs  in 
pairs.  Mr.  Miller  regards  it  as  common  in  winter  in  small 
flocks.     Several  have  been  shot  at  Fish  House,  N.  J. 

Charitonetla  alheola.     Buffle-head. 

A  few  observed  each  year,  equally  as  abundant  as  the  preced- 
ing. Quite  common  winter  visitant  according  to  Mr.  Miller's 
experience. 

Oidemia  sjh     Scoter. 

Scoters  are  reported  from  Bristol  by  Mr.  Morris,  but  the  iden- 
tity of  the  species  is  in  doubt.  It  is  probable  that  they  occur 
on  the  river  during  or  after  heavy  storms,  and  gunners  have 
several  times  reported  such  birds  though  I  have  never  person- 
ally seen  them. 

Harelda  hyemalis.     Old  Squaw. 

A  flock  seen  November  26,  1895,  flying  over  the  marsh  at 
Bristol.  A  number  were  killed  at  Holmesburg  several  years 
before. 

Erismatura  jamaicensis.     Ruddy  Duck. 

About  1887  and  1888  they  were  abundant  opposite  Holmes- 
burg, one  gunner  killing  as  many  as  one  hundred  in  a  single 
day.  At  that  time  they  appeared  on  the  river  in  great  numbers 
and  no  flight  of  any  account  has  been  seen  since.  Is  taken  at 
Bristol. 

Branta  canadensis.     Canada  Goose. 

Seen  every  year  during  the  spring  and  fall  migrations  fly- 
ing high  over  head.  A  flock  of  fifty  were  seen  at  Bristol  during 
the  last  week  of  November,  1895,  and  it  is  occasionally  shot 
there  by  gunners.  Mr.  Miller  states  that  his  brother  observed 
a  flock  of  twenty-six,  on  April  16,  1903,  resting  on  a  farm  at 
Sandiford,  Philadelphia,  which  only  took  wing  upon  the  ap- 
proach of  gunners.  The  earliest  dates  on  his  record  are  March 
25,  1898;  February  12,  1902;  April  16,  1903;  on  September 
20,  1900,  two  were  seen  flying  south. 

Branta  bernicla.     Brant. 

Five  seen  flying  over  the  river  near  Holmesburg  during  a 


50  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

rough  etorm  in  1885.  It  has  also  been  shot  at  Bristol.  Mr. 
Miller  reports  two  seen  on  the  meadows  in  the  fall  of  1894  and 
1895. 

Botaunis  lentiginosus.     American  Bittern. 

Common.  Five  specimens  were  obtained  at  Holmesburg  in 
1894  and  1895.  One  was  shot  in  a  small  cedar  tree  where  it 
was  in  the  habit  of  roosting.  The  dates  range  from  April  2  to 
May  6  in  spring  and  November  2,  1894,  in  the  fall.  Another 
was  taken  near  Philadelphia,  June  29,  1894.  Mr.  Miller  re- 
gards them  as  rare  in  his  neighborliood.  He  saw  one  May  13, 
1899,  and  on  March  30,  1902,  one  was  seen  at  Delair,  Camden 
county,  N.  J. 

Ardetta  exilis.     Least  Bittern. 

Frequent  about  Holmesburg,  where  it  is  easily  flushed  from 
the  marshes.  Specimens  in  my  collection  were  taken  August 
22  and  September  2,  1895,  and  September  3,  1896,  one  of  these 
was  well  up  the  Pennypack  Creek  beyond  tide-water  in  wood- 
land. 

Mr.  Miller  states  that  an  incomplete  nest  was  found  Maj'  28, 
1903,  at  Richmond,  in  a  marsh,  and  on  June  6  of  the  same 
year,  a  completed  nest.  Still  another  nest  was  found  at  the 
mouth  of  Pensauken  creek,  N.  J.  Earliest  date  of  arrival,  A])ril 
24,  1899. 

Ardea  herodias.     Great  Blue  Heron. 

Common  at  Bristol  in  the  spring  ;  as  many  as  a  dozen  are 
often  seen  at  one  time  above  the  mill  pond.  They  are  found  all 
along  the  river  throughout  the  summer,  but  apparently  do  not 
nest  in  this  section.  Mr.  Miller  has  observed  it  on  the  New 
Jersey  side  of  the  river  from  May  to  August,  and  reports  one 
killed  near  Torresdale. 

Garzetta  egretta.     White  Egret. 

In  former  years  seen  almost  every  August  about  Holmesburg 
where  one  at  least  was, shot. 

Florida  cacruka.     Little  Blue  Heron. 

Two  in  the  white  plumage  taken  at  Bristol,  August  25,  1899. 
In  this  year,  and  also  in  1902,  it  was  particularly  plentiful  dur- 
ing August.  Mr.  Miller  also  reports  a  flock  of  eleven  seen  by  a 
gunner  near   Riverton,    N.    J.,    in   September,    1900.      Other 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  51 

records  will  be  found  in  the  paper  by  Wni.  B.  Evans,  Cassinia, 
for  1902,  p.  15. 

Butorides  virescens.     Green  Heron. 

Very  common,  particularly  in  fall.  Breeds.  Earliest  date  of 
arrival  in  Mr.  Miller's  record,  April  29,  1902,  latest  date  of  de- 
parture, October  8,  1898.  I  have  taken  them  at  Holmesburg 
as  late  as  September  26,  1896,  while  one  was  shot  at  Bristol, 
November  26,  1895,  and  another  as  early  as  April  16,  1897. 

Nyclicorax  nycticorax  nasviris.     Night  Heron. 

Common;  seeking  the  retired  shelter  of  tall  trees  during  the 
day,  especially  tulip  trees,  often  quite  a  distance  from  the  water. 
Mr.  Miller  finds  them  most  plentiful  in  fall,  and  has  observed 
a  pair  along  the  Pennypack  creek  at  Holmesburg  for  seven 
years,  but  never  found  a  nest.  His  earliest  date  of  arrival, 
April  3,  1899. 

Rallus  elegans.     King  Rail. 

Seen  occasionally  on  the  marshes  about  Holmesburg  in  sum- 
mer. A  nest  was  found,  June  3,  1902,  at  Bridesburg,  by  Rich- 
ard F.  Miller.  More  plentiful  in  fall.  On  February  3,  1895,  a 
male  bird  was  shot  a  quarter  of  a  mile  below  Bristol  by  W. 
Wilson,  of  Frankford,  and  a  female  in  the  same  spot  February 
17.  The  ground  was  covered  with  snow  at  the  time.  The 
birds  were  examined  and  identified  by  Mr.  W.  L.  Whitaker. 

Rallus  virginianus.     Virginia  Rail. 

Is  shot  by  gunners  between  August  and  November  at  Bristol 
and  Holmesburg,  but  is  not  nearly  as  abundant  as  the  next. 
Mr.  Miller  found  two  nests  of  this  species  at  Richmond  in  June, 
1903,  and  considers  that  the  rail  nests  and  young  rails  in  black, 
downy  plumage,  reported  several  times  by  gunners,  probably 
belong  to  this  species.  One  was  found  dead  at  Eddington, 
Bucks  Co:,  Pa.,  August  27,  1900,  which  was  killed  by  striking 
a  telegraph  wire. 

Porzana  Carolina.     Carolina  Rail. 

Abundant  transient,  shot  in  numbers  in  autumn.  Earliest 
date  of  arrival  in  Mr.  Miller's  record  May  8,  1897. 

Porzana  noveboracensis.     Yellow  Rail. 

One  obtained  by  W.  L.  Baily  at  Palmyra,  N.  J.,  October  13, 
1886,  and  two  in  my  collection  taken  September  16  and  25, 


52  PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE 

1895  at  Holmesburg.     It  has  also  been  flushed  at  the  latter 
locality  in  November. 

Gnllinula  galeata.     Florida  Gallinule. 

Besides  the  records  in  Mr.  Stone's  list,  it  is  reported  from 
Bristol  by  Mr.  Morris. 

Fulica  americana.     Coot. 

Reported  by  gunners  as  formerly  abundant  but  less  common 
at  present.  Has  been  taken  at  Bristol  by  Mr.  Morris.  One  was 
also  caught  by  Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  along  the  river  above  Bristol, 
October  1,  1895.  Mr.  Ernest  Schluter  shot  two  at  League 
Island,  Phila.,  as  late  as  November  2,  1897. 

Phalaropus  lobatus.     Northern  Phalarope. 

One  was  killed  along  the  Delaware  river  in  the  spring  of  1892 
and  mounted  by  C.  A.  Voelker,  who  exhibited  it  before  the  Club. 
Exact  location  not  ascertained. 

Philoliela  minor.     Woodcock. 

Two  taken  during  the  last  week  of  November,  1 895,  and  one 
November  3,  1897,  several  also  in  July,  1896,  at  Holmesburg. 
Formerly  common  but  now  becoming  scarce.  Jlr.  Miller  has 
found  them  during  the  breeding  season  in  suitable  localities  at 
Sandiford,  Philadelphia  and  West  Palmyra,  N.  J.,  but  never 
found  a  nest.  His  earliest  spring  record  is  March  15,  1898,  at 
Rowlandville. 

Gallinago  delicata.     Wilson's  Snipe. 

Transient.  Not  nearly  so  common  as  formerly,  specimens 
taken  August,  1895  and  September,  1894.  Observed  at  Bristol, 
April  13,  1902  (Keim).  Mr.  Miller  states  that  his  earliest  spring 
record  is  March  3,  1902,  and  latest  fall  record,  October  24,  1903. 
He  has  observed  it  at  Torresdale  as  late  as  April  18,  1899. 

Helodromas  soVdarius.     Solitary  Sandpiper. 

Regular  and  common  migrant  mostly  seen  inland  on  the 
smaller  streams.  I  have  taken  them  at  Holmesburg  as  early  as 
July.  Mr.  Miller  states  that  it  is  common  in  late  April  and 
early  in  May  and  in  September. 

Bartramia  longicauda.     Bartramian  Sandpiper. 

Seen  occasionally  in  dry,  open  fields,  away  from  the  river. 
Mr.  Morris  reports  them  as  formerly  abundant  in  late  summer 
at  Bristol. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  53 

Totanus  melanolmcus.     Yellow-legs. 

Mr.  Morris  reports  these  birds  as  very  scarce  at  present  at 
Bristol  and  seen  only  in  northeast  storms.  About  1883  they 
were  plentiful  and  as  many  as  a  dozen  were  shot  in  a  single 
morning.  Two  were  seen  near  the  mouth  of  Pensaviken  creek 
by  Mr.  Stone,  May  30,  1897.  Mr.  Miller  reports  one  seen  May 
6,  1902,  at  Bridesburg  and  one  shot  May  5,  1901,  on  the  Pen- 
sauken  creek,  N.  J.  Mr.  Ernest  Schluter  shot  one  November 
9,  1897,  at  League  Island,  a  remarkably  late  date. 
Oxyechus  vociferics.     Kilkleer  Plover. 

One  taken  August  6,  1894,  at  Holmesburg.  Seen  occasionally 
during  rainy  weather  in  fall  when  they  seem  to  prefer  soaked  or 
wet  grass  land.  Mr.  Miller  regards  it  as  a  common  summer 
resident  and  furnishes  the  following  dates  :  Arrivals,  May  8, 
1897;  March  12,  1898;  April  15,  1899;  April  16,  1900;  April 
23,  1902;  February  28,  1903.  Departures,  November  7,  1898; 
October  21,  1903.  He  states  further  that  a  pair  bred  at  Sandi- 
ford,  Philadelphia,  in  1903,  and  at  Bridesburg  another  pair 
succeeded  in  raising  a  brood  of  three,  but  the  whole  family  was 
subsequently  shot  by  gunners. 

Charadrius  dominicus.     Golden  Plover. 

Mr.  Morris  reports  one  from  Butcher's  Point  about  1895  and 
they  were  plentiful  at  Bristol  about  1870.  I  have  never  observed 
the  species. 

Actodromas  mmutilla.     Least  Sandpiper. 
Rare.     Several  seen  August  16,   1897,  at  Greenwich  Point, 
Philadelphia,  and  a  flock  of  twenty-five  or  thirty  on  August  7, 
1898,  at  Bridesburg. 

Aclitis  macularia.     Spotted  Sandpiper. 

Common  summer  resident.  Breeds.  Have  recorded  it  from 
April  27  to  October  13.  Mr.  Miller  gives  the  following  dates  of 
migration:  Arrivals,  April  24,  1897;  April  18,  1898;  April  29, 
1899;  April  30,  1900,  and  1901;  April  25,  1902;  May  8,  1903. 
Departures,  August  26,  1897  ;  August  12,  1898 ;  August  20, 
1900;  September  1,  1903. 


A  Remarkable  Night  Migration  at  Mt.  Pocono,  Pa. 

BY  WILLIAM  L.   BAILY 

A  RARE  opportunity  to  observe  a  migration  on  the  summit  of 
our  mountains  was  afforded  me  on  the  night  of  the  twenty-third 
of  August,  1903,  at  Mt.  Pocono,  Monroe  county,  Pa. 

The  general  course  of  the  Alleghany  mountain  system  across 
the  State  is  northeast  and  southwest,  and  on  top  of  one  of  the 
spurs  jutting  out  from  the  Pocono  plateau  is  located  the  Pocono 
Manor  hotel,  overlooking  a  beautiful  rolling  valley  which  de- 
scends gradually  to  the  Delaware  river  twelve  miles  away.  In 
the  opposite  direction,  to  the  northwest,  lies  a  great  flat  or  un- 
dulating plateau,  varying  from  1,500  to  2,000  feet  above  sea 
level,  sloping  away  toward  the  Susquehanna  Valley  at  Wilkes- 
barre;  while  beyond,  in  Sullivan  and  Wyoming  counties,  rises 
abruptly  the  North  Mountain  plateau,  which  attains  an  eleva- 
tion of  some  2,500  feet,  and  is,  approximately,  fifty-five  miles 
from  Mt.  Pocono.  It  was  from  the  intervening  region  that  the 
birds  seemed  to  be  migrating  on  the  night  mentioned. 

On  account  of  the  intense  humidity,  the  weather  during  the 
few  days  immediately  preceding  had,  at  lower  altitudes,  been 
almost  unbearable,  and  the  thermometer  registered  89°  at  Phila- 
delphia and  79°  at  Mt.  Pocono  on  the  twenty-third.  That 
evening  brought  a  breeze  from  the  northwest,  just  cool  enough 
apparently  to  start  the  first  extended  migration  of  the  fall. 
According  to  the  calendar,  the  sun  set  at  6:47  p.  m.  and  the 
new  moon  had  also  fallen  below  the  horizon;  the  sky  was  clear 
and  somewhere  between  sunset  and  8:30  o'clock  the  migration 
of  warblers  was  well  under  way  at  Pocono. 

Having  spent  the  early  evening  in  the  house,  I  stepped  out 
on  the  porch  to  observe  the  weather  and  at  once  noticed  the 
chirping  of  the  feathered  host  above.  In  a  few  minutes  I  had 
a  number  of  people  on  the  porches  listening  to  the  strange 

(54) 


DELAWAEE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLtTB.  55 

sounds  which  were  quite  new  to  them.  About  this  time  clouds 
began  to  gather  and  the  night  was  black.  The  hotel  is  lighted 
by  electricity  and  though  no  bright  lights  are  raised  aloft,  a 
glare  spread  out  from  the  halls  and  parlors  and  through  many 
of  the  windows  in  the  upper  stories.  In  order  to  ascertain  the 
direction  in  which  the  birds  were  flying  and  whether  they  were 
all  being  attracted  by  the  light,  I  walked  a  considerable  distance 
in  both  directions  from  the  hotel  at  right  angles  to  the  apparent 
line  of  flight  and  along  the  edge  of  the  plateau,  and  found  that 
I  could  distinguish  about  as  many  chirps  a  quarter  of  a  mile 
away  as  I  could  at  the  hotel.  Judging  by  the  sound  of  the 
chirps,  they  were  passing  over  at  the  rate  of  at  least  fifty  per 
minute  and  very  continuously. 

About  half  past  nine  I  was  driven  under  cover  by  a  shower 
of  rain  which  soon  had  the  effect  of  bewildering  the  birds,  and 
they  began  to  fly  onto  the  porches  and  into  the  windows  of  the 
hotel.  First  came  an  Oven-bird,  then  a  Maryland  Yellow- 
throat  and  various  other  species,  several  of  them  wounding 
themselves  on  the  forehead  by  dashing  against  hard  objects. 
The  greater  number  of  the  birds  were  seen,  however,  flying 
around  the  outside  of  the  building  trying  to  gain  a  footing  on 
the  sides  of  the  house,  or  trailing  up  and  down  the  halls  in  the 
upper  floors,  alighting  on  transoms,  or  after  a  vain  attempt  to 
find  a  resting-place  at  the  corner  of  the  ceiling,  they  would  slide 
down  the  plaster  wall  and  get  caught  behind  trunks  and  cur- 
tains where  thej'  would  flutter  helplessly  until  released. 

The  house  was  full  of  guests,  many  of  whom  were  retiring  for 
the  night,  and  they  were  startled  by  the  entrance  of  what  they 
at  first  thought  were  bats,  but  discovering  the  nature  of  the  cap- 
tives they  hastened  to  liberate  them.  Several  were  brought  to 
me  for  identification  but  there  were  numbers  that  were  set  free 
before  I  saw  them.  The  birds,  so  far  as  I  could  judge  by  the 
plumage,  were  young  of  the  year  except  one  adult  male  Cana- 
dian Warbler.  The  number  of  individual  birds  that  came  into 
the  hotel  was  probably  thirty  or  forty,  of  which  I  identified 
nineteen  as  follows:  Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher  5,  Oven-bird  8, 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler  2,  Blackburn  ian  Warbler  1,  Black- 
throated  Green  Warbler  1,  Maryland  Yellow-throat  1,  Canadian 
Warbler  1. 


56  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

The  utter  stupidity  of  the  birds  particularly  attracted  my  at- 
tention, for  when  thc_y  were  picked  off  of  a  window  sill  or  from 
the  floor  and  set  free  on  the  porch,  they  would  fly  pellmell 
back  again  into  the  house  among  the  people,  as  if  they  had  for- 
gotten all  about  the  migration  and  their  companions  who  were 
still  passing  overhead,  loudly  chirping  as  if  to  reassemble  their 
bewildered  fellow-travellers. 

From  the  fact  that  nearly  all  the  birds  examined  were  young, 
it  would  seem  plausible  that  the  older  and  more  experienced 
ones  were  able  to  keep  out  of  trouble  rather  than  that  they  were 
absent.  The  multitude  was  still  passing  at  11:20  p.  m.,  when 
I  retired,  and  also  at  1  a.  m.,  when  I  happened  to  be  awake. 
The  hotel  lights  were  out  soon  after  eleven,  and  as  the  shower 
had  passed  over,  the  migration  continued  uninterrupted. 

With  the  exception  of  the  Blackburnian  Warbler,  I  found  all 
the  species  mentioned  on  the  Manor  property  between  June  26 
and  July  11,  as  well  as  the  Magnolia  and  Golden-winged 
Warblers. 

The  direction  of  the  flight  seemed  to  be  the  same  as  the  light 
wind,  i.  e.,  from  the  northwest  directly  at  right  angles  to  the 
trend  of  the  mountains.  Considering  the  early  start  of  the  mi- 
gration and  the  length  of  time  it  continued,  the  supply  of  birds 
must  have  come  from  a  large  expanse  of  country;  those  passing 
over  first  coming  from  a  point  not  far  away  and  the  later  ones 
from  the  country  between  the  Pocono  and  North  Mountain 
plateaus.  The  Blackburnian  Warbler,  for  instance,  may  have 
come  from  the  North  Mountain,  as  I  discovered  it  on  a  window 
sill  after  half  past  ten.  The  birds  of  the  whole  area  must  have 
started  about  the  same  time  in  order  to  have  kept  up  this  com- 
paratively unbroken  flight  for  so  many  hours.  The  question 
might  be  asked  why  these  birds  should  have  flown  directly 
across  the  mountain  instead  of  following  the  valleys  as  it  might 
be  supposed  they  would  do.  In  the  first  place,  the  birds  are 
distributed  over  the  whole  mountainous  area,  and  when  they 
start  to  migrate  their  purpose  probably  is  to  get  within  the 
shelter  of  the  Delaware  Valley  as  quickly  as  possible  by  the 
most  direct  route,  or  it  may  be  that  they  were  simply  returning 
by  the  route  of  the  previous  spring,  the  only  one  these  particu- 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  57 

lar  birds  knew;  but  their  ability  to  start  simultaneously  from 
such  a  widely  extended  area  is  like  so  many  other  mysteries  of 
bird  intelligence,  a  nicety  of  instinct  too  sensitive  for  us  to  ap- 
preciate. 


Report  on  the  Spring  Migration  of  1903 

COMPILED  BY  WITMER  STONE 

Observations  on  the  spring  migration  were  carried  on  during 
the  spring  of  1903  on  exactlj'  the  same  plan  that  was  adopted 
in  the  preceding  year,  and  owing  to  the  efforts  of  Mr.  Wm.  E. 
Hannum,  chairman  of  the  Club's  Committee  on  Migration,  the 
services  of  nearly  all  of  the  1902  corps  of  observers  were  secured, 
while  there  were  quite  a  number  of  new  stations  represented. 

It  is  of  the  greatest  importance  that  records  should  be  kept  at 
the  same  stations  for  a  number  of  years  if  any  deductions  of 
value  are  to  be  drawn  from  our  observations,  and  we,  therefore, 
earnestly  request  the  continued  assistance  of  those  who  have 
aided  us  in  the  past.  Blank  schedules  will  be  sent  to  any  one 
who  is  willing  to  join  our  corps  of  observers  and  additional 
records  from  points  within  the  ten-mile  circle  are  particularly 
desired. 

INIr.  Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore,  Delaware  county,  Pa., 
will  superintend  the  distribution  of  schedules  for  1904,  and  in- 
quiries relative  to  the  work  should  be  made  to  him. 

Records  for  the  spring  of  1903  were  received  from  the  fol- 
lowing : 

New  Jersey. 

H.  Walker  Hand,  Cape  May. 

W.  W.  Fair,  Downstown  (three  miles  from  Newfield). 
Miss  Caroline  W.  Murphy,  Point  Pleasant. 
J.  Fletcher  Street,  Beverly. 
Wm.  B.  Evans  and  others,  Moorestown. 
Anna  A.  Mickle,  Moorestown. 
Emily  Haines,  Rancocas. 
Rachel  E.  Allinson,  Yardville. 
Mrs.  E.  M.  HamHn,  Haddonfield. 

(58) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  59 

H.  E.  Doughty,  Haddonfield. 
Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  Audubon. 

Pennsylvania. 

Charles  J.  Pennock,  Kennett  Square. 

Mrs.  Katharine  R.  Styer,  Concordville. 

William  Carter,  Lenape. 

Edith  Smedley  and  Jas.  G.  Vail,  Westtown. 

Thomas  H.  Jackson,  West  Chester. 

Howard  Y.  Pennell,  M.  D.,  Downingtown. 

Frank  L.  Burns,  Berwyn. 

John  D.  Carter,  Haverford. 

William  L.  Bail_y,  Ardmore. 

Miss  Emily  H.  Thomas,  Bryn  Mawr. 

Chreswell  J.  Hunt,  Overbrook. 

Elmer  Onderdonk,  West  Fairmount  Park. 

James  F.  Prendergast,  ]\I.  D.,  West  Fairmount  Park. 

William  E.  Hannum,  Swarthmore. 

William  E.  Roberts,  Swarthmore. 

Asa  P.  Way,  Swarthmore. 

Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore. 

Lydia  G.  Allen,  IMedia. 

Anna  D.  White,  Lansdowne. 

J.  Harold  Austin  and  W.  R.  White,  Lansdowne. 

Harold  Evans,  Germantown,  Phila. 

Frank  Miles  Day,  Germantown,  Phila. 

Samuel  Mason,  Jr.,  Germantown,  Phila. 

Alexander  Patman,  Hunting  Park,  Phila. 

John  R.  Pickering,  Wissahickon,  Phila. 

Richard  F.  IVIiller,  Frankford,  Phila. 

Henry  W.  Fowler,  Holmesburg,  Phila. 

William  H.  Trotter,  Chestnut  Hill,  Phila. 

Thomas  D.  Keim,  Bristol. 

Edw.  Pickering,  Jr.,  Woodbourne,  Bucks  Co. 

Albert  C.  Rutter,  Perkasie. 

W.  H.  Buller,  Marietta. 

August  Koch,  Williamsport. 

Otto  Behr,  Lopez. 


60  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

The  records  from  points  within  a  ten  miles  radius  of  Philadel- 
phia have  been  combined  into  five  sections  as  described  on  i^age 
35  of  Cassinia  for  1902,  the  groups  being  as  follows: 
I.   Moorestown,  Rancocas  and  Beverly. 
II.   Haddonfield  and  Audubon. 

III.  Swarthmore,  Lansdowne  and  Media. 

IV.  W.  Fairmount  Park,  Ardmore,  Haverford,  Bryn  Mawr. 
V.   Germantown,  Wissahickon,  Chestnut  Hill,  Frankford. 

Comparing  the  arrival  of  twenty-four  species  recorded  from 
all  five  sections  we  have  the  following  results  : 

Moorestown.    Swarthmore.    Germantown.    Ardmore.      Haddonfield. 

First  .         .     10               8               7               5                5 

Second  .66522 

Third  .         .       3               5               6               8               7 

Fourth  .21463 

Fifth  .         .       3               4               3               3               7 

Or  in  other  words,  the  Moorestown  section  was  the  first  to 
report  ten  species,  second  to  report  six,  third  in  three  instances, 
etc.  By  giving  a  rank  of  24  to  the  section  which  might  have 
been  first  to  report  all  the  species,  we  find  that  these  five  sec- 
tions would  rank  relatively  as  follows:  Moorestown  54,  Swarth- 
more 59,  Germantown  63,  Ardmore  72,  Haddonfield  77. 

The  Haddonfield  records  are  so  admittedly  incomplete  that 
they  should  not  be  seriously  considered  in  such  a  comparison. 
The  other  figures,  however,  indicate  that  the  average  time  of 
arrivals  at  all  points  along  the  river,  i.  e.,  Moorestown  and 
Swarthmore  sections,  are  nearly  the  same,  and  that  farther  back 
in  the  higher  ground  they  average  a  little  later,  which  corrobor- 
ates the  deductions  of  last  year. 

Careful  study  of  this  year's  records  also  seems  to  indicate  that 
the  first  arrivals  of  a  species  in  the  Philadelphia  district  may 
consist  of  individuals  at  several  widely  scattered  stations,  while 
it  may  be  some  days  before  the  next  influx  of  that  species, 
which  will  be  indicated  by  first  records  at  a  number  or  all  of 
the  other  stations. 

An  interesting  record  for  1903  is  that  kept  by  Mr.  Otto  Behr, 
at  Lopez,  Sullivan  county,  on  top  of  the  main  Alleghanies,  and 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  61 

one  of  the  highest  points  in  tlie  State.  This  should  naturally 
be  one  of  the  last  points  to  record  the  arrival  of  spring  migrants, 
and  comparing  the  dates  with  those  from  the  Philadelphia  dis- 
trict, we  find  about  ten  days'  difference.  Compared  with  other 
seasons,  the  spring  migration  of  1903  was  peculiar,  and  as  Mr. 
Rhoads  says  in  his  report,  it  "sets  at  naught  the  averages  of 
many  years."  All  observers  seem  to  agree  that  there  were 
practically  no  "waves"  and  the  transient  Warblers  and 
Thrushes  were  either  not  seen  at  all  or  only  scattered  individ- 
uals. This  was  not  only  so  in  the  Delaware  Valley  but  at 
Williamsport  as  well,  for  Mr.  August  Koch  writes,  early  in 
June,  that  the  majority  of  the  Warblers  had  not  been  seen  up 
to  that  time  and  wonders  if  the  mountain  fires  had  driven  them 
from  his  neighborhood. 

The  almost  unprecedented  warm  weather  in  the  latter  part  of 
March,  followed  by  severe  cold  early  in  April,  had  a  marked 
effect  upon  the  migration.  Some  of  the  first  migrants  were 
much  earlier  than  1902  while  many  late  ones  were  later. 

There  is  a  striking  correspondence  at  our  various  stations  in 
the  relative  time  of  arrival  as  compared  with  1902,  and  a  species 
which  is  earlier  at  one  station  is  usually  earlier  at  all  at  which 
full  records  have  been  kept  and  vice  versa. 

Taking  sixteen  common  species  as  recorded  in  four  of  the 
Philadelphia  sections  and  at  Westtown,  where  we  have  a  very 
satisfactory  series  of  observations,  we  have  marked  the  number 
of  days  that  the  1903  arrival  is  earlier  or  later  than  that  of  1902, 
except  in  a  few  cases  where  the  dates  were  the  same.  The  dates 
carried  down  the  side  are  approximately  the  time  of  arrival  at 
Philadelphia  in  1902,  the  intention  being  to  show  about  the 
time  of  spring  that  the  different  species  appeared,  the  earliest 
migrants  being  placed  first: 


62 


PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE 


Phoebe  

Chipping  Sparrow 

Barn  Swallow   , 

Towhee  

Chimney  Swift  

Black  and  White  Warbler 

Brown  Thrasher   

House  Wren  

Maryland  Yellow-throat  ., 

Ovenbird 

Catbird  

Wood  Thrush   

Kingbird   

Crested  Flycatcher  

Red-eyed  Vireo 

Chat  


O 

a 

o 

o 

d 

o 

QJ 

(ft  *j 

O 

§1 

a 

8 
■5 

as 

OJ 

E  13 

E  10 

E    8 

E  15 

E    7 

E    8 

E  13 

L    3 

E  23 

L    6 

L    4 

L    6 

L     1 

L    7 

E    2 

E    9 

E    5 

E    3 

Same. 

E    2 

E    2 

Same. 

E    1 

E    2 

E    6 

L    6 

E    5 

E    2 

E    1 

L    2 

h    1 

E    1 

E     1 

L    7 

E    3 

Same. 

L    1 

L    2 

L    4 

Same. 

L    1 

Same. 

E    4 

L    7 

L    4 

L    3 

L    3 

Same. 

E    1 

L    4 

L     7 

L    6 

L    4 

L    3 

L    5 

L    7 

L    3 

L    2 

L    9 

E    2 
L    6 

E     1 
L    7 

L    8 

L    4 

L    6 
L  10 

L    8 

L    7 

E     2 

L    5 

L    2 

L    3 

L    3 

L    2 

L    6 

Same. 

E    1 

a  a 


Mar.  23 
Mar.  29 
April  13 
April  20 
April  21 
April  22 
April  23 
April  24 
April  25 
April  26 
April  26 
April  30 
May  1 
May  1 
May  1 
May      3 


From  the  above,  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  Plioebe  and  Chip- 
ping Sparrow,  which  arrive  late  in  March,  were  decidedly  earlier 
than  in  1902,  the  Barn  Swallow  (April  13)  was  later,  the  next 
three  species  (April  20-22)  were  earlier,  while  all  the  others 
were  late. 

From  the  data  that  are  being  gathered  together  in  Cassinia, 
many  other  interesting  comparisons  can  be  made,  and  a  careful 
study  of  the  records  will  prove  of  interest  to  those  who  are 
making  the  observations. 

The  tables  which  follow  are  based  on  the  same  species  as 
those  of  the  1902  report: 


DELAWAEE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB. 


63 


'pjojumuj 

May    8 

May    5 

Mar.  13 
Apr.  10 

:?3 

Apr.  11 

Apr.28 
Feb. 10 

CO 

May    9 

May    9 
Mar.26 
Mav  19 

■«i!qd 

'1I!H  ^nujsaqo 

Apr.  11 

May  16 

Apr.18 

Mar.21 

Apr.28 

May  11 
May    6 
Mar.21 

:  ^ 

ii- 

•■"UMd 
'3|jBj  3ui)un|j 

:  •y 

1-^ 

Apr.  6 
Apr.  9 

Apr.23 

CO 

■■Bliqd 
'aMojuTjiujao 

May   2 
Apr.18 

a. 

00   r-.       ; 

S^  CI4  : 

oocoo^        0:10000:0 
cCcScSCL,        o3c3o3o3 

•B<£  'JMBK  uijg 

CO 

C 

■a 

.  CO  CO 

'•  >i  c 

:  03  n. 

May    8 
Mar.  18 
May    8 

•«d  'pjojjaABH 

•Bj  'ajorapay 

May    ;{ 
Apr.iy 

Feb. 27 
May    5 

Apr.  17 
Apr.  19 
May  28 
Mar.   1 

:    :  Oi      eo  0  »o  tr-  0 

,     :   C-         03    ci    ca    ^    3J 

(J 

< 

■  00   M   —   CV   CT,           —   0   0   C^l 
C^   — i           ,— 1   ^   c<l   — ' 

:c3c3o3C-.a,         racicSoJ 

■«<I  '«!P3W 

<1 

:  *^ 

:  cl. 

CO 

:  cj 

0    : 

u       '• 

cu  : 
-^    : 

c3 

00  —  0  —  oocon'co 

C>^    <M    .—    M                      rH 

oSP^oScSoSoS-rJoS 

•Bj  'aoAiopsuBq 

:  CO 

c^i  00 

Mar.31 
Feb. 27 
May    1 

Apr. 29 

Apri'l'g 

May  13 
Mar.  13 
May  19 
May  25 

•Bd'sjoraqvBAiS 

OlOOCDCOiOCDCOMOOiO 
-  -— *   (M   <M   C^l                   Ca   M   f-' 
(J     t>^  t-l     (^     lI     ti     t^     >~)^     >~> 
pL.  <A    PU  Cu  ^  -a    PL.  ta  %    03 

OiCiOJ>1'OOOOi'.OiOOiiCCiOO 

&&«  03  CL.p,Q.a,aoi  rf  us  OS 

•f  'ij  'noqnpny 

:  o    -CD    • 
:  .-c    :  c^    : 

•    U       :    M       * 

:  a.   :  Ph   : 

:  M 

:  a. 
:<1 

Apr.18 

Apr.27 

May  "5 

Apr.  2  2 

May    9 
May    2 

Jiiay^lO 

•f  K 

'piagaoppBH 

CO 

:  '^1 

.  c^ 

•    ;-I 

:  OS 

00     ; 

CI.  : 
<3    * 

0 

u 

•  fo    :  a>  <M    'ID 
:  CL-   :  ce  «^   :  S^ 

■f  N 

May    3 
Mar.  2  2 
Anr.19 

May    9 
Mar.   5 
Mar.  10 

.-0  00 

S53 

Mar.  7 

Apr!  10 
Mar.  10 
Apr.27 

Apr!  19 
May    6 
May    2 
May   4 
Mar.  17 
May  17 

■f  N  'suaoanuy 

;  tn  ci 
:  ci  a. 

a;  lO     : 

>^  >-»    ; 

cS    c3      : 

SS    :    : 

:  0 
i  ^ 

May   5 
Apr.   5 
May  19 

•f  'N  ■'fwaAsa 



May  "9 

0     :    : 

0 

.-c 

u 

oj 

:  CO 
:  "^ 
■  u 

:  a, 

May    9 
May    9 
Mar.  2  2 

s 

o 

o 

03 

-a 
ca 
a 
od 

o 

3. 

•  u 

I  I* 

•  c: 

I  "S, 

S  -a 
|| 

.5*  • 
'q-  • 
■0    : 

i«    ■ 

.11 

0 

G 
1^ 

= 
> 

0 

0 

6 

'^ 

a: 

15 

0 
13 

0 

0 

M 

a 
13 

at 
rr, 

u 

Oi 
-C 

tn 
be 

a 

Li 

0 
0 

p. 

c 

j=  a 

-a 

hi 

a 

e 

s 

bl 

"0 

0) 

0 

& 

OJ 

0 

'T3 

a 

a; 

64 


PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB. 


65 


66 


PROCEEDINGS  OP  THB 


Flicker  

Whip-poor-will   ....j 

Night  Hawk 

Chimney  Swift 

Hummingbird  

Kingbird  

Great  Crested  Flyea 

Phoebe  

Bobolink  , 

Cowbird   

Red-winged  Blackbl 
Baltimore  Oriole  .... 

Purple  Grackle   

Chipping  Sparrow  ., 

Chewink  i 

Indigobird    

Scarlet  Tiiuager   .... 

Purple  Martin  

Baru  Swallow  

Red-eyed  Vireo  

Black  and  White  W 
Chestnut-sided  War 

Ovenbird   

Maryland  Yellow-th 

Chat  

Catbird 

Brown  Thrasher    ..j 

House  Wren 

Wood  Thrush   

Hermit  Thrush    

Robin    

Bluebird  


!■ 


Flicker  Mar, 

\Vl)ii)-ponr-will  Apr. 

Nighl  H:iwb 

Oliininey  Swifl 

Ilumiuiugbird  

Kingbird  

(Jreul  Crested  Plycatclicr. 

Phoebf  

Itobolink  

(lowbird  .,., 

Red-winged  Blackbird  .... 

Baltimore  Oriole 

Piiriilc  (inickle  

Clii|jping  Sparrow 

Oliewink  

Indif^obird    

Hcnrlet  Tiiiiager  ., 

Purple  Murtin  

Iturn  lSwaHow  

Rt'd-nycd  V'ireo  

Hliick  mid  White  Warbler, 
Chi-sluiit-Bidod  Wtirbk-r... 

Oveiibird   Apr. 

Maryland  Yellow-tlirom 'Ai)r. 

Chat.  JMay 

Catbird |  Apr. 

"■        ■  Apr. 

Apr. 

Mny 

]A|)i-. 

I  Mar. 


FhitadelphJA  District. 


Mar.  10 
May 


Miiy    3 
Miiy    2 


Brown  Thrasher 
HoUBC  WriMi... 
Wiiml  Tlirush 
Hermit  Thrush 

Hohiii    , 

Itliic-hiril 


Apr.2'. 


•E'« 


Apr.:tO 
Mnr.  1 
Mar.  II) 
May  1 
Mar.n 
Apr.  2 
May  1 
May  3 
May  6 
Mar.  28 
Apr.  2  5 
May  1 
Apr.2G 


Apr. HO 
Apr.:«) 
May  9 
Apr.iiu 
Apr.2(i 
Apr. 24 
Apr.30 
Apr. 13 
Mar.  5 


Mar.  14, 

Apr.28| 
Apr.30l 
Apr.lO' 
Apr.  10 
May  21 
May  8 
Mar.  6 
Apr.30 
Mar.  13 
Mar.  2 
May  5 
Keb.27 
Mar.20 
Apr.  10 
May 
May 
Apr.lO 
Apr.  10 
Apr.30 
Apr. 28 
May  3 
Apr.29 
A|.r,27 
May  3 
May  1 
Apr.29 
Apr 
.\pr.30 
Apr.lol 
Mar.  2 1 


!Mar.  1 
iMay  1 
Apr.29 
Apr.  19 


May  3 
May  8 
Mar.  15 
May  6 
Mar  15 
Feb.  2 7 
May  5 
Fi.b,28 
Mar.21 
Apr.I2 
May  8 
May  8 
May  19 
Apr.lO 
May  8 
Apr.23 
May  5 
Apr.3l) 
May  1 
Hay  1 0 
Apr.30 
Apr.22 
Apr.28 
Apr.30 
Apr.  1 1 
Mar.  2 


Feb. 10 
May  8 
May  10 
Apr.21 


iMar.14 

Apr.26, Apr.22 


May  9 
May  0 
Mar.  8 
May  1 1 
Apr.30 
Mar.  B 
May  7 
Mar.  1 
Apr.  2 
Apr.  3 
Ma;  1 
May    3 


Apr.lO  Apr. 26 

May    8 

Apr.27,May   3 
jMuylO 


Apr.  IS 
May  3 
Apr.20 
May  6 
Apr.27 
Apr.30 
May  9 
Apr. .JO 


Feb. 26  Feb,  24 
Apr.30  May  4 
Feb.  26' Apr.  1 
Apr.  8Mar.20 
Apr.26 


lMay24 

Apr.  8  Apr.  8 
Apr.lO  May  18 

May  14 

May   3 


'M,ay  3 
tApr.l9 
May  24 
[May  3 
Apr. 23|Apr.20  Apr.27 

Apr.29! lApr.24 

Apr.30, iMay   9 

■■il>r-4| I 

Mar.  1 |reb.28 


Apr.30 


Mar.  13 
Hay  4 


Apr.20 


May  1 
May  10 
Mar.  17 


Apr.20 


May 
Mav 


Mar.I4Feb.  10 


Mar.22 
Mar.  12  Mar.  12 
May  3 
Mar. 12  Feb. 27 


Mar.20 
Apr.20 


Mar.  1 
Apr-30 
May  12 


Apr.27 
Apr.  18 


May   3 


May    5 
Apr.25  May   3 

;May  16 

Apr.29'May    2 
Apr.30  Apr.27 

Apr.20 

Apr.28, Apr.30 

lApr.l9 

iMar.   3 


IMay  27 

Apr.l7]Apr.20 

!May  10 

May    Ij.May   3 

May    6 

Mar.l3  Mar.l2Mar.l5 
May  8  May  4  Mar  9 
Apr. 18  Mar. 14. Mar. 21 
Mar.  2'Feb  28  Mar.  4 
.May  2iMay  6, May  8 
Feb.  15  Feb.24'Fi-b.  13 

Mar.27 .Mar. 27 

Apr.20  Apr.25'May    1 

May    7  May    6 

May  6iMay  5  May  14 
Apr.  9Apr.lO|May  9 
Apr.28  Apr.l8'Apr.27 

May    4 jMaylO 

Apr.30 

May  10 

May    8  Apr.30 

iMay   4 

iMay    9 

May    4  Apr.30 

Apr.23JMay    5 

,Vpr.22|May    9 

May    6 


May    5 
Apr.36 


May  9 
May  2 
Apr.20 
Apr.25 
May  7 
Apr.20 
Mar.  1 
Feb.  14 


»r.  3 


Apr.  6 
Feb.27 
Feb.   9 


TABLE    II, 
.SPRINIl  .MIGR.VrlON,  1903. 

Earliest  d.\tk8  oi'  AaaivAL  op  thirty-two  BPKCiKa  in  thk  nvs 
Philadelphia  sections  and  at  sevkntken  stations  odtbidb  op  the 
Philadelphia  cihclg. 


MliiKATlON  STATI(IX.<  NEAK  PH  I  l..\liFl.PlllA,  1003 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CHJB.  67 

List  of  Other  Species  Reported  by  Observers  during  190S,  and 
Additional  Notes. 

Horned  Grebe.  Golymbus  auritus.  At  Lafayette,  Pa.,  on 
Schuylkill  river,  April  25,  a  flock  (Day). 

Red-throated  Loon.  Gavia  himme.  Three  birds,  apparently 
of  this  species,  flying  northward  over  Haverford,  April  30,  6:20 
a.  ni.  (Carter). 

Herring  Gull.  Larus  argentatus.  Observed  at  Philadelphia 
up  to  April  19  and  at  Atlantic  City  to  April  27  (Prendergasl) . 

American  Bittern.     Botaurus  lentiginosus.     Overbrook,  April 

3  (Prendergast);  Marietta,  April  23  (Bidler). 

Least  Bittern.  Ardetta  exilis.  Richmond,  Philadelphia,  May 
28,  also  a  nest  (Miller). 

Coot.     Fidica  americana.     Berwyn,  April  25  (Burns). 

Clapper  Rail.  Ralliis  longirostris  crepitans.  First  seen  March 
5;  first  eggs  (three),  April  14 — unusually  early  (Hand). 

Woodcock.  Philohela  minor.  One  caught  in  Philadelphia, 
March  7  (Murphy). 

Wilson's  Stiijie.     Gallinago  delicata.     Lansdowne,  Pa.,  March 

4  (Austin);  Cape  May,  March  3  (Hand). 

Yellow-legs.  Tetanus  melanoleucus.  Westtown,  May  9  (Smed- 
ley  and  Vail). 

Hudsonian  Curlew.  Numenius  hudsonicus.  Cape  May,  April 
27.  A  large  flight  of  Curlew,  Yellow-legs  and  Plover  passed 
over  Cape  May  all  through  the  night  of  April  29  (Hand). 

Upland  Plover.  Bartramia  longicauda.  Cupola,  Chester 
county,  May  3  (Hint);  Lenape,  April  24  (W.  Carter);  Bristol, 
May  10  (Keim);  Marietta,  March  27  (Buller). 

Killdeer.  Oxyechus  vocifei-us.  Formerly  remained  at  Marietta 
all  winter  in  open  seasons  now  only  seen  occasionally  in  autumn 
(Buller). 

Bobwhite.  Colinus  virginianus.  A  few  wintered  at  Overbrook. 
Found  nesting  1902  along  the  Montgomery  pike  in  Philadelphia 
county,  and  a  nest  with  six  eggs  was  found  in  the  same  spot 
July  21,  1901  (Hunt). 

Turkey  Vulture.  Cathartes  aura.  Plentiful  at  Lenape  all 
winter,  probably  attracted  to  neighborhood  by  offal  thrown  out 


68  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

from  a  slaughter-house  between  there  and  West  Chester  ( W. 
Carle)-) . 

Duck  Hawk.  Falco  peregrimis  anatum.  One  shot  November, 
1902,  atLenape,  Pa.  (W.  Carter). 

Rough-legged  Hawk.  Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johannia. 
Bridesburg,  Philadelphia,  February  24  (Miller). 

Long-eared  Owl.  Asio  viilsonianus.  We  have  had  a  colony 
of  these  Owls  in  a  Norway  fir  near  the  house,  Yardville,  N.  J., 
for  ten  winters  at  least.  During  the  ice  storm  (February,  1902) 
the  tree  was  much  broken  and  most  of  the  birds  left,  two  of  them 
remained,  however,  until  the  middle  of  April.  December  26, 
1902,  one  appeared  in  the  old  haunt  but  only  spent  the  night 
and  none  have  returned  since  (Allinson). 

Kingfisher.  Ceryle  alcyon.  One  wintered  at  Schellenger's 
Landing,  Cape  May  (Hand). 

Horned  Lark.  Otocori^  alpestris.  Common  at  Ardmore,  after 
snow  and  cold  weather,  February  19  and  23,  and  a  flock  of 
fifteen  on  Ridley  creek,  February  23  (Baily).  Flock  of  a  dozen 
at  Svvarthmore,  February  19  (  Way).  Common  at  Downing- 
town  February  20-26,  in  flocks  of  fifteen  to  thirty  (Pennell); 
Bristol,  February  20,  eight  or  ten  (Keim).  A  large  flock  at 
Cape  May  all  winter  (Hand). 

Alder  Flycatcher.  Ev\pidonax  traillii  alnorum.  One  in  alders 
along  stream  near  Audubon,  May  3.  Very  tame,  catching 
minute  flies  and  continually  uttering  a  quick  little  call  note 
"tick"  or  "ic,"  no  song  (Rhoads). 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher.  Nutlalloimis  horcalis.  Arrived  at 
Lopez,  May  18  (Behr). 

Blue  Jay.  Cyanocitta  cristata.  None  seen  at  Ardmore  until 
May  (Baily).  Did  not  winter  at  Media  as  they  usually  do,  and 
were  not  seen  till  April  16  (Allen). 

Meadow  Lark.  Sturnella  magna.  Wintered  at  Moylan,  Del. 
Co.,  Pa.  (Allen).  In  open  winters  it  is  resident  at  ilarietta 
(Buller). 

Rusty  Blackbird.  Scolecophagus  carolinm.  Near  Lenape,  Pa. , 
March  14  (Carter). 

Purple  Finch.  Carpodacus  purpureiis.  Two  at  Moorestown, 
N.  J.,  both  singing,  none  observed  during  the  winter  (Mickle). 
Reached  Lopez,  April  12  (Behr). 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  69 

Redpoll.  Acanthis  linaria.  Frankfortl,  Phila. ,  February  2 
(Miller). 

White-crowned  Sparrow.  Zonotrichia  leucophrys.  Lopez,  May 
18  (Behr). 

White-throated  Sparrow.  Zonotrichia  alhicollis.  Last  seen  at 
Overbrook,  May  19  (Hunt);  Media,  May  16  (Allen);  Bristol 
May  10  (Keim). 

Junco.  Junco  hyemalis.  Last  seen  at  Overljrook,  May  1 
(Hunt);  at  Downstown,  N.  J.,  April  22  (Fair);  at  Bristol, 
April  19  (Keim). 

Tree  Sparrow.  Spizella  monticola.  Last  seen  at  Bristol, 
March  1  (Keim). 

Song  Sparrow.  Melospiza  cinerea  melodia.  Reached  Lopez, 
March  14.     It  is  not  resident  there  (Behr). 

Fox  Sparrow.  Passerella  iliaca.  Overbrook,  January  11,  18 
and  February  22  (Hunt). 

Northern  Shrike.  Lanius  borealis.  One  wintered  near  Con- 
cordville,  have  seen  but  one  here  previously  (Styer). 

White-breasted  Swallow.  Iridoprocne  bicolor.  Large  numbers 
of  this  and  other  Swallows  roost  every  night  in  late  summer  and 
autumn  in  a  grove  of  trees  on  the  grounds  of  Dr.  Physick  at 
Cape  May.  During  the  storm  of  September  16,  1903,  they 
were  almost  drowned  by  the  beating  rain.  In  the  morning  the 
number  of  birds  on  the  ground  was  estimated  at  from  6,000  to 
7,000,  but  only  about  75  were  so  badly  injured  that  the}'  could 
not  recover.  While  on  the  ground,  they  could  be  picked  up 
in  the  hand  without  the  slightest  difficulty  (Hand). 

Golden-winged  Warbler.  Helminthophila  chrysopiera.  Swarth- 
more.  May  21  (  Way). 

Nashville  Warbler.  Helminthophila  ruhricapilla.  Chestnut 
Hill,  Philadelphia,  May  3  (IF.  H.  Trotter). 

Bay-breasted  Warbler.  Dendroica  castanea.  May  18,  Swarth- 
more  (Hannum). 

Louisiana  Water  Thrush.  Seiurus  motacilla.  Chestnut  Hill, 
Philadelphia,  April  18  (W.  H.  Trotter).  Undoubtedly  nests  at 
West  Chester;  a  pair  have  been  seen  in  the  same  locality  for  a 
number  of  years  but  the  nest  has  not  been  found  (Jackson). 

Wilson's  Warbler.  Wilsonia  pusilla.  May  19,  Overbrook 
(OnderdonJc). 


70  PROCEEDINGS   OP   THE 

Hooded  Warbler.  Wilsonia  mitraln.  Swarthmore,  May  2 
(_Way);  Bristol,  May  10  (Keim);  Downstown,  N.  J.,  May  10 
{Fair). 

Mourning  Warbler.  Geothlypis  Philadelphia.  Arrived  at  Lopez 
May  19  {Behr). 

Titlark.  Anthus  pensilvanicus.  Haverford,  Pa.,  March  13 
(Carter);  West  Chester,  March  15,  about  a  hundred  {JacJcson). 

Mockingbird.  Miraus  polygloltos.  Point  Pleasant,  N.  J.,  one 
resident  winter  1902-8  {Murphy). 

Brown  Thrasher.  Toxosloma  ntfum.  One  wintered  at  Awbury, 
Germantown  {H.  Evans). 

Carolina  Wren.  Thryothorus  ludovidaniis.  Young  had  left 
the  nest  at  Overbrook  and  were  able  to  fly  May  10  (Hunt). 

Bewick's  Wren.  Thryomanes  bewickii.  One  seen  at  Kennett 
Square,  close  at  hand,  April  19  (Pennock). 

Winter  Wren.  Olbiorchilus  hiemalis.  Last  seen  at  Bristol, 
March  29  {Kcim). 

Brown  Creeper.  Certhia  familiaris  americana.  Last  seen  at 
Bristol,  April  13  (Keim). 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet.  Regulus  satrapa.  Last  seen  at 
Bristol,  April  11  (Keim). 

Wood  Thrush.  Hylodchla  mustelina.  Several  pairs  nest 
regularly  in  the  town  of  West  Chester  (Jackson). 

Robin.  Merula  migratoria.  Young  flying  about  at  Overbrook, 
Ma.y  17  (Hunt).  One  wintered  at  Awbury,  Germantown.  One 
early  in  January  at  Villa  Nova  (Baily)  and  a  number  at  Haver- 
ford, February  12  (Baily). 

Bluebird.  SiaVia  sialis.  More  numerous  than  I  have  ever  seen 
them,  at  least  twenty  pairs  nested  about  West  Chester  (Jackson). 
Remained  as  far  north  as  Williamsport  all  winter  (Koch). 


Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  for  igoj 


January  2,  1903. — Annual  meeting.  Twenty -seven  members 
present.     The  present  officers  were  re-elected  as  follows: 

President — Charles  J.  Pennock. 

Vice-President — William  A.  Shryock. 

Secretary — William  B.  Evans. 

Treasurer — Stewardson  Brown. 

Mr.  Elmer  Onderdonk  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  William  L.  Baily  exhibited  a  series  of  lantern  slides  illus- 
trating the  life  of  the  Herring  Gull  (Larus  argentatus)  on  Duck 
Island,  Maine  (see  Auk,  October,  1903). 

January  15,  1903. — Nineteen  members  present. 

An  amendment  to  the  By-Laws  was  adopted,  increasing  the 
limit  in  the  number  of  Active  members  to  twenty. 

Mr.  Henry  W.  Fowler  reviewed  his  twelve  months'  residence 
in  California,  dwelling  ijarticularly  upon  the  bird-life  of  Palo 
Alto  and  Monterey,  and  describing  the  personnel  and  the  meet- 
ings of  the  Cooper  Ornithological  Club. 

A  record  of  the  capture  of  a  Red-throated  Loon  (Gavia  lumme) 
and  Briinnich's  Murre  ( Uria  lomvia)  at  Williamsport,  December 
13,  1902,  received  from  Mr.  August  Koch  was  read. 

A  number  of  Christmas  Day  lists  were  read.  Wm.  B.  Evans 
recorded  the  largest  number  of  species,  twenty-four  (see  Bird 
Lore,  February,  1903). 

The  most  interesting  winter  occurrences  were  the  following: 

Long-eared  Owl  (Asio  ivilsonianus)  and  Turkey  Vulture, 
{CatJiartes  aura.)  Kennett  Square,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  December 
26,  1902.     C.  J.  Pennock. 

(71) 


72  PROCEEDINGS    OP   THE 

Field  Sparrow  (Spizella  pusilla)  December  25,  1902,  Wynne- 
wood,  Pa.     Wm.  L.  Baily. 

Flicker  (Col aptes  auratus luteus)  West  Fairmount  Park,  Decem- 
ber 25.     Dr.  J.  F.  Prendergast. 

Phoebe  (Sayornis  phoebe) ,  Rusty  Blsickhird  {Scolecophagus  caro- 
linus)  twenty-eight  Turkey  Vultures  (Cathartes  aura)  and  a  flock 
of  Horned  Larks  (Olocoris  alpesti-is)  Lenape,  Chester  Co.,  Pa., 
December  25.     J.  D.  Carter. 

Wilson's  Snipe  (GalUnago  delicata)  ,  four  Rusty  Blackbirds, 
(Scolecophagus  carolinus)  and  two  Northern  Shrikes  (Lanius  bor- 
ealis)  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  December  25.     Wm.  B.  Evans. 

Fox  Sparrow  (Passerella  iliaca)  Overbrook.     C.  J.  Hunt. 

Mr.  G.  S.  Morris  described  a  trip  to  Cape  Charles,  Va.  Twenty 
Ipswich  Sparrows  (Passerculus  princeps),  one  Snow  Bunting, 
(Passerina  nivalis),  and  two  Terns  (apparently  Sterna  hirundo) 
were  among  the  species  noted. 

February  5,  1903. — Twenty  members  present. 

Mr.  Henry  W.  Fowler  and  Dr.  Spencer  Trotter  were  elected 
to  Active  membership.  Mr.  Chas.  J.  Rhoads  resigned  from 
Active  membership  and  was  transferred  to  the  Associate  list. 

Mr.  Wm.  L.  Baily  described  a  tract  of  ground  surrounding 
his  home  at  Ardraore  and  by  a  map  illustrated  the  location  of 
the  birds'  nests  that  he  had  found  thereon.  In  six  years  twenty- 
eight  species  had  been  found  breeding  in  the  tract  which  com- 
prises forty  acres.  In  1902  one  hundred  and  two  nests  were 
found. 

]\Ir.  Wm.  J.  Serrill  reported  two  Flickers  (Colaptes  auraius 
luteus)  on  Crum  creek  a  few  days  previously. 

A  curious  hybrid,  between  the  ISIallard  (Anas  boschas)  and 
Green-winged  Teal  (Kcttion  carolinensis)  was  exhibited,  secured 
by  Dr.  Chas.  B.  Penrose  on  Currituck  Sound,  North  Carolina. 
(Auk,  1903,  p.  209.) 

February  19,  1903. — Sixteen  members  present. 

Mr.  James  A.  G.  Rehn  was  elected  an  Active  member  and 
Messrs.  J.  Fletcher  Street,  J.  Harold  Austin  and  M'alter  R. 
White,  Associate  members. 

A  discussion  was  held  on  certain  species  of  Fringillidx. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  73 

On  behalf  of  Mr.  C.  J.  Pennock,  three  records  of  the  Snow 
Bunting  (Passerina  nivalis) ,  near  Kennett  Square,  Pa.,  were  read; 
one  seen  about  the  winter  of  1870-71,  three  specimens  secured 
in  1886  and  a  small  flock  observed  in  1900. 

Several  instances  were  given  of  the  Cardinal  (C.  cardinalis) 
probably  attracted  by  its  own  reflection  in  a  window-glass, 
tapping  on  the  pane  at  intervals  with  its  beak. 

J.  D.  Carter  recorded  a  White-crowned  Sparrow  (Zonotrichia 
leucophrys)  in  the  school  museum  at  Westtown,  taken  some 
years  since. 

Dr.  Trotter  reported  seven  Horned  Larks  (  Otocoris  alpestris)  at 
Swarthmore,  February  19,  1903. 

March  5,  190S. — Twenty  members  present. 

Mr.  Witmer  Stone  spoke  of  the  work  of  the  A.  0.  U.  Com- 
mittee on  Nomenclature,  as  it  affected  the  names  of  our  local 
birds. 

A  discussion  on  the  Tyrannidse  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jer- 
sey followed. 

Only  two  records  of  the  Olive-sided  Flycatcher  (Nuttallornis 
horealis)  in  the  vicinity  of  Philadelphia  have  come  to  the  Club's 
notice;  one  obtained  at  Holmesburg,  Philadelphia,  September  5, 
1895,  by  F.  F.  Cartledge,  the  other  on  the  Brandywine,  near 
Mortonville,  Chester  Co.,  Pa.,  May  4,  1898,  by  Witmer  Stone. 

Mr.  A.  C.  Emlen  stated  that  a  Brown  Thrasher  {Toxostoma 
rvfum)  had  wintered  at  Germantown,  remaining  through  some 
very  cold  weather. 

March  10,  1903. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Samuel  N.  Rhoads  described  a  trip  to  Tamaulipas,  Mex- 
ico, taken  early  in  January,  and  spoke  particularly  of  the  habits 
of  the  Little  Mexican  Crow  {Corvus  mexicanus) ,  Banded  King- 
fisher {Ccrijle  torquata'),  Military  Macaw  {Ara  militaris)  and 
Brown  Jay  {Psilorhinus  mexicanus. ) 

April  2,  1903. — Twenty-four  members  j^resent. 
Mr.  John  H.  Steele  was  elected  to  Associate  membership. 
Mr.  W.  W.  Justice,  Jr.,  described  a  gunning  trip  to  Broad- 
water, Virginia,  December  24-28,  1902,  and  a  second  visit  dur- 


74  PROCEEDINGS  OP  THE 

ing  February.  He  stated  that  Killdeers  wintered  in  considerable 
numbers  about  this  point.  The  following  ducks  were  noted: 
Brant  {Branta  bernicla),  Canada  Goose  (B.  canadensis},  Golden- 
eye  (Clangula  c.  americana),  Butter-ball  (Chnritonetta  albeola), 
Old  Wife  (Harelda  hyemalis) ,  Pintail  (Dafila  acuta),  Black  Duck 
(^Anas  obscura),  Merganser  (M.  americanus) ,  a  single  Redhead 
(^Aythya  americana),  both  Bluebills  (A.  marila  and  A.  affinis) 
and  also  the  Pied-billed  Grebe  {Podilynibiis  podiceps.) 

Mr.  Morris,  speaking  of  the  stooling  of  ducks,  said  that  in 
his  experience  at  Cape  Charles,  Va. ,  the  Bluebills  are  restless, 
making  but  a  short  stop,  the  Golden-eye  commonly  alights  at  a 
distance  and  swims  into  the  stools,  the  Black  Ducks  evidently 
recognize  decoys,  simulating  their  own  species,  while  the  Grebe 
yields  to  the  attraction  of  almost  any  decoy.  The  Redhead  he 
considered  to  be  on  the  increase  in  the  locality  spoken  of. 

Mr.  Stone  called  attention  to  the  need  of  more  accurate  infor- 
mation on  the  breeding  ranges  of  birds  between  the  vicinity  of 
Philadelphia  and  the  first  ridges  of  the  mountains,  and  sug- 
gested this  as  a  very  desirable  field  for  future  work. 

April  16,  1903. — Sixteen  members  present. 

A  canoe  trip  down  the  Egg  Harbor  river  from  opposite  Ham- 
monton  to  Mays  Landing,  N.  J.,  through  the  heart  of  the  pine 
barrens,  was  described.  William  B.  Evans  arid  Witmer  Stone 
were  in  the  party,  which  left  Hammonton  April  3,  on  a  warm 
day  almost  like  summer.  During  the  night,  while  encamped 
along  the  river  bank  among  the  pines,  the  temperature  fell 
rapidly  and  by  morning  it  was  bitterly  cold,  with  a  drizzling 
rain  which  afterward  turned  to  snow.  In  the  Weymouth  dam, 
a  large  body  of  water  covered  with  partly-submerged  cedar  trees, 
the  party  encountered  numbers  of  Tree  Swallows  {Iridoprocne 
bicolor)  flying  close  to  the  water  and  beating  their  way  against 
the  driving  snow. 

Farther  down  stream  numerous  Black  Ducks  were  encoun- 
tered, together  with  a  Mallard  and  a  Wood  Duck.  Ruffed 
Grouse  were  heard  drumming  at  nine  o'clock  at  night  at  the 
second  camping  place  and  Pine  Warblers  {Dendroica  vigorsii) 
were  noticed   gathering    nesting    materials.      Purple   Martins 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  75 

(Progne  subis)    were  likewise   observed    but  no   other  spring 
arrivals,  owing  no  doubt  to  the  severe  weather. 
Mr.  Morris  stated  that  Crows  had  eggs  on  April  10. 

May  7,  1903. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Dr.  Spencer  Trotter  spoke  on  the  Present  and  Past  Distribu- 
tion of  the  Black-throated  Bunting  {Spiza  americana)  and  Mr. 
Rhoads  made  some  additional  remarks  on  the  subject  (see  antea, 
pp.  17-28). 

Mr.  Coggins  spoke  of  the  Night  Heron  colonies  at  Red  Bank, 
N.  J.,  and  Port  Kennedy,  Pa.,  and  Mr.  De  Haven  described  a 
very  large  heronry  formerly  existing  on  Long  Island.  The 
peculiarly  irregular  nature  of  the  spring  migration  was  com- 
mented upon,  the  arrival  of  the  bulk  of  many  species  being  long 
after  the  first  records. 

May  21,  1903. — Twenty-four  members  present. 

Rev.  John  H.  Hackenberg  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  C.  J.  Pennock  described  a  trip  to  Cape  May,  N.  J.  On 
April  11,  he  noted  Bald  Eagle  (Haliaetus  leucocephalus),  Red- 
bellied  Woodpecker  {Centurus  carolinus),  and  Blue-Gray  Gnat- 
catcher  {Polioptila  caerulea),  one  specimen  each  of  the  last  two 
being  secured.  In  all  thirty-nine  species  were  observed.  Her- 
ring Gulls  were  still  plentiful  on  April  13. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  who  visited  Cape  May  Point,  May  16-19, 
observed  fifty-eight  species  of  land  and  ten  of  water  birds.  He 
found  a  pair  of  Gnatcatchers  with  a  nest  and  five  eggs.  The 
nest  was  placed  in  an  oak  about  eleven  feet  from  the  ground. 
He  also  found  three  pairs  of  Henslow's  Buntings  (Ammodramus 
henslowii). 

Mr.  Baily  stated  that  May  19  had  been  the  only  day  upon 
which  there  was  anything  like  a  "  wave  "  of  migratory  birds. 

A  field  excursion  to  Medford,  N.  J.,  was  announced  for 
May  30-31. 

October  1,  1903. — Twenty-four  members  present. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  described  several  trips  to  southern  Dela- 
ware, the  more  important  one  being  to  the  Choptank  river- 
bottoms  near  Marydel,  June  6,   1903.     Here  he  found  such 


76  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

birds  as  the  Prothonotary  Warbler  {Protonotar'ia  citrea),  Cerulean 
Warbler  (Dendroica  caerulea),  Summer  Tanager  (Piranga  rubra) , 
Red-billed  Woodpecker  (^Ccnturus  carolinus),  Louisiana  Water 
Thrush  (Seiurus  motadlla),  Kentucky  Warbler  (Geothlypis  for- 
mosa)  and  Gnatcatcher  (Polioptila  coeridea).  While  along  with 
them  occurred  the  Redstart  {Setoj-ihaga  ruticilla)  a  species  hardly 
to  be  expected  in  such  an  association.  Later  trips  farther  south 
brought  to  light  the  Brown-headed  Nuthatch  {Sitta  pusilla)  and 
Yellow-throated  Warbler  {Dendroica  dominica). 

Mr.  Stone  described  the  discovery  of  a  colony  of  several  pairs 
of  Henslow's  Buntings  {Ammodramiis  henslowii)  in  a  bog  north 
of  Lindenwold,  N.  J.,  on  August  1,  1903.  This  is  the  nearest 
point  to  Philadelphia  at  which  the  bird  has  yet  been  found. 

Mr.  C.  J.  Hunt  reported  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker 
(^Melanerpes  erythrocephalus)  nesting  near  59th  Street  and  Lan- 
caster Ave.,  Phila. 

Mr.  McCadden  exhibited  a  Northern  Phalarope  {Phalarojms 
lohatus)  shot  at  Stone  Harbor,  N.  J.,  September  4,  1903.  On 
the  same  day  he  observed  two  Mockingbirds  (Mmiiis  polygloitos'). 

Mr.  Kester  reported  the  capture  of  Swallow-tailed  Kite 
(Elanoidesforficatus)  Augusts,  1894,  near  Jerseytown,  Pa.,  speci- 
men now  in  the  possession  of  Mr.  AVilliam  Kester,  of  Jerseytown. 

October  15,  1903. — Twenty-seven  members  present. 

Dr.  Wm.  E.  Hughes  described  a  trip  taken  in  company  with 
William  L.  Baily  to  the  prairie  sloughs  of  North  Dakota  during 
June  of  the  present  year  and  exhibited  sets  of  eggs  of  many  of 
the  different  species  of  Ducks  found  nesting  in  this  region.  Mr. 
Baily  followed  with  an  exhibition  of  lantern  slides  from  photo- 
graphs taken  on  the  trip. 

November  5,  1903. — Twenty  members  present. 

Dr.  Spencer  Trotter  described  the  experiences  of  another  sum- 
mer spent  in  Nova  Scotia,  and  exhibited  a  number  of  specimens 
which  he  had  secured.     (See  Auk,  Jan.,  1904). 

Mr.  Pennock  spoke  of  a  trip  to  Millsboro,  Delaware,  during 
October,  and  reported  the  Pileated  Woodpecker  {Ceophlocus pil- 
eatus  abieiicohi)  as  rather  plentiful  in  that  vicinity.     He  spoke 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  77 

also  of  a  number  of  peculiar  local  names  applied  to  well-known 
birds  by  the  residents. 

November  17-19. — The  American  Ornithologists'  Union  held 
its  twenty-first  congress  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  meeting  due 
November  19  was  omitted. 

December  S,  190S. — Sixteen  members  present. 

Messrs.  Win.  E.  Hannum  and  Asa  P.  Way  were,  by  request, 
transferred  to  the  Corresponding  membership,  both  having 
become  non-residents.  Letters  were  read  from  both  of  these 
gentlemen  dealing  with  birds  observed  by  them  respectively  at 
Buena  Vista,  Colorado,  and  Dayton,  Ohio. 

Mr.  Stone  reported  a  female  Pine  Grosbeak  (Pinicola  enucleator 
leucura)  obtained  by  Mr.  Wood  near  Reading,  Pa.,  November  7, 
1903.  He  had  personally  examined  the  specimen.  This  occur- 
rence was  particularly  interesting  in  connection  with  the  nimierous 
and  unusually  early  records  of  this  species  from  various  points 
to  the  north,  especially  in  New  England. 

Mr.  Rehn  reported  a  Barn  Owl  (Strix  pratincola)  recently  pre- 
sented to  the  museum  by  Mr.  J.  D.  Gordon  who  had  captured 
it  at  sea,  110  miles  off  the  coast  of  St.  Simon's  Island,  Georgia, 
as  it  took  refuge  on  his  ship. 

Deceviber  17,  1903. — Nineteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Stone  gave  a  summary  of  the  observations  on  migration 
conducted  by  the  Club  during  the  spring  (see  pp.  58-69).  He 
also  reported  two  Pine  Grosbeaks  (Pinicola  enucleator  leucvra) 
shot  by  Mr.  Hazen  Brown  at  Rock  Hill,  Pa.,  December  14,  1903, 
and  exhibited  the  specimens. 

Mr.  W.  L.  Baily  reported  a  Pine  Grosbeak  and  many  Cross- 
bills on  the  Pocono  mountain  last  month,  and  also  gave  a  de- 
tailed account  of  a  remarkable  night  flight  of  birds  at  this  point 
in  August  last  (see  p.  54).  He  considered  that  part  at  least  of 
the  migrating  body  came  from  as  far  away  as  North  Mountain, 
but  Mr.  Rhoads  was  of  the  oi^inion  that  they  all  came  from  the 
Pocono  plateau. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  reported  Crossbills  (Loxia  curvirostra  minor) 
of  almost  daily  occurrence  about  Audubon,  N.  J.,  this  winter. 


City  Ornithology 

The  City  Hall  List  for  1903 

The  following  list  is  furnished  by  Mr.  John  H.  Steele,  who 
has  visited  Mr.  C.  H.  Slaughter  at  the  City  Hall  daily  during 
the  fall  migration  and  made  notes  of  the  species  killed  each 
night: 

Blue  Jay,  October  1. 

Purple  Finch,  October  28. 

Parula  Warbler,  October  1,  3,  6. 

Nashville  Warbler,  September  28,  October  1. 

Tennessee  Warbler,  October  1. 

Prairie  Warbler,  October  6. 

Pine  Warbler,  October  1,  3,  11. 

Connecticut  Warbler,  October  7. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  September  28,  October  6,  28. 

Ovenbird,  September  28. 

Catbird,  October  11. 

The  Blue  Jay,  like  the  Robin  of  last  3'ear,  is  a  very  unusual 
record,  being,  according  to  Prof.  W.  W.  Cooke,  the  first  instance 
of  this  species  striking  against  a  light. 

BiHDS  Obseeved  at  Sixteenth  and  Race  Streets 

As  a  contribution  to  city  ornithology,  the  following  list  of 
birds  observed  in  the  grounds  of  the  Friends'  Western  Burial 
Ground,  which  extend  from  Sixteenth  to  Seventeenth  and  from 
Race  to  Cherry,  in  the  central  part  of  Philadelphia,  is  of  partic- 
ular interest.  The  observations  were  made  by  Mary  S.  Allen 
mainly  from  the  windows  of  the  Friends'  Library  building, 
situated  in  the  grounds;  the  latter,  it  may  be  added,  are  pro- 
tected from  the  streets  by  a  high  brick  wall. 

(78) 


DELAWARE  VALLEY  ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB.         79 
1902 

Robins  and  Brown  Thrashers,  frequently  seen  and  probably 
nested. 

Hermit  Thrush,  April  12  and  26. 

Towhee,  May  5. 

Scarlet  Tanager,  May  10. 

1903 

Robins  appeared  April  1,  two  pairs  seen  almost  daily  and 
apparently  nested. 

Brown  Thrashers  seen  almost  daily,  apparently  nested. 

Flicker,  April  1,  remained  for  about  a  week. 

Hermit  Thrush,  a  pair  observed  April  25  and  30,  and  May  1. 

Towhee,  a  pair  May  1  and  one  May  6. 

White-throated  Sparrow,  a  small  flock  May  1  and  one  on 
May  8. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  one  May  23. 

Ovenbird,  May  29. 

Several  Chimney  Swifts  visited  the  grounds  May  27,  and  an 
occasional  Crow  [probably  one  of  the  Fish  Crows  which  nest  in 
Logan  Square,  19th  and  Race  Sts. — Ed.]. 


Bird  Club  Notes 

For  the  portrait  of  John  K.  Townsend  which  appears  as  a 
frontispiece  to  this  number  of  Cassinia  we  are  indebted  to  his 
brother-in-law,  Dr.  Mahlon  Kirk,  of  Oakdale,  Maryland,  who 
courteously  loaned  us  a  daguerreotype,  probably  the  only  like- 
ness of  Townsend  now  extant.  From  this  an  excellent  photo- 
graph was  made  by  Mr.  H.  Parker  Rolfe,  of  Philadelphia.  We 
are  fortunate  in  having  the  assurance  of  Dr.  Kirk  and  Dr.  S.  W. 
Woodhouse  as  to  the  faithfulness  of  the  likeness,  which  is  sup- 
posed to  have  been  taken  when  Townsend  was  about  twenty- 
eight  or  thirty  years  of  age. 

For  the  use  of  the  Crow  Roost  photographs  we  are  indebted 

to  Mr.  Charles  D.  Kellogg,  who  took  these  remarkable  pictures, 

and  to   ^Ir.   Frank   M.   Chapman,    Editor  of   Bird   Lore,   who 

kindly  loaned  us  the  half-tone  blocks,  previously  used  in  his 

magazine. 

H=         *         * 

Fifteen  meetings  of  the  Club  were  held  during  1903.  The 
average  attendance  was  twenty-one;  forty-eight  members  being 
present  at  one  or  more  meetings. 

The  average  attendance  for  the  past  seven  years — one  hun- 
dred and  ten  meetings — has  been  twenty. 

*        *        * 

The  primary  object  in  the  organization  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  in  1890  was  co-operation.  Happily  this 
fact  has  ever  been  kejDt  prominently  in  view  and  its  develop- 
ment has  to-day  reached  a  point  not  hitherto  attained  in  the 
history  of  the  organization.  With  one  hundred  and  six  mem- 
bers and  twenty-three  additional  observers  in  the  Bird  Migration 
Corps,  we  have  a  body  of  students  scattered  over  eastern  Penn- 
sylvania and  New  Jersey  whose  combined  observation.s  upon  any 
species  of  bird  or  upon  any  phase  of  bird-life  are  bound  to  form 
a  far  more  comprehensive  treatise  than  could  be  prepared  by  any 

(80) 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  81 

one  individual.  The  results  of  tliis  co-operation  are  to  be  seen 
in  the  migration  reports,  as  well  as  in  most  of  the  papers  in  the 
present  number  of  Cassinia,  notably  that  on  Crow  Roosts,  the 
Dickcissel  and  the  Red-headed  Woodpecker. 

*  *        * 

The  Spencer  F.  Baird  Club  has  held  its  meetings  regularly 
throughout  the  year  and  reports  a  very  successful  season.  The 
present  officers  are  :  President,  Mrs.  Edward  Robins ;  Secretary, 
Mrs.    Harry    L.    Davis ;    Treasurer,    Mrs.    William    Channing 

Russel. 

*  *        * 

The  National  Committee  of  the  Audubon  Societies  met  at  the 
residence  of  Mrs.  Edward  Robins,  Philadelphia,  November  18, 
1903,  with  delegates  representing  fourteen  state  societies. 

The  annual  meeting  of  the  Pennsylvania  Audubon  Society 
has  been  postponed  this  year  until  Spring. 

*  *         * 

November  16-19,  1903,  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union 
convened  in  Philadelphia  for  the  second  time  on  the  occasion 
of  its  twenty-first  annual  Congress.  There  were  in  attendance 
nineteen  Fellows,  one  Corresponding  Fellow,  fifteen  Members 
and  forty-eight  Associates,  a  total  of  eighty-three  j  the  largest 
meeting  ever  held. 

The  D.  V.  0.  C.  contributed  the  following  papers: 

"New  Bird  Studies  in  Old  Delaware,"  Samuel  N.  Rhoads 
and  Charles  J.  Pennock. 

"Exhibition  of  Lantern  Slides  of  Young  Raptorial  Birds 
Photographed  by  Thos.  H.  Jackson,  near  West  Chester,  Pa.," 
Witmer  Stone. 

"Some  Nova  Scotia  Birds,"  Spencer  Trotter,  M.  D. 

"Some  Birds  of  Northern  Chihuahua,"  William  E.  Hughes, 
M.  D. 

"Ten  Days  in  North  Dakota,"  William  L.  Baily. 

"Two  Neglected  Ornithologists — John  K.  Townsend  and 
William  Gambel,"  Witmer  Stone. 

"  Bird  Life  at  Cape  Charles,  Va.,"  George  Spencer  Morris. 

Dr.  Samuel  Woodhouse  was  elected  a  Corresponding  Fellow, 
George  Spencer  Morris  a  Member,  and  Rev.  J.  H.  Hackenberg 
and  Anthony  W.  Robinson  Associates. 


82  PROCEEDINGS   OP    THE 

*  *  * 

As  this  number  of  Cassinia  is  going  through  the  press,  we 
learn  of  the  death  of  our  Corresponding  Member,  Josiah  Hoopes, 
at  his  home  in  West  Chester,  Pa.,  on  January  16,  1903.  While 
not  an  active  participant  in  the  meetings  of  the  Club,  Mr. 
Hoopes  always  maintained  a  lively  interest  in  everything  con- 
nected with  ornithology,  and  a  warm  welcome  and  hearty 
hospitality  awaited  any  bird-lover  who  visited  him.  Some  fif- 
teen years  ago  Mr.  Hoopes  began  the  formation  of  a  collection 
of  North  American  land  birds  in  which  every  species  and  race 
were  to  be  represented  by  a  selected  series  of  skins.  He  pur- 
chased only  first  class  specimens  and  soon  amassed  a  collection 
that  for  beauty  and  neatness  of  arrangement  has  seldom  been 
equalled.  A  few  years  since,  the  collection,  then  numbering 
nearly  8,000  skins,  was  purchased  by  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  of  Philadelphia,  and  the  investigations  of  many  stu- 
dents have  since  benefited  from  it. 

Mr.  Hoopes  was  born  at  West  Chester,  November  9,  1832, 
the  son  of  Pierce  Hoopes  and  Sarah  Andrews  Hoopes.  He  was 
educated  in  Philadelphia,  where  his  family  resided  during  his 
boyhood,  and  in  1850  returned  to  West  Chester.  He  had 
always  been  deeply  interested  in  botany,  and  determining  to 
make  this  his  business,  he  opened  in  1853  a  small  greenhouse, 
which  has  to-day  grown  into  one  of  the  largest  nursery  estab- 
lishments in  the  United  States,  under  the  firm  name  of  Hoopes 
Brothers  and  Thomas.  He  spent  some  time  in  travel,  vLsiting 
the  various  botanic  gardens  of  Europe,  and  contributed  numer- 
ous articles  to  horticultural  journals,  besides  writing  the  "Book 
of  Evergreens."  He  was  active  in  all  the  educational  undertak- 
ings of  his  native  town,  and  was  in  other  respects  a  pubhc- 
spirited  citizen.  In  1866  he  joined  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences,  and  for  some  years  was  closely  associated  with  Cassin, 
Turnbull,  Bernard  Hoopes  and  other  ornithologists  of  that  time 
— for  botany  being  his  business,  birds  were  always  his  recreation. 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  recall  his  deep  interest  and  enthusiasm  at 
the  Congress  of  the  A.  0.  U.  in  Philadelphia  four  years  ago, 
when  he  met  for  the  first  time  the  present  leaders  in  his  favorite 
science. 


OFFICERS  AND  MEMBERS 


Delaware  Valley   Ornithological    Club. 


1904. 

SPENCER  TROTTER,  M.  D.,  President. 

WILLIAM  A.  SHRYOCK,  Vice-President. 

WILLIAM  B.  EVANS,  Secretary,  56  N.  Front  St.,  Phila. 

STEWARDSON  BROWN,  Treasurer,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown. 


ACTIVE  MEMBERS. 

William  L.  Bailt,  Ardmore,  Pa Founder. 

Stewardson  Beown,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila *1891 

Herbert  L.  Coggins,  5025  McKean  Ave.,  Germantown,  Phila 189Y 

I.  NoRRis  De  Haven,  Ardmore,  Pa 1891 

Arthur  C.  Emlen,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Pa 1891 

William  B.  Evans,  Mooreslown,  N.  J 1898 

Henry  W.  Fowler,  Holmesburg,  Phila 1894 

William  E.  Hughes,  M.  D.,  3945  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1891 

George  Spencer  Morri.s,  OIney,  Phila Founder. 

Charles  J.  Pexnock,  Kennett  Square,  Pa 1895 

James  A.  G.  Rehn,  1918  N.  Twenty-first  St.,  Phila 1899 

Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  Audubon,  N.  J Founder. 

William  A.  SuRYOCK,  21  N.  Seventh  St.,  Phila 1891 

Wither  Stone,  Academy  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila Founder. 

Spencer  Trotter,  M.  D.,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.  .    .  Founder. 
Samuel  Wright,  Conshohocken,  Pa 1892 

•  Date  indicates  year  of  election  to  Club. 

(83) 


84  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

HONORARY  MEMBER. 
Sampel  W.  WooDBOCSB,  M.  D.,  1316  Spruce  St.,  Phila 1900 


ASSOCIATE  MEMBERS. 

J.  Harold  Adstin,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1903 

Charles  W.  Bdvinokr,  9H  N.  Sixteenth  St.,  Phila 1900 

William  D  Carpenter,  2318  De  Lancey  St.,  Phila 1899 

John  D.  Carter,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Francis  R.  Cope,  Jr.,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Phila 1895 

William  J.  Cresson,  Swarthmore,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1899 

Ernest  M.  Evans,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Phila 1899 

A.  P.  Fellows,  4006  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phil.i 1894 

George  Forsvthe,  West  Chester  (Route  4),  Chester  Co.,  Pa 1891 

Samuel  M.  Freeman,  13  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1896 

Alfred  Morton  Githens,  1337  Pine  St.,  Phila 1895 

Bartram  W.  Griffiths,  4024  Green  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 

Ret.  John  H.  Hackenberq,  3211  Columbia  Ave.,  Phila 1903 

Samuel  S.  Haines,  M.  D.,  Mill  St.  &  Central  Ave.,  Moorestown,  N.  J.   .    .  1901 

Thomas  L.  Hammersley,  8.^9  N.  Forty-first  St.,  W.  Phila 1896 

Chheswell  J.  Hunt,  1306  N.  Fifty-third  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 

William  W.  Justice,  Jr.,  Clappier  St.  &  Wissahickon  Ave.,  Germantown, 

Phila 1903 

Thomas  D.  Keim,  405  Radcliffe  St.,  Bristol,  Pa 1902 

Raymond  Kester,  1514  Chestnut  St.,  Phila 1892 

Nathan  Kite,  Moylan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1898 

Joseph  B.  Lodge,  3340  N.  Sixteenth  St.,  Phila 1900 

David  McCadden,  4204  Powelton  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1892 

H.  E.  McCoRMiCK,  407  S.  Forty-third  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

F.  Guy  Meyers,  1110  S.  Forty-seventh  St.,  W.  Phila 1896 

Robert  T.  Moore,  Haddonfield,  N.  J 1897 

Elmer  Onderdonk,  4221  Parrish  St.,  W.  Phila 1903 

Frederick  N.  Owen,  1812  Green  St.,  Phila 1902 

Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore  Prep.  School,  Swarthmore,  Pa 1899 

Norman  H.  Passmore,  Swarthmore  College,  Pa 1902 

James  F.  Prendebgast,  M.  D.,  3833  Spring  Garden  St.,  W.  Phila.     .    .    .  1899 

J.  Harris  Reed,  Aldan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa 1890 

William  E.  Roberts,  West  Chester,  Pa 1901 

Anthony  W.  Robinson,  409  Chestnut  St.,  Phila 1898 

W.  E.  RoTZELL,  M.  D.,  Narberth,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa 1891 

William  B.  Scheuinq,  3024  W.  York  St.,  Phila 1893 

C.  Few  Seiss,  1338  Spring  Garden  St.,  Phila 1892 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  85 

Edward  A.  Sellikz,  1317  N.  Nineteenth  St.,  Phila 1902 

William  J.  Sehkill,  Haverford,  Pa 1391 

Edwin  Shkppard,  Acad.  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila 1891 

Waltkr  G.  Sibley,  662G  McCallura  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1900 

L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  3908  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

Walter  Gordon  Smith,  5870  Drexel  Road,  W.  Phila 1898 

Reynold  A.  Spaeth,  7300  Boyer  Ave.,  Mt.  Airy,  Phila 1901 

James  L.  Stanton,  5218  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1901 

John  H.  Steele,  4736  Kingsessing  Ave,  W.  Phila 1903 

J.  Fletcher  Street,  Beverly,  N.  J 1903 

William  H.  Trotter,  Chestnut  Hill,  Phila 1899 

Joseph  W.  Tatum,  5220  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1892 

Charles  A.  Voelker,  Adamsford,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

Charles  S.  Welles,  Elwyn,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Cornelius  Weygandt,  79  Upsal  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1891 

Albert  L.  Whitaker,  Cedar  Grove,  Frankford,  Phila 1896 

Edward  W.  Woolman,  44  N.  Thirty-eighth  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 


CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 

Charles  H.  Baker,  Grassmere,  Orange  Co.,  Fla 1900 

Thomas  J.  Beans,  Moorestown,  N.  J.     .  1895 

Herman  Behr,  Jennings,  Md 1897 

Otto  Behr,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa 1897 

W,  H.  Bdller,  Marietta,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa 1895 

Walter  D.  Bush,  Wilmington,  Del 1898 

Lieut.  Frank  B.  Eastman,   U.  S.  A.,  Presidio,  San  Francisco,  Cal.  .    .    .  1898 

Marcus  S.  Farr,  Princeton,  N.  J 1901 

Harry  L.  Graham,  Redlands,  Cal 1897 

Allkn  H.  Grose,  York,  York  Co.,  Pa 1900 

Henry  Hales,  Rldgewood,  N.  J 1895 

H.  Walker  Hand,  1002  Washington  St.,  Cape  May,  N.  J 1900 

William  E.  Hannum,  Buena  Vista,  Colo 1901 

LaRok  K.  Holmes,  Pine  Grove  Ave.,  Summit,  N.  J 1904 

Thomas  H.  Jackson,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

J.  Warren  Jacobs,  Waynesburg,  Greene  Co.,  Pa 1895 

August  Koch,  Williamsport,  Pa 1895 

Samuel  B.  Ladd,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

Waldron  D.  W.  Miller,  PlainBeld,  N.  J 1900 

Howard  Y.  Pennell,  M.  D.,  Downingtown,  Pa 1894 

A.  H.  Phillips,  Princeton,  N.  J 1895 

M.  W.  Raub,  M.  D.,  Lancaster,  Pa 1895 

H.  Justin  Roddy,  State  Normal  School,  Millersville,  Lanr.  Co.,  Pa.   .   .    .  1895 
Frederick  Sorensen,  Chalmersgarten,  Gothenburg,  Sweden 1900 


86  PROCEEDINGS  OP   THE 

Hugh  E.  Stone,  Coatesville,  Pa 1895 

H.  A.  Sdkface,  Harrisburg,  Pa 1900 

C.  F.  Sylvesteii,  PrincetoQ,  N.  J 1901 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburg,  Pa 1895 

Henry  Warrington,  San  Francisco,  Cal 1896 

Asa  P.  Way,  21  McOwen  St.,  Daj-ton,  Ohio 1902 

William  H.  Werner,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J 1901 

William  L.  Whitaker,  Mitchell,  Ind 1893 

J.  Jay  Wisleb,  Columbia,  Pa 1904 

Robert  T.  YonNQ,  Cripple  Creek,  Colo 1892 


DECEASED  MEMBERS. 

Died. 

J.  Farnum  Brown,  Active  member May,  1894 

John  W.  Detwiller,  M.  D.,  Corresponding  member 1898 

JosiAH  Hoopes,  Corresponding  member January  16,  1904 

Gilbert  H.  Moore,  Associate  member May,  1899 

William  Patterson,  Corresponding  member August  27,  1900 

William  W.  Smith,  Associate  member July  3,  1892 


INDEX  TO  SPECIES 


Every  mention  of  a  bird,  either 
migration  tables,  is  indexed  under 

Acanthis  linaria,  69 
Actitis  macularia,  13,  53 
Actodromas  rainutilla,  53 
Aix  sponsa,  48,  74 
Ammodraraus  henslowii,  75,  76 
Anas  boschas,  47,  74 

bosclias  X  Nettion,  72 
obscura,  47,  74 
Anthus  pensilvanicas,  70 
Antrostomus  vociferus,  14 
Ara  militaris,  73 
Archibnteo  1.  sancti-johannis,  68 
Ardea  lierodias,  50 
Ardetta  exilis,  50,  67 
Asio  wilsonianus,  68,  71 
Astragalinus  tristis,  15 
Aytliya  affinis,  48,  74 

americana,  48,  74 

coUaris,  49 

marila,  48,  74 

Tallisneria,  48 

Bartramia  longicauda,  52,  67 
Bonasa  umbellus,  13,  74 
Botaurus  lentiginosus,  50,  67 
Branta  bernicla,  49,  74 

canadensis,  49,  74 
Butorides  Tirescens,  51 

Cardinalis  cardinalis,  73 
Carpodacus  purpureas,  63,  78 
Cathartes  aura,  14,  67,  71,  72 
Centurus  carolinus,  75,  76 
Ceophloeus  p.  abieticola,  76 
Certhia  fam.  americana,  70 
Ceryle  alcyon,  14,  68 

torquata,  73 
Chaetura  pelagica,  14,79 
Charadrius  dominicus,  53 
Charitonetta  albeola,  49,  74 
Chaulelasmus  streperus,  47 
Ciiordeiles  virginianus,  14 
Clangula  c.  americana,  49,  74 
Coccyzus  americanus,  14 


by  common  or  technical  name,  except  in  the 
the  current  technical  name  of  the  species. 

Colaptes  auratus  luteus,  14,  72,  79 
Colinus  virginianus,  13,  67 
Colymbus  auritus,  45,  67 
holboellii,  44 
Compsothlypis  a.  usneae,  78 
Contopus  virens,  14 
Corvus  americanus,  14,  29,  75 

mexicanus,  73 

ossifragus,  79 
Cyanocitta  cristata,  14,  68,  78 
Cyanospiza  cyanea,  15 

Dafila  acuta,  47,  74 
Dendroica  aestiva,  15 

blackburniae,  55 

csrulea,  76 

castanea,  69 

discolor,  78 

dominica,  76 

maculosa,  56 

pennsylvanica,  55 

vigorsii,  74,  78 

virens,  55 
Dryobates  pubescens  raedianu3,  14 

villosus,  14 

Elanoides  forficatus,  76 
Empidonax  flaviventris,  55 

traillii  alnorum,  68 
Erismatura  jamaicensis,  49 

Falco  peregrinus  anatum,  14,  68 
Florida  caerulea,  50 
Fulica  americana,  52,  67 

Galeoscoptes  carolinensis,  15,  78 

Gallinago  delicata,  52,  67,  72 

Oallinula  galcata,  52 

Garzetta  egretta,  50 

Gavia  imber,  45 

lumme,  45,  67,  71 

Geothlypis  agilis,  78 

formosa,  76 
Philadelphia,  70 
trichas,  15,  55,  78,  79 
(87) 


88 


INDEX   TO   SPECIES. 


Haliaetus  leucocephalus,  75 

Harelda  lijemalis,  49,  74 

Helmiutbophila  clirysoptera,  56,  69 
peiegrina,  78 
rubricapillu,  69,  78 

Helmitheros  vermivorus,  15 

Helodromas  solitariiis,  52 

Hiruiido  erytlirogastra,  15 

Hylocichla  g.  pallasii,  79 

mustclina,  16,  70 

Icteria  virens,  15 
Icterus  galbula,  14 
Iridoprocue  bicolor,  69,  74 

Junco  liyeraalis,  G9 

Lanius  borealis,  C9,  72 

Larus  argentatus,  45,  67,  71,  75 

atricilla,  46 

delawarensis,  46 
Lophodytes  cucullatus,  47 
Loxia  c.  minor,  77 

Mareca  araericana,  47 
Melanerpes  erythrocephalus,  6,  76 
Melospiza  cinerea  melodia,  15,  69 
Merganser  americanus,  46,  74 

serrator,  47 
Merula  niigratoria,  16,  70,  79 
Mimus  polyglottos,  70,  76 
Mniotilta  varia,  15 

Nettion  carolineusis,  47 
Numeniiis  budsonicus,  67 
Nuttallornis  borealis,  68,  73 
Nycticorax  n.  nasvius,  13,  51,  75 

Oidemia  sp.,  49 
Olbiorcbilus  liiemalis,  70 
Otocoris  ulpestris,  68,  72,  73 
Oxyecbus  vociferus,  53,  67 

Parus  atricapillus,  16 
Passerculus  sandw.  savanna,  15 
Passerculus  princeps,  72 
Passerella  iliaca,  69,  72 
Passerina  nivalis,  73 
Phalacrocorax  dilophus,  46 
Pbalaropus  lobatus,  52,  76 
Philobcla  minor,  52,  67 
Pinicola  c.  leucura,  77 
Pipilo  erythropbtbalmus,  15,  79 
Piranga  erytbromelas,  79 
rubra,  76 


Podilymbus  podiceps,  45,  74 
Polioptila  ca;rulea,  75,  76 
Porzaua  Carolina,  51 

noveboracensis,  51 
Progne  subis,  15,  74 
Protonotaria  citrea,  75 
Psilorhinus  mexicanus,  73 

Qucrquedula  discors,  47 
Quiscalus  quiscula,  15 

Rallus  elegans,  51 

longirostris  crepitans,  67 

virginianus,  51 
Regulus  satrapa,  70 

Sayornis  pha-be,  14,  72 
Scolccopbagus  carolinus,  68,  72 
Seiurus  auruca|iillus,  15,  55,  78,  79 

motacilla,  69,  76 
Setophaga  ruticilla,  15,  76 
Sialia  sialis,  16,  70 
Sitta  pusilla,  76 
Spatula  clypeata,  48 
Spiza  americana,  17,  75 

townsendi.  2 
Spizella  monticola,  69 

pusilla,  15,  72 

socialis,  15 
Stercorarius  pomarinus,  45 
Sterna  hirundo,  72 
Strix  praticola,  77 
Sturnella  magna,  14,  68 

Thryomanes  bewickii,  70 
Tliryothorus  ludovicianus,  70 
Tetanus  melanoleucus,  53,  67 
Toxostoma  rulum,  15,  70,  73,  79 
Trocbilus  colubris,  14 
Troglodytes  aedon,  16 
Tyraunus  tyrannus,  14 

Uria  lomvia,  45,  71 

Vireo  olivaceus,  15 

Wilsonia  canadensis,  55 
mitrata,  70 
pusilla,  70 

Zamelodia  ludoviciana,  15 
Zenaidura  macroura,  14 
Zonolrichia  albicoUis,  09,  79 
leucopbrys,  69 


1904 


ISSUED    FEBRUARY,   1905. 


CASSINIA 

An  Annual   Devoted   to  the   Ornithology  of 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  Delaware. 


CONTENTS  1904, 

Samuel  W.  Woodhouse  (portraits) 

A  Chimney  Swift's  Day 

That  Feathered  Midget  of  Our  Tide- Water  Swamps, 
The  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren 

The  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren  in  Eastern  Pennsyl- 
vania and  New  Jersey 

The  Barn  Owl  in  Chester  County,  Pennsylvania  (plate) 

Summer    Birds    of    Pocono    Lake,    Monroe    Co., 
Pennsylvania 

Summer  Birds  of  Port  Alleghany,  McKean  County, 
Pennsylvania 

A  Glimpse  of  Winter  Bird  Life  in  Delaware 

Report  on  the  Spring  Migration  of  1904 

City  Ornithology 

Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  1904 

Bird  Club  Notes 

List  of  Officers  and  Members  of  the  D.  V.  O.  C,  1904 

Index 


WiTMER  Stone 

I 

Cornelius  Weygandt 

6 

ChreswellJ.  Ht-NT 

14 

La  Rde  K.  Holmes 

I- 

Thomas  II.  Jackson 

26 

John  D.  Carter 

29 

Thomas  D.  Keim 

36 

Charles  J.  Pennock 

4S 

WiTMBR  STONE 

46 

61 

62 

69 

74 

79 

PUBLICATIONS  OF  THE   D.  V.  O.  0. 

The  Birds  of  Eastern  Pentisylvanio  and  New  Jersey,  by  Witmer 
Stone,  pp.  176  with  two  maps  and  portrait  of  Alex. 
Wilson.  One  Dollar         (Post  paid  ^r.  12) 

Abstract  of  Proceedings,  Full  Set  Nos.  I-IV.  (i  890-1900)  pp.  98,  Fifty  cents 
Cassinia,  published  annually  beginning  with  1901 ;  comprising 
papers  relating  to  the  Ornithology  of  Pennsylvania, 
New  Jersey,  and  Delaware,  and  an  abstract  of  the 
proceedings  of  the  Club.  Edited  by  Witmer  Stone. 
Subscription  price  Fifty  cents 


Address  Dchw^Ltt  Vallcy  Ornithological  Club, 

c««  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences, 

Logan  Square,  Philadelphia. 


j^/^yu/rr&z^^ 


-^ 


CASSINIA 


PROCEEDINGS    OF    THE    DELAWARE   VALLEY 
ORNITHOLOGICAL  CLUB 


No.  VIII.  PHILADELPHIA,    PA.  1904. 


Samuel  Washington  Woodhouse 

BY  WITMER  STONE 

The  biographies  which  have  appeared  in  the  preceding  num- 
bers of  Cassinia  have  dealt  with  men  whose  lives  had  been 
completed  long  ere  the  present  generation  of  ornithologists 
began  their  labors,  indeed  before  many  of  them  were  born.  But 
Dr.  Woodhouse,  although  a  contemporary  of  Townsend,  Nuttall, 
Gambel  and  Cassin,  outlived  all  of  his  associates  and  in  the  last 
years  of  his  life  became  a  member  of  our  Club  and  of  the  Amer- 
ican Ornithologists'  Union,  and  in  his  conversation  and  reminis- 
cences seemed  to  bring  us  almost  in  touch  with  men  who  are  to 
us  but  names  in  ornithological  history. 

Samuel  Washington  Woodhouse  was  born  on  Walnut  street 
above  Eighth,  Philadelphia,  on  June  27,  1821,  the  son  of  Com- 
modore Samuel  Woodhouse,  U.  S.  N.,  and  H.  Matilda  Roberts. 
His  grandfather,  William  Woodhouse,  eon  of  John  Woodhouse, 
of  Alnwick,  Northumberland,  England,  emigrated  to  Philadel- 
phia in  1766  and  entered  upon  a  business  career  at  6  South 
Front  street.  Young  Woodhouse  was  educated  at  several 
private  classical  schools  in  Philadelphia  and  at  West  Haven, 
Connecticut. 


Z  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

He  early  developed  a  great  interest  in  natural  history,  especi- 
ally ornithology,  and  frequented  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  then  occu]>ying  a  .small  building  at  Twelfth  and  .San- 
som  streets.  Here  he  made  the  acquaintance  of  Thomas 
Nuttall,  John  K.  Townsend,  Dr.  George  Leib,  Dr.  Sanjuel  G. 
Morton,  Dr.  Paul  Goddard  and  other  active  members  of  the 
Society  and  in  1840  assisted  in  the  transference  of  the  collections 
to  the  building  at  Broad  and  Sansom  which  was  the  home  of 
the  Academy  for  the  next  thirty-five  years. 

Deciding  to  become  a  farmer,  Woodhouse  went  to  live  with 
John  Worth,  a  well-known  agriculturalist,  of  Che.'^ter  county, 
Penna.,  and  later  with  bis  brother  occuj)ied  a  farm  j)urchased 
by  their  father  in  the  Springtown  Manor  tract  in  the  same 
county,  situated  on  the  Prandywine.  Here  the  study  of  birds 
kept  pace  with  the  activities  of  the  farm  until,  after  suffering  a 
severe  attack  of  sickne.ss,  Woodhouse  decided  to  enter  upon  the 
study  of  medicine.  He  matriculated  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania as  a  student  of  Dr.  Robert  A.  Given,  then  resident 
physician  of  the  State  Penitentiary,  and  became  himself  apothe- 
cary of  that  institution.  He  graduated  in  1847  and  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  resident  physician  at  the  Philadelphia  hospital, 
remaining  there  over  a  year. 

In  the  meanwhile  Col.  J.  J.  Ahert,  Chief  of  the  U.  S.  Topo- 
graphical Engineer  Corps,  applied  to  Dr.  Morton  of  the  Academy 
for  a  young  doctor  to  accompany  the  Creek  and  Cherokee 
boundary  survey  as  surgeon  and  naturalist.  Dr.  Woodhouse 
was  recommended  and  was  not  slow  to  accept  the  jiosition, 
it  being  evidently  much  more  to  his  liking  than  the  sedentary 
life  of  a  hospital  physician.  He  reported  in  Washington  in 
April,  1849,  and  was  soon  en  route  for  the  frontier.  The  manu- 
script journals  of  this  expedition,  which  I  have  had  the  pleasure 
of  examining,  are  full  of  interest.  His  route  lay  down  the  Ohio 
and  thence  by  way  of  the  Mississippi  and  Arkansas  to  Fort 
Gibson  in  Indian  Territory  where  the  party,  under  the  leader- 
ship of  Lieut.  Sitgreaves,  took  the  field.  In  1850  the  work  was 
continued  under  Lieut.  Woodruff  and  on  this  survey  the  inter- 
esting daguerreotype  accompaning  this  article  was  taken,  show- 
ing the  party  encanipetl  on  the  prairie,  June,  18.50. 


TWO  EARLY  PORTRAITS  OF   DR.  S.  W.  WOODHOUSE  AND  VIEW  OF  U.   S.  TOPOGRAPHICAL   ENGINEERS' 

CAMP  ON   CREEK  AND  CHEROKEE   BOUNDARY  SURVEY,   INDIAN  TERRITORY,  JUNE,   1850. 

WOODHOUSE  STANDING  AT  THE   HORSE'S   HEAD. 


FROM    OAGUERnEOTYPES. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    OKNITHOLOQICAL   CLUB.  6 

Dr.  Woodhouse  stands  by  his  pony  in  the  middle,  Capt.  An- 
drew Potts  the  quartermaster  in  front  of  the  tent,  with  the  civil 
engineers,  Isaac  Smith  and  Joseph  R.  Smith,  on  his  left  and 
Meliew  in  the  foreground,  cooks,  teamsters,  etc.  in  the  rear. 

In  1851  Dr.  Woodhouse  again  under  Sitgreaves  explored  the 
Zuni  river,  traveling  from  San  Antonio,  Texas,  via  El  Paso  to 
Sante  Fe  and  then  west  to  the  Zuni,  which  was  followed  to  its 
junction  with  the  Little  Colorado,  thence  across  the  San  Fran- 
ci.sco  Mountain  and  down  the  Colorado  river  to  Yuma  from 
which  point  they  traversed  southern  California,  reaching  San 
Francisco  in  February,  1852. 

Returning  via  Nicaragua,  he  proceeded  to  prepare  his  report 
upon  the  birds  and  mammals  obtained  on  the  several  expedi- 
tions, preliminary  descriptions  being  published  in  the  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Academy  and  the  full  report  appearing  in  Sitgreaves' 
Report  of  the  Zuni  River  Expedition.  Hollowell  treated  of  the 
reptiles  obtained  by  Woodhouse,  Baird  and  Girard  the  fishes, 
and  Torrey  the  plants. 

The  first  expedition  was  through  country  inhabited  largely 
by  half-breeds  and  semi-civilized  Indians,  and  presented  com- 
paratively few  novelties  in  the  way  of  birds  and  mammals. 
Dr.  Woodhouse's  journals,  however,  contain  interesting  notes 
on  his  first  sight  of  such  birds  as  the  Swallow-tailed  Kite,  Caro- 
lina Parakeet,  Ivory-billed  Woodpecker  and  Fork-tailed  Fly- 
catcher, while  his  accounts  of  the  abundance  of  Wild  Turkeys 
and  Deer,  and  the  hunting  of  Buffalo  testify  to  the  splendid 
opportunities  that  were  open  to  the  hunter  of  fifty  years  ago. 

The  Zuni  River  Expedition  was  far  more  arduous,  its  route 
lying  through  the  hot,  arid  deserts  of  the  Southwest,  then  peo- 
pled with  more  or  less  hostile  Indians.  The  party  was  several 
times  attack edj  and  Dr.  Woodhouse,  while  leaning  over  the 
camp-fire  one  morning,  received  an  arrow  in  the  leg,  but,  for- 
tunately, no  serious  consequences  ensued.  At  Zuni  he  was 
also  bitten  by  a  rattlesnake,  which  interfered  considerably  with 
his  collecting,  though  it  afforded  opportunity  for  study  of  the 
effects  of  the  poison  and  its  response  to  treatment.  Dangerous 
and  inhospitable  as  this  country  was,  it  possessed  unusual  in- 
terest  to    Dr.    Woodhouse,    since   to   the    ornithologist  it  was 


4  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

largely  terra  incognita.  Six  new  birds  and  an  equal  number  of 
new  mammals  were  described,  the  majority  of  which  have  stood 
the  test  of  time,  while  numerous  other  forms  first  collected  by 
Woodhouse  have,  in  the  light  of  additional  knowledge,  proved 
to  be  separable,  and,  as  in  the  case  of  Woodhouse's  Jay,  have 
been  named  in  liis  honor.* 

In  January,  1853,  Dr.  Woodhouse  joined  a  private  expedi- 
tion to  Central  America,  in  company  with  E.  G.  Squire,  Lt.  W. 
N.  JefTers,  and  D.  C.  Hitchcock,  and  investigated  the  topogra- 
phy and  mineral  resources  of  portions  of  Nicaragua,  Honduras 
and  San  Salvador,  returning  to  the  United  States  in  December. 
His  collections  on  this  trip  were  not  extensive,  and  no  report 
upon  them  was  published. 

The  year  1854  found  liim  stationed  at  Ft.  Delaware,  then 
under  construction,  Major  John  Sanders  of  the  Engineer  Corps 
being  in  charge.  In  1856  he  resigned  from  the  service,  and  in 
1859  and  1860  was  surgeon  on  Cope's  line  of  packets  plying 
between  Philadelphia  and  Liverpool,  and  was  likewise  surgeon 
to  the  Washington  Grays  Regiment.  During  the  Civil  \A'ar 
Dr.  Woodhouse  was  resident  physician  at  the  Eastern  Peniten- 
tiary in  Philadelphia,  and  afterwards  retired  to  private  life. 
He  was  married  in  1872  to  Sarah  A.  Peck,  and  is  survived  by 
two  children,  Dr.  Samuel  W.  Woodhouse,  Jr.,  and  Matilda 
Roberts  Woodhouse. 

For  years  Dr.  Woodhouse  had  completelj'  lost  touch  with 
ornithologists,  but  upon  visiting  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  one  day  in  1898,  he  was  introduced  to  the  writer  and 
became  intensely  interested  in  the  recent  improvements  and  en- 
largements in  the  ornithological  department.  He  was  elected 
an  honorary  member  of  the  Delaware  Vallej^  Ornithological 
Club,  and  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  younger  ornithologists 
of  his  native  city.  He  frequently  attended  the  meetings  of  the 
Club,  and  followed  its  proceedings  with  deep  interest,  while  he 
not   infrequently    spoke   informally  of   the  experiences  of  his 

*  Among  the  new  species  described  by  Dr.  Woodhouse  were  the  Gray- 
headed  Junco,  J.  caniccps,  the  Black-capped  Vireo,  V.  atricapillus,  Cnssin'a 
Sparrow,  Peucsea  cassini,  Abert's  Squirrel,  Sciurus  aberti,  Ord's  Kangaroo  Rat, 
Perodipus  ordii  and  the  Southern  Coyote,  Canis  fruitror. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  O 

early  life.  This  association  was  enjoyed  on  both  sides  and  the 
revival  of  the  favorite  study  of  his  youth  seemed  to  shed  a 
brighter  glow  over  the  last  years  of  his  life.  He  attended  the 
first  meeting  of  the  fall  session  on  October  6th,  in  his  accus- 
tomed health  and  vigor,  and  on  the  23d  of  the  same  month  was 
suddenly  called  to  join  those  associates  who  had  preceded  him 
years  before. 

Dr.  Woodhouse  was  present  at  the  Congresses  of  the  Ameri- 
can Ornithologists'  Union,  which  met  in  Philadelphia  in  1899 
and  1903,  and  made  the  acquaintance  of  many  ornithologists 
from  other  parts  of  the  country.  At  the  latter  meeting  he  was 
elected  ;,  Corresponding  Fellow  of  the  Union.  He  was  also  a 
life  member  of  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadel- 
phia— the  oldest  member  with  one  exception — and  correspond- 
ing member  of  other  scientific  organizations. 


A  Chimney  Swift's  Day 


BY  CORNELIUS  WEYGANDT 


It  is  more  than  four  years  now  that  I  have  lived  in  a  httle 
old  house  on  the  Wissahickon  Hills  that  boasts  one  family  of 
chimney  birds  in  its  main  chimney  each  summer.  Not  until 
July  30,  1904,  however,  in  our  fifth  summer  in  the  house,  did 
I  devote  a  day  uninterruptedly  to  observing  the  birds. 

The  Swifts  are  tardy  building  in  our  chimney,  so  at  this  late 
date  in  the  summer,  the  young,  about  six  weeks  old,  have  been 
flying  less  than  a  week.  Their  being  awing  is  proclaimed  by 
their  frequent  misses  of  the  chimney  in  attempting  to  enter  and 
a  clumsy  entrance  when  at  last  they  attain  it.  I  am  not  con- 
sciously watching  them  all  the  time,  but  so  noticeable  a  feature 
of  Chimney  Swallows'  life  as  birds  failing  to  make  the  chimney 
at  first  trial  is  sure  to  attract  my  attention.  On  days  of  high 
wind,  of  course,  even  the  old  birds  have  some  trouble  entering, 
and  in  great  gales  I  have  seen  them  miss  time  after  time. 

On  July  30th,  I  got  up  at  four  o'clock  to  observe  the  com- 
ings and  goings  of  the  Swifts,  but  one  old  bird  was  either  out 
before  that  or  it  escaped  without  my  observing  it  in  the  half- 
dark.  When  it  returned  for  the  first  time  at  5:10,  I  was  lying 
flat  on  the  floor  of  our  living  room  with  my  head  in  the  open 
fire-place.  It  was  light  enough  at  this  time  for  me  to  distin- 
guish four  Swifts  clinging  to  the  chimney  wall  just  below  the 
nest,  which  was  exactly  twenty-three  feet  above  me  as  I  lay  on 
the  floor,  and  four  feet  and  two  inches  below  the  top  of  the 
chinmey.  I  could  not  see  the  bird's  position  as  it  entered  the 
first  time;  but  by  practice,  watching  both  inside  and  outside,  I 
finally  grew  able  to  see  just  how  it  entered  and  to  distinguish 
between  its  and  the  other  old  bird's  mode  of  dropping  in  and 
that  of  the  young  birds.  The  old  birds  would  sometimes  dive 
in  head  first,  describing  an  arc  of  about  ninety  degrees,  and 

(6) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  7 

suddenly  arresting  themselves  and  reversing  by  using  the  tail 
as  brake,  just  at  the  mouth  of  the  chimney;  thence  they  would 
drop  to  a  point  below  the  young,  wings  above  body  and  body 
parallel  to  the  earth,  until  they  wished  to  arrest  themselves, 
when  the  wings  would  beat  violently,  producing  that  drumming 
sound  so  distinctive  of  the  bird's  return  to  the  chimney. 

The  rapidity  of  the  beating  of  the  wings  obscured  the  chang- 
ing of  the  position  of  the  Swift's  body  from  that  of  parallel  to 
the  earth  to  that  of  parallel  to  the  chimney  walls,  but  it  seemed 
to  me  that  as  the  birds  arrested  their  flight  they  tipped  down 
the  lower  parts  of  their  liodies  so  that  their  feet  could  grasp  the 
wall  as  they  hovered  close  to  it.  They  never  lighted  descend- 
ing but  always  ascending,  after  the  downward  plunge  had  been 
arrested.  They  would  continue  to  beat  their  wings  after  they 
had  grasjied  the  wall  with  their  feet,  and  sometimes  they  would 
flutter  up,  keeping  themselves  off  the  wall  by  the  feet,  like  a 
sailor  coming  up  the  side  of  a  ship  on  a  rope.  At  times,  of 
course,  they  were  assisted  in  mounting  higher  by  feet  as  well  as 
wings  and  sometimes  they  climbed  by  their  feet  alone.  Both 
old  and  young  used  their  tails  to  help  support  themselves,  press- 
ing the  spines  firmly  against  the  chinmey  wall. 

Other  entrances  to  the  chimney  were  accomplished  this  way. 

The  birds  would  come  speeding  home  at  a  level,  only  a  few 
feet  above  that  of  the  chimney-top,  suddenly  stop  themselves 
by  expanding  their  tails,  and,  with  wings  held  rigid  above 
bodies  and  pointed  slightly  outward  so  as  to  buoy  themselves 
in  their  descent,  drop  into  the  chimney  mouth,  to  repeat  the 
same  tactics  in  landing  on  the  wall  of  the  chimney  as  when  they 
dove  in  from  a  height  of  twenty  feet  or  more. 

The  young  birds  had  not  yet  learned  to  dive.  They  always 
came  in  this  latter  manner  I  have  described,  except  that  they 
fell  from  a  point  about  ten  feet  from  the  chimney-top.  Often 
they  missed  entirely  and  often  when  they  were  directly  above 
the  chimney  mouth  they  lost  courage  and  circled  away  to  try 
again. 

Our  chimney  bends  south  westward  about  four  feet  from  the 
top,  but  within  fourteen  inches  regains  the  perpendicular.  This 
bend  results  in  an  overhang  of  six  inches  on  the  northeast  wall 


H  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

and  right  under  this  the  nest  is  placed,  making  it  secure  even 
in  the  heaviest  rains.  In  mj'  live  summers'  observation  of  this 
nest  it  has  never  come  down  during  the  summer.  It  remains 
until  the  heat  and  gas  of  the  winter's  fires  below  disintegrate  it. 
This  offset,  while  it  makes  the  Swifts'  nest  very  safe,  adds  to 
the  birds'  difficulties  in  reaching  the  nest.  The  chimney, 
which  is  but  fourteen  inches  by  thirteen  inches  in  the  clear  at 
its  mouth,  widens  a  little  below,  but  the  six  inches'  swerve 
from  the  perpendicular  le;ives  a  space  of  only  thirteen  inches  by 
eight  inches  for  the  bird  to  lower  itself  into  as  it  enters.  As  far 
as  I  could  observe  the  old  bird  entered  always  in  the  very  center 
of  the  open  space.  I  think  that  one  old  bird,  probably  the 
mother,  did  almost  all  the  feeding  the  day  I  watched.  I 
could  distinguish  between  the  parents  by  the  fact  that  one  old 
bird  had  several  feathers  gone  from  one  wing.  This  bird,  after 
they  were  all  out  in  the  morning,  I  did  not  note  re-enter  but 
thrice  before  noon,  and  after  they  had  hung  together  in  the 
chimney  for  a  while  at  noon,  it  left  and  did  not  re-enter  until 
dark. 

When  the  mother  bird — for  such  I  took  to  be  the  bird  that 
did  the  feeding  of  the  young — entered  the  chimney  at  5:10  she 
dropped  to  a  point  about  six  inches  below  the  four  birds  that 
hung  together,  and  making  fast  to  the  wall  there,  climbed  up  to 
them.  One  of  the  four,  prol)ably  the  old  male,  dropped  below 
the  others  as  soon  as  the  mother  reached  them.  Climbing  until 
her  head  was  just  above  the  head  of  the  young  one  clinging  at 
the  right,  the  motlier  turned  her  head  so  that  I  could  see  the 
grey  of  her  throat,  and,  bending  slightly,  disgorged,  this  time 
succeeding  in  getting  all  the  flies,  small  beetles  and  gnats  safely 
into  the  squab's  mouth,  but  on  several  of  her  trips,  flies,  etc., 
more  or  less  maimed,  fell  down.  Some  were  so  little  injured 
they  flew  away. 

The  feeding  took  this  time,  and  on  the  average,  thirty  sec- 
onds. When  the  old  bird  had  finished  disgorging  she  dropped 
down  the  chimney  a  foot  and  rested  a  moment.  Then  she 
drummed  up  and  out  of  the  chimney.  As  she  flew  out  her 
body  was  at  an  angle  of  about  forty-five  degrees  with  the  ground 
and  her  wings  beat  so  rapidly  that  they  described  a  dark  band 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    OKNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  » 

almost  at  right  angles  to  the  body.  This  was  her  usual  appear- 
ance to  me  as  I  lay  in  the  fire-place  watching  her  lift  herself 
out.  She  returned  at  5:28  and  fed  the  left-hand  j"oung  one.  I 
went  out  into  the  yard  now  and  saw  two  Swifts  circling  about, 
"  tsip-tbip-tJiip-tsce-ttieeing  ^'  at  a  great  rate.  I  saw  neither  enter 
the  chimney,  but  when  I  returned  to  the  house  at  5:58  there 
was  a  great  cheetering  in  the  chimney.  This  racket  was  kept 
up  continually  while  I  was  getting  a  bite  to  eat.  The  noise  I 
made  resuming  my  post  in  the  fire-place  at  6:13  stopped  the 
cheetering  and  scared  out  three  of  the  four  Swifts  then  in  the 
chimney.  My  disturbance  of  the  birds  at  this  and  other  times 
during  the  day  made  their  day  not  an  entirely  normal  one,  but 
any  watching  of  birds  that  they  are  conscious  of  makes  our 
records  not  entirely  true  to  their  habitual  life. 

At  6:20  an  old  bird  returned  and  fed  the  one  squab  remain- 
ing in  the  chimney.  After  feeding  its  young  the  old  bird  did 
not  immediately  leave  the  chimnej'  but  fluttered  from  one  wall 
to  another,  hovering  often  below  the  young  one,  as  if  trying  to 
fan  it  up  and  out  by  the  air  from  her  swiftly-beating  wings. 
Finally  the  old  bird  flew  to  a  position  just  above  the  nest.  All 
was  to  no  purpose,  for  the  young  one  did  not  follow  it  out  when 
it  left.  The  old  bird  then  apparently  tried  starving  the  squab 
out,  for  she  had  not  returned  when  the  latter  went  out  at  7:45. 

No  Swifts  returned  to  the  chimney  until  10:30,  though  I  saw 
two  attempt  to  drop  in  at  9:40.  One  was  apparently  an  old 
one,  to  judge  from  its  ^' tsip-tsip-tsip-tsee-tseehn/."  The  old  bird 
would  come  in  low  over  the  chimnej'  and  spread  out  its  tail 
feathers  in  the  manner  referred  to  above,  but  the  young  one 
could  not  make  the  drop  from  so  low  a  height  above  the  chim- 
ney and  when  it  did  finallj'  manage  it  at  10:30  after  two  more 
unsuccessful  attempts  at  10:05  and  10:20  it  slowed  down  about 
ten  feet  above  the  chimney  mouth  and  dropped  in  from  there. 
Another  young  one  entered  at  10:40  under  circumstances  similar 
to  the  first's  except  that  the  mother  went  in  with  it.  She  went 
out  again  almost  immediately  and  was  in  again  in  a  minute  by 
a  dive  (10:41).  Out  she  came  again  at  10:48  and  picked  up 
the  young  bird  that  had  accompanied  her  when  she  dived  in  at 
10:41.     It   again   attempted    to   drop  in   with   her  and    again 


10  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

failed,  she  going  off  with  it  wlien  slie  knew  it  had  missed.  The 
two  squabs  already  in  came  out  now.  I  saw  the  four  circli)ig 
together  at  10:45.  A  young  one  attempted  to  enter  alone  at 
10:51,  but  its  courage  failed  when  it  was  just  over  the  chimney 
mouth.  Its  n)other  picked  it  up  again  and  the  two  entered  at 
10:5G.  Another  entered  at  10:58  and  two  more,  one  of  thc^e 
the  bird  with  the  thinly-feathered  wing,  at  1 1.  The  latter  came 
out  at  1 1 :01  but  returned  again  at  1 1 :22.  I  ctased  watching  now 
for  ten  minutes  and  when  I  canie  back  to  my  post  (a  seat  in 
the  back  yard  that  commanded  a  view  of  the  chimney  fifty  feet 
away)  a  Swift  was  entering.  Anotlier  came  out  almost  im- 
mediately. At  11:42  the  two  old  birds  entered,  sweeping  along 
until  they  were  right  over  the  chimney  mouth  at  a  height  of  but  a 
few  feet,  when  they  spread  their  tails  wide,  the  unfolded  feath- 
ers showing  brown  against  the  sunliglit,  and  thus  staying  their 
flight,  dropped  straight  as  leads  into  the  chinmey.  The  two 
remained  inside.  Another,  evidently  a  young  one.  attempted 
to  enter  at  11:46  but  failed,  as  it  did  twice  more  between  11:51 
and  11:52.  A  young  one  was  still  circling  about  as  I  climbed 
up  the  roof  at  twelve  o'clock  sharp  to  look  down  the  chimney 
at  the  birds.  I  could  observe  them  easily,  as  the  chimney  ex- 
tends but  twenty  inches  above  the  crest  of  the  roof.  Four 
Swifts  were  hanging  below  the  nest  in  a  bunch,  like  bees  on  a 
comb.  They  remained  quiet  as  I,  scarcely  six  feet  above  them, 
looked  down  at  them.  They  turned  their  heads  to  look  up  at 
me  so  that  I  could  see  how  round  were  their  bright  eyes  and 
how  soft  the  grey  of  their  throats.  This  grey,  in  the  gloom  of 
the  chimney,  contrasted  very  distinctly  with  the  black-brown 
of  their  wings  and  the  sooty-brown  of  the  crowns  of  their 
heads.  As  I  stopped  lower  to  look  at  them  more  closely 
they  began  to  mew  in  a  voice  I  had  never  heard  a  Swift  use 
before,  a  voice  something  like  that  of  the  Catbird's  when  it 
mewB  and  something  like  that  of  the  Night-hawk's  when  it 
twangs  nasally,  but  a  voice  more  subdued  than  that  of  either 
bird.  Three  of  the  Swifts  fluttered  away  from  their  favorite 
hanging  place  under  the  nest,  but  none  flew  out  of  the  chimney, 
and  the  one  that  had  been  circling  around  when  T  was  mi  the 
roof  dropped  in  a  few  minutes  after  I  had  slid  down. 


DELAWARE    VAl.LEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   OLtlB.  11 

I  went  immediately  to  look  at  them  from  below,  but  there 
were  but  four  in  the  chimnej'  then.  Another  entered  at  12:15, 
but,  possibly  dititurhed  by  me  as  I  changed  position  in  the  fire- 
place, two  lifted  themselves  out  at  12:27.  One  returned  almost 
immediately  and  one  came  out  at  12:28.  There  was  no  feeding 
on  either  of  these  last  entries.  An  old  bird  returned  and  fed 
the  right-hand  young  one  at  12:38.  It  went  out  after  the  usual 
half-minute's  stay  and  returned  at  12:62,  to  leave  again  after 
feeding  the  left-hand  young  one.  There  was  a  great  deal  of 
cheetering  every  time  a  bird  entered  the  chimney,  but  none 
when  a  bird  left,  unless  it  disturbed  another  on  its  way  out. 
The  young  birds  were  constantly  shifting  their  positions.  Sonie- 
times  they  fluttered  a  good  deal  and  moved  down  or  up  the 
chimney;  they  did  not  shift  right  or  left  more  than  a  half  inch 
unless  they  changed  the  wall  on  which  to  hang,  which  was  very 
seldom.  The  young  birds  generally  hung  two  just  below  the 
nest,  and  one  below  these  two,  but  sometimes  all  three  hung 
close  together,  and  sometimes  the  parent  would  renjain  for  two 
minutes  beside  the  young  she  had  fed,  but  she  very  infre- 
quently did  this.  Once  when  I  climbed  to  the  top  of  the  chim- 
ney I  saw  one  bird  hanging  directly  on  top  of  anotlier,  but 
whether  the  two  were  in  copulation  I  cannot  gay.  I  had 
thought  this  was  the  situation,  as  I  looked  up  from  below,  and 
I  went  to  the  top  of  the  chimney  to  try  to  make  sure.  I  was 
summoned  to  lunch  as  I  saw  the  old  Ijird  enter  again  at  1:12. 
I  heard  a  great  cheetering  at  1 :30,  and  left  the  table  to  look  up 
the  chimney.  There  were  but  two  young  lianging  tliere,  one 
below  the  other,  and  the  mother  was  feeding  the  lower  one. 

In  a  few  minutes  after  I  resumed  my  observations  (at  2 
o'clock),  I  saw  an  old  bird  enter,  and  she  returned  again  at 
2:20.  Late  in  the  afternoon  there  were  but  two  birds  in  the 
chimney,  but  from  2  until  3:40  there  were  three.  Two  hung 
side  by  side,  the  mother  feeding  these  oftener  than  the  bird 
which  usuall}'  hung  just  below.  On  one  trip  she  visited  all 
three,  but  whether  she  fed  all  three  I  could  not  tell.  The  lower 
bird  seemed  stronger  than  the  other  two,  fluttering  at  times  to 
other  positions,  and  it  may  be  that  the  mother  failed  to  visit  it 
every  third  time  she  came  back  from  her  sky-harvesting  because 


12  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

she  thought  it  alile  to  shift  for  itself,  or  it  may  be  that  it  was 
not  fed  because  it  was  not  in  what  she  considered  its  proper 
place  on  the  northeast  wall.  I  never  saw  her  feed  it  unless  it 
was  on  that  wall  below  the  other  two.  It  was  not  in  place  on 
the  mother's  2:31  trip,  nor  on  her  2:55  trip.  It  was  in  place 
at  3:15  and  was  fed.  It  followed  the  mother  out  after  her  visit 
at  3:40.  She  returned  at  3:54,  then  at  4:31,  and  then  at  4:50. 
On  this  last  visit  she  staid  in  for  two  minutes  instead  of  for  the 
usual  thirty  seconds.  Her  remaining  visits  before  all  were  in 
for  the  night  were  at  5:18,  5:22,  5:43,  6:05,  6:40,  6:54  and  7:10. 
Just  after  seeing  the  mother  enter  this  last  time  I  went  up  to 
the  roof  and  saw  four  Swifts  hanging  in  such  a  bunch  as  I  have 
described  before;  the  old  bird  flew  out  as  soon  as  I  drew  back 
from  the  chimney-top.  At  7:29  I  saw  a  bird  return,  but 
whether  the  mother  or  the  father  (the  one  with  the  thinly-feath- 
ered wing)  it  was  too  dark  to  make  out.  Another  went  in  before 
7:30.  I  again  climbed  up  to  look  down  the  chimney,  but  it 
was  now  too  dark  for  me  to  see  the  birds.  Even  a  light  held  at 
the  bottom  of  the  chimney  did  not  illuminate  it  enough  for  me 
to  make  out  their  number.  I  let  a  lantern  down  from  the  top 
but  it  so  distressed  them,  driving  them,  as  I  gradually  lowered 
it,  further  and  further  down  the  chimney,  with  great  drumming 
and  mewing,  that  I  desisted. 

Except  on  the  rarest  occasions  the  Swifts  entered  the  chimney 
from  one  direction  and  left  in  another.  They  almost  invariably 
tossed  themselves  out  to  the  northwest,  for  in  that  direction 
were  fewest  trees.  They  did  not  habitually  come  in  from  this 
direction,  for  the  reason,  I  suppose,  that  they  would  have  to 
face  about  in  dropping,  so  as  to  land  on  the  northeast  wall  be- 
low the  nest.  If  they  came  in  from  any  other  direction  than 
from  the  southwest,  though,  it  was  from  the  northwest.  About 
two  hundred  feet  to  the  southwest  of  the  chimney  are  trees  very 
much  higher  than  the  chimney,  very  tall  trees  indeed,  and  in 
order  to  enter  so  they  might  face  the  northeast  wall  on  which  they 
customarily  hung,  they  had  to  come  through  an  opening  in  the 
trees  dead  south  of  the  chimney  and  then  turn  sharply  north- 
east within  a  hundred  feet  of  the  chimnej'.  I  never  saw  them 
dive  down  from  over  the  great  trees  to  the  southwest.     At  times 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  13 

I  have  seen  the  old  birds  dive  in  from  the  northwest,  where  is  a 
field  with  but  few  trees  in  it.  The  young  birds  could  not  come 
in,  until  two  weeks  later,  from  any  direction  but  the  southwest. 
To  land  in  their  favorite  place  from  this  dive  from  the  north- 
west the  Swifts  must  not  only  reverse  themselves  as  they  always 
must  do  after  diving,  but  must  turn  when  in  the  chimney  from 
facing  southeast  to  facing  northeast — quite  a  feat.  To  go  out 
the  northw'est  way  they  always  began  to  turn  from  northeast — 
as  they  were  facing  in  their  starting  place — to  northwest,  while 
beating  up  the  chimney.  By  the  time  they  reached  the  top  they 
would  face  northwest  and  would  have  simply  to  toss  themselves 
out,  which  they  would  do  in  a  great  swoop  that  would  carry  tliem 
to  within  ten  feet  of  the  ground  before  they  began  to  mount  up- 
wards. 

On  July  31,  the  morning  after  my  day  of  close  observation  of 
the  Swifts,  I  observed  them  pretty  carefully.  The  chimney 
was  empty  from  8:30  to  12.  A  bunch  hung  together  for  a 
while  at  noon.  Two  young  birds  spent  most  of  the  afternoon 
in  the  chimney.  They  preened  themselves  even  more  diligently 
than  they  did  the  previous  day,  and  loose  feathers  were  dropping 
every  time  I  looked  up  the  chimney.  Those  feathers,  lodged  in 
crannies  of  the  brick  and  stone  and  plaster  of  the  walls,  caught 
the  light  like  spiders'  webs  on  dewy  grass,  and  glinted  silver 
among  the  shadows  in  the  chimney.  The  old  birds,  too,  lost 
some  of  their  long  wing  feathers,  and  by  August  7  there  was 
quite  a  collection  of  small  feathers  and  half  a  dozen  long  feath- 
ers in  the  fire-place.  By  August  14,  the  young  birds  could 
enter  the  chimney  as  well  as  their  parents,  diving  fearlessly. 
After  August  17  I  never  saw  them  enter  the  chinmey  by  day  or 
heard  them  drumming  there,  day  or  night,  for  our  chimney 
never  had  been  a  ' '  swallow  roost. ' ' 

I  still  see  (September  20)  and  1  will  see  yet  for  three  weeks, 
if  this  season  is  like  previous  ones,  Swifts  sporting  in  the  great 
trough  of  air  between  the  long  line  of  woods  a  hundred  yards  to 
the  southeast  of  our  house  and  the  lines  of  tall  trees  along  the 
lanes  to  our  southwest  and  northwest.  But  in  the  chimney  of 
our  little  house,  that  stands  opposite  a  break  in  this  northwest 
line,  it  will  be  next  year's  May  before  we  have  the  chimney 
birds  again. 


TliLiL  Feathered  Midget  of  Our  Tide-Water  Swamps — 
The  Long- Billed  Marsh  Wren 

BY  CHRESWELL  J.   HUNT 

The  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  ( Tclmatodytes  palustrw)  is  a 
CDininon  summer  resident  throughout  the  Delaware  Valley 
wiierever  suitable  swamps  are  to  be  found,  hut  is  rarely  found 
above  the  reach  of  tide-water. 

Mr.  Thomas  H.  Jackson  found  tlicm  breeding  in  a  swamp 
along  the  Brandywine  Creek  near  Lenape,  Chester  County, 
Pennsylvania,  in  ISSfi;  and  Mr.  Witmer  Stone  found  them  in 
considerable  numbers  along  the  Egg  Harbor  River  above  May's 
Lauding,  New  Jersey,  quite  a  distance  above  tide-water. 
These  are  the  farthest  records  above  tide-water  that  have  come 
to  my  notice. 

In  some  parts  of  New  Jersey  it  appears  to  be  a  resident 
species,  as  Messrs.  Stone  and  S.  N.  Rhoads  found  small  num- 
bers of  them  in  the  giant  cattail  swamps  at  Cape  May  in  Janu- 
ary, and  Mr.  Charles  H.  Rogers,  of  New  York  City,  records 
Marsh  Wrens  at  Moresmere,  Bergen  Count}',  N.  J.,  as  late  as 
November  twenty-first.  ["Bird-Lore,"  Vol.  VI,  No.  3, 
page  98.] 

My  own  studies  of  the  bird  have  been  made  along  the  tide- 
water creeks  which  empty  into  the  Delaware  River  near  Phila- 
delphia. These  creeks  have  high  and  wooded  banks  on  one 
side,  while  on  the  other  side  for  the  most  part  lie  low  stretches 
of  alder  swamps,  covered  during  the  summer  with  a  rank 
growth  of  spatter-dock,  calamus,  wild  rice,  and  pickerel-weed, 
with  here  and  there  a  clump  of  rose-mallow  or  a  gorgeous  car- 
dinal flower.  It  is  here  that  countless  numbers  of  these  little 
birds  find  a  congenial  summer  home. 

They  arrive  about  the  tenth  of  May,  and  although  thej'  Vie- 
gin  nest-building  early,  it  is  not  until  the  first  and  second  weeks 

(14) 


I>KI..\WARK    VaLI.KY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   OLI'B.  15 

of  Juno  that  the  chocolate-colored  eggs  are  laid  and  domestic 
duties  taken  up  in  earnest.  Even  then  these  birds  seem  to 
take  it  more  as  play  than  work.  Could  they  be  serious  about 
anything  ? 

Wilson,  speaking  of  the  Marsh  Wrens  of  Pennsylvania,  says  : 
"The  young  leave  the  nest  about  the  twentieth  of  June." 
From  my  own  observations  this  would  seem  to  be  an  exception- 
ally early  date.  I  examined  a  great  many  nests  along  the 
Pensauken  Creek,  N.  J.,  on  May  thirtieth.  None  of  them  con- 
tained eggs,  and  few  were  as  yet  completed.  In  a  swamp  at 
Bristol,  Peiina.,  on  June  nineteenth,  Mr.  Keim  and  I  found 
several  nests.  Two  of  them  contained  four  and  five  eggs,  re- 
spectively. Examination  proved  these  eggs  to  be  well  incu- 
bated, but  the}'  certainly  would  not  have  hatched  for  several 
days. 

Along  the  Pensauken  Creek  each  patch  of  calamus  has  its  pair 
of  Wrens,  and  each  pair  build,  on  an  average  four  nests.  In 
this  locality  the  globular  nests  are  generally  built  among  the 
calamus  stalks  or  in  the  crotch  of  an  alder  or  elder  bush.  A 
visit  to  these  swamps,  on  May  30,  1904,  showed  each  pair  of 
birds  to  have  three  nests  almost  completed,  while  the  founda- 
tions for  a  fourth  were  in  most  cases  already  started.  They 
seem  to  work  on  all  of  them  at  once.  I  watched  a  Wren  with 
a  piece  of  building  material  in  his  bill.  First  he  carried  it  to 
one  nest  and  started  to  stick  it  into  that,  then  he  flew  away 
with  it  to  another  nest  and  finally  he  inserted  it  into  the  walls 
of  the  third,  every  little  while  stopping  to  sing  a  snatch  of  his 
merry  song. 

When  among  these  swamps  one  is  never  beyond  hearing  of 
the  Wren's  song.  They  seem  to  be  fairlj'  overflowing  with 
music — -a  bubbling,  gushing  song  that  seems  rather  to  have  had 
its  birth  above  some  rushing  mountain  stream  than  above  these 
sluggish  waters.  All  da\'  long  thej'  sing  their  cheery  warble, 
clinging  to  the  stalk  of  some  swamp  plant  with  their  little  tails 
cocked  up  over  their  backs  in  the  most  exaggerated  Wren  fash- 
ion, or  else  mounting  into  the  air  with  a  burst  of  song  and  then 
darting  back  again  among  the  sheltering  growth.  Nor  does  the 
coming  of  darkness  silence  them. 


16  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

At  all  hours  of  the  night  the  Marsh  Wren's  notes  may  be 
heard  ringing  across  the  marsh.  Drifting  with  the  tide,  in  an 
open  boat,  among  these  swampe  I  have  beard  this  night  song 
at  its  best.  There  is  a  pleasant  surprise  in  store  for  the  bird- 
lover  who  has  missed  it. 

This  night  song  is  no  doubt  the  same  as  that  sung  in  the  day- 
light but  the  night  gives  to  it  a  certain  charm.  One  must  hear 
it  mingled  with  the  quivering  call  of  a  Screech  Owl  and  the 
"quawk,  quawk"  of  Night  Herons  to  fully  appreciate  it. 

It  matters  not  whether  the  moon  be  bright  or  the  sky  be 
cloudy:  these  midnight  concerts  are  held  r^ularly  through  May, 
June,  July  and  the  first  half  of  August.  One  wonders  if  these 
little  birds  ever  sleep.  They  are  such  restless  little  bodies  that 
one  would  think  that  with  the  coming  of  night  they  would  be 
glad  to  rest,  but  instead  they  seem  to  be  always  on  the  move. 
When  you  invade  their  haunts  they  will  watch  you  from  some 
nearby  plant  stalk,  pitching  their  tails  forward  until  they  lie 
almost  flat  upon  their  backs,  scold  at  you  a  little  and  then 
burst  into  song.  It  seems  impossible  for  them  to  be  quiet  for 
five  minutes  at  a  time. 

Wilson  seemed  to  think  that  because  of  the  Marsh  Wren's 
restless  movements  it  should  be  classed  with  the  creepers.  He 
says:  "  From  the  above  description  and  view  of  the  figure,  the 
naturalist  will  perceive  that  this  species  is  truly  a  Certhia  or 
creeper,  and  indeed  its  habits  confirm  this,  as  it  is  continually 
climbing  along  the  stalks  of  reeds  aud  other  aquatic  plants  in 
search  of  insects." 

By  the  twentieth  of  October  these  little  birds  have  forsaken 
their  summer  haunts  and  the  swamps  have  lost  to  me  one  of 
their  chief  attractions. 


The  Short-billed  Marsh  Wren  (Cistothorus  stellaris) 
in  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey 

BY  LA  RUE  K.   HOLMES 

It  is  my  purpose  in  the  present  paper  to  give  a  summary  of 
the  most  important  published  records,  with  which  I  am  famil- 
iar, that  have  any  bearing  on  the  status  of  the  Short-billed 
Marsh  Wren  (Cktothorm  stellaris)  in  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and 
New  Jersey,  together  with  a  few  unrecorded  observations  made 
in  northern  New  Jersey  by  friends  of  the  author. 

With  the  exception  of  Audubon  the  earlier  writers  on  Orni- 
thology seem  to  have  been  entirely  ignorant  of  the  existence  of 
this  species.  Why,  I  cannot  tell,  unless  they  confused  it  with 
its  near  relative,  the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  (Telrnatodytes 
palmtris).  It  is,  however,  very  likely  that  they  never  happened 
to  hunt  in  marshes  inhabited  by  it.  Audubon,  though  familiar 
with  it,  appears  never  to  have  found  it  in  either  State  concerned, 
as  he  records  in  his  "  Birds  of  America,"  as  follows:  "While 
in  New  Jersey,  in  the  summer  of  1832,  after  I  had  become  ac- 
quainted with  this  species  through  Nuttall,  I  spent  several  days 
in  searching  the  fresh-water  marshes,  often  waist-deep  in  mud, 
in  the  hopes  of  procuring  it;  but  my  efforts,  as  well  as  those  of 
my  friend,  Edw.  Harris,  Esq.,  and  my  sons,  were  unsuccessful." 

It  is  to  be  presumed  that  these  days  were  spent  in  the  marshes 
of  central  and  southern  Jersey,  probably  at  no  great  distance 
from  Philadelphia,  and  as  this  bird  is  rare  in  that  section  to-day 
it  is  not  difficult  to  understand  why  he  did  not  find  it  in  the 
few  days  that  he  searched  for  it.  In  direct  contrast  to  the  ex- 
periences of  Audubon  are  those  of  Dr.  C.  C.  Abbott,  who,  in 
his  list  of  birds  of  New  Jersey  [18G8],  records  the  following  re- 
markable observations:  "More  abundant  than  the  preceding 
(C.  palustria),  and  frequents  the  same  localities,  builds  a  large, 
globular  nest  of  grass,  supported  by  firm  bulrush  stalks,  raises 

(17) 


18  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

two  broods  in  a  season,  lajing  frequently  10  eggs.  Tbit»  and 
the  above  feed  exclusively  upon  insects,  and  are  very  active  in 
the  pursuit  of  them.  Arriving  in  May,  they  settle  down  im- 
mediately in  the  meadows,  and  do  not  leave  them  till  a  hard, 
Avhite  frost  has  come."  The  following  is  what  he  has  to  say 
with  regard  to  T.  pnlustris:  "  Not  abundant.  Arrives  in  May, 
and  is  found  only  in  the  meadow  lands,  generally  in  the 
marshy,  wet  tracts  that  are  undisturbed  througliout  the  year. 
Breeds  in  June,  and  raises  two  broods  generally.  Are  most 
frequently  met  with  in  September,  when  they  may  be  seen  flit- 
ting about  the  reeds,  apparently  careless  of  the  sliooting  so  in- 
cessant about  them  at  this  time." 

In  1869,  W.  r.  Turnbull  in  his  list,  "The  Birds  of  East 
Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey,"  gives  the  Short-billed  Wren  as 
"rather  rare  from  April  to  September." 

Where  Dr.  Abbott  found  steUarin  more  common  than  palttstris 
he  does  not  state,  but  it  is  likely  that  his  observations  were 
made  along  the  Delaware  and  in  the  river  marshes  of  south 
Jersey. 

That  Abbott  should  have  found  them  so  common  in  1868, 
while  Turnbull  classed  them  as  rather  rnre  in  1869,  shows  that 
there  must  be  an  error,  and  in  view  of  the  status  of  this  species 
to-day  in  the  region  probably  covered  by  these  records,  I  feel 
that  Dr.  Abbott  is  mistaken  in  his  record.* 

Mr.  Stone  in  his  "Birds  of  Eastern  Pennsylvania  and  New 
Jer.sej',"  gives  C.  slellnris  as  a  "  Rare  migrant,  and  in  southern 
New  Jersey  occasional  (regular?)  winter  resident;"  also  a 
breeding  record  by  Dr.  Detwiller  which  I  will  note  later  on. 
He  further  says,  "we  know  of  no  other  records  of  its  breeding 
in  eastern  Pa.  or  New  Jersey." 

Mr.  Stone  tells  me  that  his  supposition  that  it  is  a  regular 
winter  resident  in  southern  New  Jersey  is  based  on  the  capture 

*  Tliis  view  is  strengthened  bj'  Dr.  Abbott's  s ub.-eqnoiit  statement  in  his  1885 
list  of  birds  of  Mercer  Co.,  N.  J.,  in  "  A  Naturalist's  Rambles  About  Home." 
lie  there  quotes  Turnbull  on  stcllaHs.  biit  adds,  "  1  believe  that  more  of  these 
birds  are  to  be  found  than  is  commonly  supposed.  1  l)ave  fo\ind  colonics  of 
them  in  certain  limited  tracts  of  reedy  meadows."  Oi' paluslria,  he  rightly  says, 
"abundant  in  all  marshy  or  tide-water  meadows." 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  19 

of  two  specimens  at  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  one  on  January  28,  1892, 
by  himself,  and  the  other  on  January  29,  1892,  by  Mr.  S.  N. 
Rhoads.  With  regard  to  these  specimens  Mr.  Stone  writeS: 
'  ■  The  two  Cape  May  specimens  were  secured  by  Mr.  Rhoads 
and  myself  from  the  grass  in  open  boggy  ground,  100  yards 
back  from  the  sandhills.  The  bird  flushed,  took  short  flights 
and  dropped  back  again  like  the  Savanna  and  Swamp  Spar- 
row which  occurred  abundantly  on  the  same  ground."  It  is 
not  improbable  that  a  few  individuals  occasionally,  if  not  regu- 
larly, winter  in  the  southern  counties  of  New  Jersey.  That 
they  have  not  been  found  more  often  is  undoubtedly  due  to  the 
fact  that  but  little  field  work  is  done  in  the  winter,  and  that  the 
birds  in  question  are  so  small  and  secretive  that  they  might  be 
easily  overlooked  even  when  quite  common. 

In  Chas.  A.  Shriner's  "Birds  of  New  Jersey,"  published  in 
1 897,  I  find  the  following:  "  The  breeding  location  is  similar  to 
that  of  the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren,  but  the  birds  are  scarce  in 
New  Jersey;  a  few  winter  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state;  they 
may  breed  occasionally,  but  they  mostly  occur  during  migra- 
tion." As  he  does  not  give  his  authority  for  his  winter  record, 
I  think  it  likely  that  he  has  based  his  statement  on  Mr.  Stone's 
record.* 

I  have  been  unable  to  find  but  one  or  two  breeding  records, 
and  several  of  these  are  open  to  doubt. 

The  following  is  taken  from  a  letter  of  Dr.  Detwiller  sent  to 
-Mr.  Stone  in  reply  to  his  query  on  this  species: 

"In  1884,  Mr.  John  Mack,  of  Bethlehem  (Pa.),  brought  me 
a  nest  of  this  bird  which  he  found  below  Quakertown  while 
hunting  Woodcock.  The  nest  was  a  new  structure,  but  con- 
tained neither  young  nor  eggs;  he  saw  the  birds.  July,  1886, 
I  found  a  nest  with  eggs  on  Chain  Dam  Island,  Lehigh  River. 
[Signed]  John  W.  Detwiller. 

March  22,  1S93. 

As  far  as  the  finding  of  an  empty  nest  is  concerned,  it  could 
hardly  be  identified  with  certainty  even  though  the  bird  was 
seen.     I  have  found  nests  of  paluslris  that  were  indistinguishable 

*  Tills  supposition  is  correct.     W.  S. 


20  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

from  those  of  slellaris.  In  one  case  a  male  stellaris  was  singing 
in  the  grass  within  ten  feet  of  a  nest  containing  five  chocolate 
eggs;  he  was  the  only  bird  seen  in  the  neighborhood,  and,  after 
hunting  for  several  hours,  I  could  find  no  other  nest,  yet  I 
should  not  consider  myself  justified  in  stating  that  the  chocolate 
eggs  belonged  to  stellaris. 

Dr.  Detwiller  has  made  one  or  two  statements  that  are  open 
to  question,  as  may  be  seen  in  a  recent  "Auk,"  and  his  record 
is  therefore  doubtful,  especially  when  the  fact  is  taken  into  con- 
sideration that  dozens  of  ornithologists  have  worked  and  worked 
over  again  the  whole  of  eastern  Pennsylvania  without  finding  a 
nest,  or  at  least  not  recording  it  if  found.  However,  the  bird 
is  of  extremely  local  distribution,  and  it  is  possible  that  Dr. 
Detwiller's  record  is  correct. 

Another  record,  although  not  from  the  territor}^  covered  by 
this  paper,  is  of  interest.  It  was  furnislied  by  Mr.  Stone  and  is 
as  follows  in  his  own  words:  "  Mr.  C.  J.  Pennock  found  a  nest 
in  a  marsh  along  the  Delaware  River  near  Wilmington,  Del., 
that  he  regards  as  this  species,  on  the  ground  of  white  eggs.  I, 
as  I  told  him.,  am  skeptical  (perhaps  too  much  so),  because  I  do 
not  believe  the  species  associates  with  the  Long-billed  Wren  in 
tide-water  marshes,  and  as  you  know  the  latter  sometimes  laj'S 
albino  eggs.  .  .  .  The  notes  in  Chaj)man's  "  Handbook  "  con- 
firm my  suspicions  above,  i.  e.,  that  the  bird  does  not  breed 
this  far  south  or  in  the  river  marshes." 

From  the  little  that  I  have  been  able  to  gather  on  the  subject 
I  would  say  that  I  think  the  nest  found  by  Mr.  Pennock  was 
that  of  stellaris,  for  as  far  as  I  can  learn  they  do,  even  though 
it  may  be  rarely,  breed  in  tide-water  marshes,  and  in  company 
with  T.  palusiris.  Audubon  says,  "Dr.  Trudcau  informs  me 
that  he  found  its  (stellaris)  nest  in  the  Delaware  marshes,  and 
saw  both  male  and  female  near  it,  but  could  not  procure  them, 
being  at  the  time  without  a  gun;  tlie  eggs  were  four."  * 

These  marshes  were  probably  tidal,  although  they  may  have 
been  farther  north.     At  any  rate,  they  were  river  marshes. 

Then  in  Dallas  Lore  Sharp's  delightful  "  Roof  and  Meadow," 

*  Birds  of  America. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    OEMTIIOLOGICAL    CLUB.  21 

I  find  a  reference  to  this  species  which,  though  somewhat  long, 
describes  so  well  the  conditions  under  which  this  bird  must  be 
sought,  that  I  quote  it  at  length,  with  the  author's  permission: 
"  It  was  a  late  June  day  whose  breaking  found  me  upon  the 
edge  of  the  great  salt  marshes  which  lie  behind  East  Point 
Light,  as  the  Delaware  Bay  lies  in  front  of  it,  and  which  runs 
in  a  wide,  half-land,  half-bay  border  down  the  cape.  I  fol- 
lowed along  the  black,  sandy  road  which  goes  to  the  Light  until 
close  to  old  Zane's  Place,  the  last  farmhouse  of  the  uplands, 
when  I  turned  off  into  the  marsh  toward  the  river.  The  mos- 
quitoes rose  from  the  damp  grass  at  every  step,  swarming  up 
around  me  in  a  cloud,  and  streaming  off  behind  like  a  comet's 
tail,  which  hummed  instead  of  glowed.  I  was  the  only  male 
among  them.  It  was  a  cloud  of  females,  the  nymphs  of  the 
Bait  marsh;  and  all  through  that  day  the  singing,  stinging, 
smothering  swarm  danced  about  me,  rested  upon  me,  covered 
me  whenever  I  paused,  so  that  my  black  leggings  turned  in- 
stantl}'  to  a  mosquito  brown,  and  all  my  dress  seemed  dyed 
alike. 

"Only  I  did  not  pause — not  often,  not  long.  ...  I  had 
waded  out  into  the  meadow  perhaps  two  hundred  yards,  leaving 
a  dark,  bruised  trail  in  the  grass,  when  I  came  upon  the  nest  of 
the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren.  It  was  a  bulky  house,  and  so 
overburdened  its  frail  sedge  supports  that  it  lay  almost  upon 
the  ground  with  its  little  round  doorway  wide  open  to  the  sun 
and  rain.  They  must  have  been  a  young  couple  who  built  it, 
and  quite  inexperienced.  I  wonder  they  had  not  abandoned 
it;  for  a  crack  of  light  into  a  Wren's  nest  would  certainly  addle 
the  eggs. 

"They  are  such  tiny,  dusky,  tucked-away  things,  and  their 
cradle  is  so  deep  and  dark  and  hidden.  There  were  no  fatali- 
ties, I  am  sure,  following  my  efforts  to  prop  the  leaning  structure, 
though  the  Wrens  were  just  sure  that  it  was  all  a  fatality — ut- 
terly misjudging  my  motives.  As  a  rule,  I  have  never  been 
able  to  help  much  in  such  extremities.  Either  I  arrived  too 
late,  or  else  I  blundered.  I  thought,  for  a  moment,  that  it  was 
the  nest  of  the  Long-billed' s  cousin,  the  Short-billed  Marsh 
W^ren,  that  I  had  found,  which  would  have  been  a  gem  indeed, 


22  PliOCEEDINGS    OF   TBK 

with  pearly  eggs  instead  of  chocolate  ones.  'I  hough  1  was  out 
for  the  mere  joy  of  heing  out,  I  had  really  come  with  a  hope  of 
discovering  this  mousy  mite  of  a  Wren,  and  of  watching  her 
ways.  It  was  like  hoping  to  watch  the  ways  of  the  "  wunk." 
Several  times  I  have  been  near  these  little  Wrens;  but  what 
chance  has  a  pair  of  human  eyes  with  a  sulking  four  inches  of 
brownish  streaks  and  bars  in  the  middle  of  a  marsh!  Such 
birds  are  the  everlasting  depj)air  of  the  naturalist,  the  salt  of  his 
earth.  The  belief  that  a  pair  of  them  dwelt  somewhere  in  this 
green  expanse,  that  I  might  at  any  step  come  upon  them,  made 
me  often  forget  the  mosquitoes. 

"  When  I  reached  the  ridge  of  rose  and  mallow  bushes,  two 
Wrens  began  muttering  in  the  grass  with  dififerent  notes  and 
tones  from  those  of  the  Long-billed.  I  advanced  cautiously. 
Soon  one  flashed  out  and  whipped  back  among  the  thick  stems 
again,  exposing  himself  just  long  enough  to  show  me  siellaris, 
the  little  Short-billed  Wren  I  was  hunting.  I  tried  to  stand 
still  for  a  second  glimpse  and  a  clue  to  the  nest;  but  the  mos- 
quitoes! Things  have  come  to  a  bad  pass  with  the  bird  hunter, 
whose  only  gun  is  an  opera-glass,  when  he  cannot  stand  stock 
still  for  on  hour.  His  success  depends  upon  his  ability  to  take 
root.  He  needs  light  feet,  a  divining  mind,  and  many  other 
things,  but  most  of  all  he  needs  patience.  There  are  few  mor- 
tals, however,  with  mosquito-proof  patience — one  that  would 
stand  the  test  here.  Remembering  a  meadow  in  New  England 
where  stellaris  nested,  I  concluded  to  wait  till  chance  took  me 
thither,  and  passed  on." 

Upon  corresponding  with  Mr.  Sharp,  I  find  that  he  can  give 
me  no  further  notes,  but  he  says  that  he  is  absolutely  sure  that 
it  was  stellaris  he  saw  on  that  "  late  June  day." 

The  occurrence  of  a  pair  of  birds  as  late  as  this  in  south  Jer- 
sey would  certainly  indicate  that  they  were  breeding.  East 
Point  is  many  miles  south  of  Wilmington,  Delaware,  and  is 
nearer  the  Ocean,  the  marshes  would  naturally  be  much  saltier 
than  above.  Stellaris  and  pahistris  were  nesting  (?)  in  the  same 
marsh;  these  points  with  Audubon's  record  tend  to  show  that 
stellaris  may  breed  regularly  to  southern  New  Jersey;  but  as  Mr. 
Sharp  says,  the  mosquitoes  are  so  abundant  that  hunting  is 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    OKNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  23 

almost  impossible,  and  in  this  vtay  they  may  have  been  over- 
looked. At  any  rate,  Mr.  Pennock's  record  should  be  accepted 
until  it  is  proven  he  is  wrong. 

My  own  knowledge  of  this  bird  is  limited  to  its  occurrence 
within  a  radius  of  fifteen  miles  of  Summit,  N.  J.,  having 
found  it  breeding  in  the  marshes  left  by  the  receding  waters  of 
the  prehistoric  Lake  Passaic,  which  formerly  covered  a  large 
portion  of  Morris,  Union,  Essex  and  Passaic  counties.  These 
marshes  are  fresh  and  their  united  waters  form  the  source  of 
the  Passaic  river.  They  differ  greatly  in  character  and  size. 
The  Great  Swamp  is  the  large^^t  one  w'ithin  a  day's  walk  of 
Summit  and  covers  many  square  miles;  it  varies  from  meadow 
to  the  wettest  kind  of  a  wet  stvamp,  from  brush  to  virgin  forests 
with  trees  a  hundred  or  more  feet  in  height.  These  latter, 
however,  are  rapidly  being  cut,  and  it  will  be  but  a  few  years 
before  tliey  will  have  entirely  disappeared.  The  Lee,  Troy, 
Whippau}',  JBlack  and  Chatham  meadows  are  similar  but  on  a 
smaller  scale. 

Slellaris  has  been  found  at  the  Miersville  end  of  the  Great 
Swamp  by  Mr.  W.  D.  W.  Miller,  of  Plainfield,  but  he  has  been 
unable  to  locate  its  nest.  Messrs.  H.  H.  Hann,  H.  Merriam, 
J.  P.  Callender  and  the  writer,  all  of  Summit,  have  found  the 
bird  breeding  in  several  localities  in  the  Great  Swamp,  princi- 
pally near  Miersville,  Green  Village  and  the  Red  Brick  School- 
house. 

At  Miersville  thej'  build  in  damp  meadows  near  heavy  tim- 
ber; at  Green  Village  in  similar  locations,  while  near  the  School- 
house  they  breed,  over  water  varying  in  depth  from  six  to 
twenty  inches,  in  companj'  with  pabistris,  which  also  breeds  in 
the  other  two  localities,  but  not  in  the  same  part  of  the  marsh 
>\s  stellaris,  and  always  (?)  over  water. 

In  the  Lee  meadows  near  ^Malpardis,  Mr.  J.  P.  Callender  and 
myself  have  found  stellaris  breeding  over  two  feet  of  water;  no 
palustris  were  seen  or  heard,  but  I  have  been  told  that  they 
breed  there  also. 

On  the  banks  of  the  Passaic,  near  Chatham,  stellaris  breeds  on 
one  side  of  the  river  and  palustris  on  the  opposite  bank;  the 
shores  are  identical  in  appearance,  but,  I  have  been  told,  that 


24  PHOrEEDIKGS    OF   THE 

the  two  species  do  not  eticronch  upon  each  other's  territory,  and 
my  observations  bear  out  this  statement. 

Mr.  C.  C.  Henry,  of  Summit,  has  found  slellnris  breeding  at 
Afton,  N.  J.,  in  the  Blaclc  meadows,  in  company  with  palustris, 
the  ratio  being  about  one  to  fifty,  which  means  that  you  might 
find  two  or  three  nests  of  stellaris  in  a  season.  He  also  tells  me 
of  a  nest  of  stcUaris  that  contained  seventeen  eggs,  all  well  incu- 
bated; only  one  pair  of  liirds  was  seen  near  the  nest,  but  I  feel 
sure  that  two  or  moi-e  females  were  responsible  for  the  abnormal 
get.  Seven  eggs  is  the  largest  number  found  in  any  nest  of 
which  I  have  any  record,  with  the  exception  of  the  above. 

I  have  never  been  able  to  find  any  infallible  rule  for  distin- 
guishing the  nests  of  this  species  from  those  of  palustris.  My 
own  experience  has  l)een  that  stellaris  used  finer  grass  in  con- 
struction, but  Mr.  Henry  tells  me  that  in  the  nests  he  has  found 
the  grass  used  was  as  coarse  if  not  coarser  than  that  used  by 
palustris.  Stellaris  invariably  (?)  builds  in  grass  tules;  I  liave 
never  found  one  built  in  any  other  location,  and  have  no  differ- 
ing record.  Palustris,  however,  builds  in  almost  aii_y  situation 
that  happens  to  suit  his  notion,  most  often  in  den.'^e  patches  of 
calamus,  cat-tails  or  wild  rice.  I  have  found  them  in  dense 
rose  bushes  which  were  growing  in  masses  of  cat-tails  and  in 
grass  tules,  but  not  often. 

Some  writers  tell  of  having  found  the  nests  plastered  with 
mud;  I  have  never  found,  nor  have  I  ever  heard  of  one  so  con- 
structed, having  been  found  in  this  locality. 

The  earliest  date  that  I  have  for  eggs,  is  May  23,  1903,  when 
I  found  at  Miersville  a  nest  containing  one  egg,  and  another 
nest  upon  which  the  birds  were  working.  The  next  day.  May 
24,  in  the  Lee  Meadows  I  found  five  nests,  in  various  stages  of 
completion,  and  watched  the  birds  building  them  for  some 
time;  many  "dummy"  nests  were  in  the  same  meadow  and 
had  evidently  been  rejected  before  starting  on  the  permanent 
site. 

On  May  30,  1903,  Mr.  J.  P.  Callender  found  a  nest  in  the 
Great  Swamp,  containing  two  fresh  eggs. 

These  dates  are  unusually  early,  June  9  being  the  usual  time 
for  finding  one  or  two  eggs  in  a  ncBt,  in  this  section. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  25 

Two  broods  are  reared  each  year,  one  in  June  and  the  other 
in  the  last  of  July  and  the  first  of  August.  Many  false,  or 
dummy  nests  are  constructed  for  the  first  brood,  they  vary  from 
a  complete  nest,  without  the  lining,  to  a  few  grasses  in  a  tule 
twisted  together:  but  in  July  they  build  only  (?)  one  nest,  the 
one  they  use.  This  statement  is  borne  out  by  observations 
made  by  Mr.  Dickerson  covering  many  years.  He  owns  a 
meadow  which  he  cuts  about  twice  a  year,  the  first  time  about 
the  first  of  July,  when  he  finds  many  dummy  nests  and  few 
completed  ones;  the  second  mowing  is  done  about  the  last  of 
August,  when  he  finds  only  completed  nests  which  bear  evi- 
dence of  having  been  used.  I  have  been  told  bj'  Messrs. 
Callender,  Dickerson  and  Merriam,  that  a  nest  once  touched 
would  be  destroyed  by  its  owners,  even  though  it  contained  eggs. 
Mr.  Merriam  based  his  statement  upon  a  nest  found  in  the 
Great  Swamp,  which  contained  an  incomplete  set  of  eggs,  he 
returned  to  the  nest  several  days  later  and  to  his  astonishment 
he  found  the  nest  torn  to  pieces.  Mr.  Dickerson  tells  of  having 
seen  a  pair  of  infuriated  birds  tear  a  nest  to  pieces  that  he  had 
just  examined,  both  birds  took  part  in  the  dismantling  of  their 
home. 

It  has  been  recorded  that  the  nests  were  always  so  well 
constructed  that  no  amount  of  rain  could  penetrate  them.  I 
have  reason  to  believe  otherwise,  for  I  have  found  the  nests  of 
both  species,  from  which  the  young  had  flown,  so  wet  that 
when  squeezed,  the  water  ran  from  them  as  from  a  sponge; 
this,  however,  was  after  an  unusually  bard  rain,  covering  a 
period  of  three  days. 

In  the  foregoing  pages  I  have  endeavored  to  give  a  summary 
of  our  knowledge  concerning  this  bird  in  New  Jersey  and  East- 
ern Pennsylvania,  and  if  any  of  my  readers  can  add  any  infor- 
mation I  shall  be  pleased  to  hear  from  them,  that  I  may  com- 
plete my  notes  on  this  species  at  a  future  date.  Records  that 
are  especially  desirable,  are  winter  occurences,  definite  breeding 
records  from  southern  New  Jersey  and  any  record  from  Penn- 
sylvania. 


The  Bam  Owl  (btrix  pratincola^  in  Chester  County, 
Pennsylvania 

BY  THOMAS  H.   JA;  KSON 

With  the  disappearance  of  some  species  of  birds,  and  tlie 
growing  scarcity  of  others,  it  is  alwaj's  a  pleasure  to  know  that 
some  of  our  birds  are  at  least  holding  their  own,  or  even  show- 
ing a  marked  increase  in  numbers  in  certain  districts. 

Although  always  more  or  less  abundant  along  the  Delaware 
River  and  its  adjacent  low-lying  meadow  lands,  where  the 
supply  of  its  favorite  food  is  practicallj'  inexhaustible,  the  Barn 
Owl  has  always  been  considered  a  rara  avh  in  Chester  county 
until  within  a  comparatively  recent  period.  Since  1870,  the 
writer  has  paid  considerable  attention  (o  our  local  birds,  and 
it  is  only  within  recent  years  that  the  Barn  Owl  has  seemed  to 
occupy  a  place  amongst  our  regular  summer  residents. 

Within  the  last  ten  }'ears  a  constantly  increasing  number  of 
these  birds  have  been  brought  in  to  our  local  taxidermists,  and 
these  have  nearly  all  been  young  birds.  The  late  Henry  Gar- 
rett received  quite  a  number  of  them,  and  nearly  all  came  from 
Willistown  township. 

All  efforts  to  trace  these  birds  to  a  nesting  place  failed,  until 
the  spring  of  1902,  when,  after  hearing  the  description  of  a  cur- 
ious "White  Owl"  that  had  been  found  in  a  nest  the  year 
before,  I  located  a  female  Barn  Owl  sitting  on  six  eggs.  Tliis 
was  on  the  15th  of  May,  and  one  egg  was  already  "pipped." 
The  nest  was  in  a  large,  isolated  maple  tree  that  stood  on  the 
edge  of  Ridley  creek  in  East  Goshen  township.  The  cavity  was 
a  very  roomy  one  and  was  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground. 
Sometime  during  incubation  the  male  bird  was  probably  killed, 
as  he  was  found  dead  near  the  nest.  Possibly  this  accounted 
in  part  for  the  fact  that  only  two  birds  out  of  the  six  eggs  that 
were  hatched  reached  maturity. 

(2(5) 


YOUNG    BARN    OWLS. 
THREE    WEEKS   AND    FOUR    MONTHS    OLD. 

PHOTOGRAPHS    FROM    LIFE    BY    THOMAS    H.    JACKSON. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  27 

About  the  same  date  I  visited  a  large,  partly  dead  chestnut 
tree  in  East  Whiteland  township,  where  I  learned  a  pair  of  Barn 
Owls  had  nested  for  a  number  of  years,  the  secret  being  very 
closely  guarded,  and  a  portion  of  the  brood  being  taken  each 
season  and  sold  or  mounted.  This  particular  year  they  did  not 
nest  there,  the  cavity  being  occupied  by  a  pair  of  Sparrow  Hawks. 

This  tree  was  an  immense  chestnut  that  stood  in  the  middle 
of  a  large  iield.  It  had  decayed  and  the  center  had  been  burned 
out  until  it  remained  a  mere  shell,  while  a  large,  hollow  limb 
made  an  ideal  home  for  the  Owls. 

During  the  sunniier  of  1903,  a  brood  of  six  Barn  Owls  was 
raised  in  East  Bradford  township.  This  nest  was  also  in  a  large, 
isolated  chestnut  tree  on  a  hill.  The  young  birds  were  said  to 
be  quite  tame,  and  someone  fancying  that  Owls  were  only  made 
to  be  shot  at,  killed  the  whole  brood. 

Early  in  May  of  the  present  year,  another  nest  with  six  eggs 
was  found  in  Westtown  township,  one  mile  south  of  West 
Chester.  This  nest  was  also  in  a  large  chestnut  tree,  standing 
alone  in  a  field.  A  pair  of  Sparrow  Hawks  shared  possession 
of  the  tree  with  the  Owls. 

All  of  the  3'oung  were  raised,  two  of  them  were  in  my  posses- 
sion for  about  three  months  and  they  made  very  interesting 
pets,  though  they  never  became  at  all  tame,  or  allowed  them- 
selves to  be  handled  without  biting  or  striking  with  their  claws. 
During  the  day  they  huddled  together  in  the  darkest  corner  of 
the  cage,  with  eyes  nearly  closed  and  in  a  crouching  position, 
and  when  disturbed  would  shake  their  heads  in  a  most  doleful 
manner.  The  only  noise  they  made  was  a  shrill  cry  that 
sounded  like  scraping  ice  with  a  knife.  Rats  and  mice  were 
their  favorite  food,  though  fresh  meat  of  any  kind  was  acceptable. 

Early  in  December,  1904,  a  young  Barn  Owl  was  found  dead 
under  a  large  poplar  tree  in  Willistown  township.  It  was  still 
partly  covered  with  down  and  could  not  have  been  over  eight 
weeks  old,  so  that  it  must  have  been  hatched  about  the  first  of 
October.  This  would  seem  in  a  measure  to  confirm  some  of  the 
accounts  we  have  had  of  the  irregular  nesting  habits  of  these 
birds.  The  nest  from  which  this  bird  had  fallen  was  in  a  hol- 
low limb  near  the  top  of  the  tree. 


28  PROCEEDIKGS   OF   THE 

It  seems  very  likely  that  the  Barn  Owl  nests  in  this  vicinity 
much  more  abundantly  than  has  been  supposed.  The  habit 
they  have  of  hiding  so  thoroughly  during  the  daytime  and  com- 
ing out  only  after  dark,  accounts  for  their  being  so  rarely  seen, 
and  those  that  are  captured  are  generally  young  birds,  that 
have  become  lost  or  have  not  yet  found  secure  places  of  conceal- 
ment. 

If  the  law  against  killing  these  birds  would  only  be  respected, 
it  would  seem  that  they  ought  to  become  in  a  short  time  one  of 
our  most  abundant  Owls.  Always  locating  their  homes  in  the 
midst  of  meadows  or  open  fields,  where  mice  are  abundant  and 
convenient,  they  wage  incessant  warfare  against  these  pests. 


Summer  Birds  of   Pocono   Lake,  Monroe    County, 
Pennsylvania 

BY  JOHN  D.   CARTER 

In  the  northeastern  part  of  Penns3'lvania,  between  the  sharply- 
cut  valleys  of  the  Lackawanna,  Lackawaxen,  Delaware  and  Le- 
high rivers,  lies  an  elevated,  thinly-settled  tract  called  the 
Pocono  plateau.  To  a  traveler  approaching  from  the  Delaware 
valley  at  Stroudsburg,  its  southeastern  edge  has  the  appearance 
of  a  massive  mountain  wall,  more  or  less  irregular,  yet  preserv- 
ing the  usual  Alleghanian  trend,  up  this  wall,  by  devious  courses, 
climb  the  Lackawanna  and  Wilkes-Barre  and  Eastern  Railroads. 

At  Mount  Pocono,  on  the  former  railroad,  a  beautiful  and 
impressive  view  is  afforded,  across  the  wide,  rugged  valley, 
northwest  of  Stroudsburg,  to  the  long  ridge  of  the  Kittatinny 
mountain,  sharply  broken  by  the  Delaware  Water  Gap.  At  the 
next  station,  Pocono  Summit,  all  the  distant  view  is  left  behind. 
On  all  sides  extends  a  gently,  undulating  country,  covered  for 
the  most  part  with  a  low,  scrubby  growth  of  bushes  and  small 
trees.  Above  this  humble  vegetation  protrude  numerous  pine 
trees  of  small  or  medium  size,  while  an  occasional  great  trunk, 
desolate  in  its  nakedness,  lifts  its  few  remaining  arms  as  if  in 
protest  against  the  destruction  which  has  been  wrought  by  fire 
and  the  axe. 

This  region,  which  to  many  travelers  doubtless  appears  dull 
and  forsaken,  is  broken  occasionally  by  patches  of  cleared  land, 
cared  for  by  small  farmers.  Through  wide,  shallow  depressions 
flow  the  streams  of  the  region,  some  toward  the  Delaware  or  its 
tributaries,  others  toward  the  Lehigh. 

A  few  miles  from  Pocono  Summit,  one  of  the  streams  of  the 
Lehigh  division,  called  the  Tobyhanna,  suddenly  enters  a  valley 
60  narrow  and  sharp]}'  cut  as  almost  to  deserve  the  name  of  a 
gorge.     At  this  point  a  dam-breast  has  been  made,  backing  up 

(29) 


30  ri!ocf:EDiKGs  of  the 

the  water  for  about  tlireo  miles.  This  quiet  water  is  Pocono 
lake.  Although  made  for  strictly  utilitarian  ends — the  produc- 
tion of  ice — the  lake  is  not  without  beauty  of  its  own  type,  and 
interest  to  the  bird-lover.  Since  the  lake  is  of  rather  recent 
date,  the  trees  along  its  edges  killed  by  the  rise  of  the  water  are 
in  many  places  still  standing.  A  canoe  may  often  be  worked 
in  among  them  for  some  distance.  Many  of  those  which  once 
stood  nearest  to  the  stream  have  been  cut  off  near  the  present 
water  level.  The  resulting  logs  have  drifted  intoTafts  which 
skirt  the  shores  in  many  places. 

The  woodland  surrounding  the  lake  is  strikingly  different 
from  the  scrubby  region  before  mentioned.  The  trees  mostly  de- 
ciduous, have  attained  a  good  growth.  Occasional  groups  of 
white  pines,  hemlocks,  sj:)ruces  and  balsams  serve  to  diversify 
the  scenery  and  provide  accommodations  for  certain  kinds  of 
birds. 

Speaking  broadly,  the  birds  of  the  region  near  Pocono  lake 
may  be  divided  into  three  or  more  classes  according  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  districts  which  they  inhabit.  In  such  a  classification 
it  must  not  be  supposed  that  most  of  the  species  confine  them- 
selves entirely  to  those  places  of  which  they  are  characteristic. 
Comparatively  little  of  my  stay  of  two  weeks,  following  the  16th 
of  7th  month,  was  spent  in  the  scrubby  region.  My  list  for 
this  locality  is  therefore  confessedly  incomplete. 

Combining  those  species  found  in  the  cultivated  spots,  with 
those  frequenting  the  scrubby  growth,  the  birds  observed  by  me 
are  as  follows: 

Turtle  Dove,  Song  Sparrow, 

Flicker,  Chipping  Sjiarrow, 

Night  Hawk,  Field  Sparrow, 

Chimney  Swift,  Indigobird, 

Hummingbird,  Cedarbird, 

Kingbird,  Barn  Swallow, 

Phoebe,  Cliff  Swallow, 

Meadow  Lark,  Maryland  Yellow-throat, 

Red-winged  Blackbird,  Brown  Thrasher, 

Purple  Crackle,  Catbird, 

Baltimore  Oriole,  House  Wren, 


DKLAWAUE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUH.  31 

(Joldliiich,  Robin, 

Towhee,  Bluebird. 

Vesper  Sparrow, 

Although  the  Chestnut-sided  Wnrbler  breeds  abundantly  in 
this  locality,  I  did  not  succeed  in  finding  it. 

Most  of  the  above  may  be  dismissed  with  mere  mention. 
The  Clift"  Swallows  seemed  to  have  a  permanent  i)lace  of  abode 
under  the  eaves  of  a  barn,  and  the  people  of  the  farm  were 
of  the  opinion  that  the  Swallows  came  regularly.  On  account 
of  the  sparseness  of  human  habitations,  there  are  not  enough 
chimneys  to  accommodate  the  normul  population  of  Chim- 
ney Swifts.  These  adaptable  birds  have  therefore  taken  ad- 
vantage of  a  peculiarity  in  barn  construction  which  may  fre- 
quently be  noticed  on  the  Pocono  plateau.  In  the  end  of  the 
barn,  a  little  below  the  peak  of  the  roof,  a  small  window  of  ar- 
tistic shape  is  cut  in  the  weather-lioarding.  Since  this  window 
is  regularly  unglazed,  the  Swifts  find  ready  access  to  the  interior 
of  the  barn  bj'  day  or  by  night.  Inside  they  fasten  their  twig 
and  saliva  nests  directly  to  the  sides  of  the  boards.  This  prac- 
tice affords  an  uncommonly  good  opportunity  for  the  study  of 
the  nestlings  of  this  bird,  usually  safely  ensconced  in  dark 
chimneys. 

Rather  more  characteristic  of  the  taller  forest  near  the  lake, 
though  not  confined  to  it,  were  the  following  : 

Woodcock,  Junco, 

Rpffed  Grouse,  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak, 

Red-shouldered  Hawk,  Scarlet  Tanager, 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  Red-eyed  Vireo, 

Downy  Woodpecker,  Ovenbird, 

Yellow-breasted  Sapsueker,     Redstart, 

Black-billed  Cuckoo,  Magnolia  Warbler, 

Whip-poor-will,  Black-throated  Green  Warbler, 

Crow,  Blackburnian  Warbler, 

Blue  Jay,  Black-capped  Chickadee, 

American  Crossbill,  Hermit  Thrush, 

Purple  Finch,  Wood  Thrush. 

Of  the  Warblers  mentioned,  the  Magnolia  seemed  as  numer- 
ous as  all  the  others  taken  together.  Its  song  was  one  of  the 
most  constant  features  of  certain  portions  of  the  woods. 


32  PROCEEDINGS   OF    THE 

The  vegetation  and  some  of  the  birds  to  be  mentioned  later, 
hinted  that  this  locality  might  prove  to  be  one  where  birds 
usually  more  northern  in  their  preferences,  could  find  a  congen- 
ial summer  home.  It  was,  therefore,  with  peculiar  satisfaction 
that  the  Yellow-bellied  Woodpecker  was  discovered.  Only  one 
individual  was  seen,  probably  a  young  bird.  Whether  or  not 
it  was  an  early  migrant  could  not  be  determined. 

It  is  always  gratifying  to  solve  a  puzzle  of  long  standing  in 
one's  ornithological  experience.  Years  ago  I  noticed  in  the 
mountains  of  New  York  State,  a  bird  which  always  seemed  to 
be  a  long  way  off,  flying  through  the  sky  in  an  undulating 
course,  uttering  a  recognizable  chirping  note.  I  was  then  un- 
able even  so  much  as  to  propose  a  guess  as  to  its  identity,  and 
much  puzzled  was  I  to  think  of  there  being  such  a  bird  so  close 
to  my  home.  I  had  not  been  long  at  Pocono  Lake  before  this 
bird  appeared  again,  like  the  wind  of  the  winter  night  in  the 
song,  "Far  in  the  Sky."  For  some  da3's  a  special  watch  was 
kept  for  it.  At  last  a  small  flock  of  the  unknowns  was  discov- 
ered in  a  pine  tree.  They  tarried  but  a  moment,  yet  that  was 
sufficient  to  reveal  to  a  cousin  of  mine,  who  had  seen  them  in 
the  pine  woods  of  New  Jersey,  what  they  were — Crossbills. 

Any  one  must  have  been  indeed  insensible  to  bird  music,  not 
to  have  appreciated  the  Hermit  Thrushes  of  Pocono  Lake.  In 
the  mornings  especially,  the  chorus  echoing  from  every  side, 
was  one  to  be  cherished  in  memory,  in  that  department  devoted 
to  one's  most  delightful  recollections. 

The  lake  was  doubtless  responsible  for  the  presence  of  some 
of  the  most  interesting  birds  of  the  region.  Close  to  the  Toby- 
hanna  or  the  lake,  the  following  species  were  observed: 

Spotted  Sandpiper,  Wood  Pewee, 

Green  Heron,  Great-crested  Flycatcher, 

Great  Blue  Heron,  Swamp  Sparrow, 

Night  Heron,  White-throated  Sparrow, 

Bald  Eagle,  Tree  Swallow, 

Osprey,  Veery. 

Kingfisher, 

Close  to  the  lake,  but  apparently  in  no  way  affected  by  it,  a 
Nashville   Warbler  seemed   to  have   a   permanent  home.     Its 


DELAWARE    VALI-EY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  33 

song,  aa  is  quoted  by  Chapman  in  his  description,  seemed 
composed,  half  of  the  Black  and  White  Warbler's,  and  half  of 
the  Chipping  Sparrow's. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  lake  a  hill  slopes  gently  to  the 
water's  edge.  This  hill-side  had  been  burned  over  within  a 
year  or  two,  huckleberry  bushes,  young  birches  and  epilobium 
were  the  characteristic  plants.  This  was  the  chosen  home  of 
the  White-throated  Sparrows,  and  they  were  in  abundance. 
Along  the  edge  of  this  tract,  where  the  bushes  grew  in  the 
shallow  water,  my  cousin  and  I  detected  a  call  note  (apparently) 
which  at  once  struck  us  as  being  wholly  new.  A  little  search 
showed  the  note  to  come  from  a  small  Flycatcher,  in  non-com- 
mittal brown  and  white  plumage.  The  characteristics  of  his 
race  were  well-marked,  even  down  to  the  fluttering  and  twit- 
tering combination  gone  through  on  returning  to  a  perch  after  a 
fly-catching  sally.  Having  neither  gun  nor  disposition  to  use 
one  had  it  been  available,  there  remains  something  to  be  de- 
sired as  to  the  identification  of  this  bird,  j-et  by  subtracting 
from  the  total  list  of  Flycatchers,  those  which  it  certainly  was 
not,  there  remains  but  one,  namely,  the  Alder  Flycatcher.  On 
one  occasion  I  heard  perhaps  three  or  four  of  the  birds  calling 
at  the  same  time  from  different  sides  of  the  lake. 

Yet  more  conspicuous  than  any  of  the  foregoing,  were  the  Great 
Blue  Herons.  How  different  they  were  from  those  which  I  had 
seen  in  the  lower  country  of  Pennsylvania  and  New  Jersey! 
There  they  had  always  been  almost  as  voiceless  as  the  Shnrp- 
shinncd  Hawk,  and  as  shy  and  wary  as  a  bird  well  could  be. 
But  at  Pocono  Lake,  the  hunted  criminal  frame  of  mind  seemed 
wholly  abandoned.  They  had  voices,  good,  strong  ones,  tro, 
and  were  not  afraid  to  use  them.  Their  most  usual  call  was  a 
sudden  squawk,  longer  than  the  Night  Heron's  quack,  and  as 
my  cousin  put  it,  more  liUed  with  the  sound  of  x;  and  for  tame- 
ness,  they  were  models,  indeed.  In  the  morning  and  evening 
twilight  they  would  allow  a  canoe  to  approach  almost,  as  it 
seemed,  within  reach  of  tlvC  paddle.  Perhaps  twenty  or  thirty 
feet  would  be  a  fair  estimate  of  my  nearest  interview.  It  ap- 
peared that  a  brood  of  young  had  been  raised  nearby,  and  that 


34  PROCEKDINX.S    OF   THE 

our  friends,  irienibers  uf  the  rising  generation,  had  net  learned 
what  an  unreasonable  and  avaricious  creature  man  is. 

Near  the  foot  of  the  lake,  a  cold,  clear  little  stream  comes 
down  through  the  forest.  Spruces,  pines,  and  hemlocks,  are 
mixed  with  deciduous  trees  of  various  kinds.  The  ground  is  in 
many  places  very  wet,  and  clothed  with  sphagnum.  Rhodo- 
dendrons grow  luxuriantly,  while  such  plants  as  the  snowberry 
suggest  the  northerly  character  of  the  place.  In  a  recently- 
burned  tract  on  the  edge  of  this  wet  woodland,  the  Parula 
Warbler  was  found,  while  within  it,  the  Black  and  White, 
Black-throated  Blue,  and  Canada  Warblers  were  numerous. 
Less  conspicuous  were  the  Winter  Wren,  Golden-crowned 
Kinglet,  Solitary  Vireo  and  Red-breasted  Nuthatch.  Interest- 
ing as  it  was  to  find  these  birds  spending  the  suiumer  in  this 
part  of  Pennsylvania,  further  search  showed  still  better  things. 
Resounding  through  the  woods  came  the  notes  "quip,  quiji,  quip, 
quip,"  occasionally  running  into  a  long-drawn,  whistling  "quip, 
que-e-e-e."  These  notes  were  readily  traceable  to  a  medium- 
sized,  stoutly-built  Flycatcher,  the  Olive-sided.  To  make  the 
acquaintance  of  this  bird,  long-lonkcd-for  but  never  before 
found  by  me,  was  an  event  worthy  of  red-letter  record. 

Not  so  easy  to  trace  was  another  note.  I  had  heard  it  before 
in  southeastern  Pennsylvania  during  spring  migration.",  liut  had 
never  been  able  to  fully  make  it  out.  The  song  began  with 
two  notes,  low  in  pitch,  and  possessing  that  peculiar  ringing 
quality  of  the  Veery's  song,  which  seems  to  suggest  to  every 
one  something  spiral  or  whirling.  These  w^ere  followed  by  a 
succession  of  notes,  some  soft  and  sweet,  others  more  closely  re- 
sembling high-pitched  squeaks.  The  conclusion  of  the  song 
was  not  strikingly  peculiar.  At  first  I  thought  the  song  rather 
weak,  but  after  following  the  sound  for  some  hundred  )'ards, 
only  to  discover  the  bird  upon  a  tree-top,  still  a  long  way  off,  I 
concluded  that  it  possessed  good  penetration,  if  not  power. 
The  bird  which  made  it  was  a  small  Thrush.  Unless  the  bird 
lies  in  one's  hand,  ears  are  better  than  eyes  in  distinguishing 
between  the  Olive-backed  and  Bicknell's  Thrushes.  The  strik- 
ing Vecry  quality  of  the  song,  with  the  absence  of  dear,  high- 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   OKNITnOLOGICAL   CLUB.  35 

pitched  whistles,    seemed   to  decide  the  question   in   favor  of 
Bicknell's.* 

Whether  or  not  any  new  records  were  made  of  summer  resi- 
dents in  Pennsylvania,  after  two  weeks  stay,  I  felt  more  than 
satisfied  with  the  bird  population  of  Pocono  Lake.  Do  I 
recommend  you  to  go  there  ?  That  depends  on  who  you  are. 
If  you  arc  one  of  those  collectors  to  whom  a  dead  bird  is  more 
than  a  living  one,  I  beg  of  you  to  stay  in  some  city  where  you 
can  do  little  harm.  If  j'ou  require  hotel  accommodations,  it  is 
no  place  for  you.  But  if  you  wish  to  pitch  a  tent  on  a  grassy 
elope,  under  pointed  spruces,  beside  a  quiet  lake,  to  see  and 
hear  what  goes  on  in  a  choice  corner  of  the  bird  world,  then 
Pocono  Lake  may  offer  you  just  what  you  desire. 

*  This  identification  is  given  by  the  writer  purely  for  what  it  is  worth.  The 
Bicknell's  Thrush  has  never  been  fuund  breeding  south  of  the  Catskills,  but 
the  Pocono  plateau  is  in  many  respects  a  southern  extension  of  these  moun- 
tains, so  that  an  interesting  problem  is  here  suggejtid. — Ed. 


Summer  Birds  of  Port  Alleghany,  McKean   County, 
Pennsylvania 

BY  THOJIAS  D.    KEIM 

The  following  observations  were  made  during  a  trip  taken  by 
the  writer  and  Mr.  H.  W.  Fowler  in  the  summer  of  1904,  cov- 
ering the  week  of  July  30th  to  August  Gth.  The  lateness  of  the 
season  and  the  consequent  absence  of  songs  accounts  somewhat 
for  the  small  number  of  species  seen,  while  the  fact  that  our 
time  was  occuiiied  by  other  duties,  also  contributes  to  the  in- 
completeness of  the  list. 

Passing  northward  on  the  railroad,  the  work  of  the  lumber- 
men was  noted  as  soon  as  we  left  Williamsport,  and  on  all  sides 
could  be  seen  the  bare  summits  of  the  mountains,  with  here  and 
there  some  few  acres  of  trees,  mostly  hard  wood,  to  remind  the 
traveler  of  the  primeval  forest  which  covered  this  country  in 
former  years. 

A  word  in  passing  about  the  hard-wood  timber  may  not  be 
amiss,  as  it  is  the  innocent  agent  of  much  evil.  Following 
close!}'  after  the  axe  of  the  woodman,  there  have  been  established 
throughout  these  lumber  regions  chemical  works  for  the  manu- 
facture of  wood  alcohol,  the  beech  being  the  principal  tree  in 
use  for  this  purpose.  During  the  manufaclure  of  the  alcohol  a 
resinous,  tar-like  compound  is  allowed  to  escape  into  the 
streams.  Wc  found  in  our  experience  that  in  whatever  stream 
this  tar  was  present,  the  animal  life  was  practically  extinct, 
especially  the  fish. 

Kcating's  Summit,  on  the  railroad,  is  the  highest  point  of  the 
watershed,  and  from  here  the  grade  descends  all  the  way  to 
Port  Alleghan}',  where  we  made  our  headquarters.  The  eleva- 
tion of  the  town  is  fourteen  hundred  and  seventy-seven  feet 
above  sea  level,  but  the  mountains  rise  on  both  sides  of  the  val- 
ley some  three  hundred  and  fifty  feet  higher.     The  walking  at 

(3G) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  37 

all  times  of  day  was  delightful  and  the  bracing  mountain  air 
soon  made  us  forget  our  fatigue.  The  country  around  Port 
Alleghany  is  similar  to  that  on  the  other  side  of  the  summit. 
The  timber  in  the  vicinity  of  the  town  is  cut  off,  but  a  walk  of 
two  hours  to  the  southward  brings  one  to  a  large  tract  of  prim- 
eval forest.  The  Alleghany  river  flows  past  the  town,  but  at 
this  point  is  but  a  small  stream. 

Notwithstanding  the  lateness  of  the  season,  we  saw  no  evi- 
dence of  migration,  and  all  the  birds  seen  appeared  to  be  resi- 
dents. For  information  on  many  species  I  am  indebted  to  Mr. 
Guy  Bert  and  Dr.  McGrannon,  of  Port  Alleghany. 

Larus  sp.  One  Gull,  probably  L.  atricilla,  was  killed  in  the 
fall  of  1903.  It  was  shot  in  an  exhausted  condition  after  a 
storm,  and  had  probably  been  blown  in  from  Lake  Erie.  It 
was  in  immature  plumage. 

Bulorides  virescens,  Green  Heron.  Called  "Mud-hen."  Not 
common.     Two  were  seen. 

Nyclicorax  nyctkorax  naevius,  Night  Heron.  Not  common. 
Two  observed  by  Mr.  Burt,  August  6th. 

Philohela  minor,  Woodcock.  Gunned  after  with  some  success 
every  year.     Our  only  record  was  one  at  twilight  heard  close  by. 

Actitis  macularia,  Spotted  Sandpiper.  Reported  common. 
We  observed  one  along  the  river. 

Bonasa  umbellus,  Ruffed  Grouse.  Reported  as  fairly  abund- 
ant.    Several  good  bags  made  by  sportsmen  last  winter. 

Edopistes  migratorms,  Passenger  Pigeon.  One  of  these  birds 
was  shot  at  Roulette,  Potter  county,  five  years  ago  by  Dr.  Mc- 
Grannon, who  was  familiar  with  the  pigeon,  when  a  boy,  and  is 
certain  of  the  identity  of  this  specimen. 

Zenaidura  macroura,  Mourning  Dove.  One  seen  to  take  a 
drink  close  to  us  while  fishing.  The  note  of  this  species  was 
frequently  heard  from  the  mountain  sides. 

Accipitcr  velox,  Sharp-shinned  Hawk.  One  was  seen  to  make 
a  strike  and  disappear  in  some  scrubby  growth,  the  small  birds 
scattering  in  all  directions. 

Buteo  borealus,  Red-tailed  Hawk.  The  cry  of  this  species  was 
heard  with  great  distinctness  one  day  for  some  time.  The  bird 
later  sailed  into  the  open  still  uttering  his  cry,  and  was  then 
identified  without  doubt. 


38  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Butco  lineatus,  Red-shouldered  Hawk.  One,  apparently'  of 
this  species  observed.  Its  cry  was  a  single,,  long-prolonged 
whine. 

Syrnhim  varivm,  Barred  Owl.     Captured  now  and  then. 

Megascops  aino,  Screech  Owl.  Shot  now  and  then;  frequently 
heard. 

Bubo  virginimms,  Homed  Owl.  Not  so  common  as  the  former 
species.     Usually  heard  in  big  timber. 

Ceryle  alcyon,  Kingfisher.     Common. 

Dryobates  villosits,  Hairy  Woodpecker.  The  note  of  this 
species  was  heard  while  walking  through  the  hemlocks. 

Dryobates  pubescens  medianvs,  Downy  Woodpecker.  One 
heard  on  August  1,  and  one  on  August  3,  in  some  scrubby 
growth. 

Ceophloeus  pileatus  abieticola,  Pileated  Woodpecker,  called  Log 
Cock  and  Wood  Hen.  Not  seen  b^^  us  and  reported  scarce.  We 
found  in  the  hemlocks  a  dead  tree  badly  cut,  probably  the  work 
of  this  species. 

Melancrpcs  erythrocephah(s,  Red-headed  Woodpecker.  Three 
immature  birds  seen  in  a  wooded  ravine.  These  showed  no 
fear  and  were  quite  tame.     Not  common. 

Colaptes  auratvs  lutcus,  Flicker.  On  August  2,  the  notes  of 
this  bird  were  heard  on  all  sides  in  the  valley.  Before  and 
after  this  date  it  was  strangely  silent. 

Chordeiles  virgmianiis,  Nighthawk.  Two  seen  flying  over 
the  town  August  1,  high  in  the  air  uttering  their  familiar  cries. 

thselura  pelagica,  Swift.  Common.  One  flew  from  a  barn 
where  they  may  have  been  breeding. 

Trochilus  colubris.  Hummingbird.  A  female  passed  us  in  fly- 
ing up  the  ravine,  stopping  to  gather  some  honey  from  a  flower 
nearby. 

Tyrannus  tyrannus,  Kingbird.  Note  frequently  heard,  usually 
about  gardens  or  farms.     Solitary  individuals  in  most  cases. 

Sayornis  phoebe,  Phoebe.     Two  records. 

Contopus  vii-ems,  Wood  Pewee.  More  common  than  the 
former.     Note  frequently  heard. 

Oyanocitla  cristata,  Blue  Jay.  Cry  heard  several  times  from 
the  side  of  the  mountain.     Not  common. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  39 

Corvus  cornx  principalis,  Raven.  One  flew  over  our  heads  in 
the  hemlocks.     Made  no  sound.     Not  common. 

Corvus  brachyrhynchos,  Crow.  Common.  Young  heard  at 
different  times  crying  continually. 

Dolichonyx  oryzivorus,  Bobolink.  A  number  seen  in  the 
meadows.  All  females  or  young  or  else  males  after  the  molt. 
Their  usual  "  chink  "  was  frequently  heard.  At  one  time  quite 
a  large  Hock  of  about  thirty  passed  by.  They  were  in  the  grain 
field  and  about  low  bushes,  only  taking  to  larger  trees  when 
frightened.  As  usual  they  were  not  shy  or  difficult  to  approach. 
They  were  seen  at  various  places. 

Molothrus  aler,  Cowbird.  An  adult  male  and  several  brown 
females  or  young  noted  in  the  meadow  lands. 

Ayelaiu-s phocniceus,  Red-winged  Blackbird.  Two  females  and 
one  male.     Found  as  usual  in  meadow  land. 

Sturnella  magna,  Meadow  Lark.     Common. 

Quiscaliis  quisrula  aeneusf.  Bronzed  Grackle.  Mostly  about 
houses  or  in  the  town.  A  number  were  evidently  young, 
judging  by  their  notes.  No  specimens  secured,  but  probably 
this  race. 

Astragniinus  tristis,  Goldfinch.  This  was  by  far  the  common- 
est bird  of  the  valley  and  was  seen  at  all  hours  of  the  day,  mostly 
solitary. 

Pocecetes  gramineuf!,  Vesper  Sparrow.  Found  during  our  stay 
in  its  characteristic  localities.     Common. 

Spizella  suclalls,  Chipping  Sparrow.     Common. 

Spizelln  piisilla,  Field  Sparrow.  Common  in  waste  pastures 
or  scrubby  fields,  especially  in  milk-weed  patches  with  the 
Goldfinches. 

Junco  hyemalis,  Snowbird.  One  seen  in  a  wooded  ravine. 
The  nest  was  found  on  the  side  of  a  steep,  shady  bank.  Eggs 
three,  whitish,  with  a  few  pale-brown  markings  in  a  ring  around 
the  larger  end.     Frequently  heard  in  hemlock  woods. 

Melospiza  cinerea  melodia,  Song  Sparrow.     Common. 

Pipilo  erylhrophthalmus,  Chewink.     Common. 

Cyanospiza  cyanea,  Indigo-bird.  Heard  occasionally,  not 
common.     One  female  seen. 

Piranga  erythromelas.  Scarlet  Tanager.  Heard  in  the  hem- 
locks. 


40  PROCEEDINGS    OF   TOE 

Petrochdidon  lumfrons,  Cliff  Swallow.  Perhaps  move  abund- 
ant than  the  next  species. 

Hirundo  crylhrogaslra,  Barn  Swallow.  Fairly  abundant. 
Roosting  along  telegraph  lines  in  company  with  the  Cliff 
Swallows. 

Ainpclis  ccdroriim,  Cedar-bird.  Very  almndant.  Note  fre- 
quently heard. 

Lanms  ludovicianiis  migrans,  Jligrnnt  Shrike.  One,  appar- 
ently of  this  form,  perched  on  the  tclcgrajih  wires,  and  allowed 
us  to  pass  beneath  him.  He  flew  several  times  to  the  ground, 
apparently  after  food. 

Virco  oUvaceus.  Red-ej'ed  Vireo.     Two  records. 

Mniotilla  raria,  Black-and-White  Warbler.  One  seen  and 
heard  in  a  ravine,  among  sf>nie  small  majiles. 

Dendroica  lestiva,  Yellow  ^^'arl)ler.     Fairly  abundant. 

Dendroica  caerv.lescens,  Black-throated  Blue  Warbler.  One 
observed,  attracted  by  the  cries  of  a  Canadian  Warbler.  Later 
a  male  and  female  were  found  in  the  hemlocks.  Probably 
common. 

Dendroica  pensijlvunira,  Chestnut-sided  Warbler.  One  seen 
on  the  side  of  the  mountain  in  scrubby  growth. 

Dendroica  hlacMmrnise,  Blackburnian  Warbler.  One  record 
in  the  hemlocks. 

Dendroica  virens,  Black-throated  Green  Warbler.  One  seen 
in  some  hard-wood  trees  in  the  hemlock  forest. 

Geothlypis  trichaa,  Maryland  Yellow-throat.  Common,  and 
well  distributed.  One  pair  found  on  top  of  the  mountains  in 
dense,  scrubby  growth. 

Wilsonia  canadensis,  Canadian  Warbler.  We  were  ])robably 
close  to  the  nest  of  this  bird,  as  it  became  much  excited  at  our 
presence,  and  kept  up  a  continual  calling,  which  attracted  other 
birds  to  the  scene  w  hile  we  were  there. 

Setophuga  ruticiUn,  Redstart.  A  female  was  seen  in  some 
Bcrub  chestnut  growth  at  the  summit  of  one  of  the  mountains. 

Galeoscoptes  carolinends.  Catbird.     Common,  not  in  song. 

Toxosloma  riij'nm,  Brown  Thrasher.  Several  seen  in  the 
scrubby  growth  on  top  of  the  mountains. 

Ti'oglodytes  nUdon,  House  Wren.     One  record    on  toji  of  fhe 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  41 

mountain  in  scrubby  growth;  also  two  seen  near  some  out- 
buildings on  a  farm. 

Olbiorchilua  hiemalis,  Winter  Wren.     Common  in  the  hemlocks. 

Certhia  familiaris  americana,  Brown  Creeper.  One  heard  in 
the  hemlocks. 

Paruii  atricopillus,  Chickadee.     One  record. 

Silla  canadensis,  Red-breasted  Nuthatch.  Common.  Heard 
in  several  places. 

Hylocichla  mustelina,  Wood  Thrush.  One  heard  at  evening 
during  the  twilight  uttering  his  familiar,  scolding  note. 

Hylocichla  gidlaln  pallasii,  Hermit  Thrush.  This  was  the 
most  abundant  of  the  Thrushes,  the  note  being  frequently  heard 
from  the  mountain  sides,  and  in  the  hemlocks.     Common. 

Merula  migratoria,  Robin.     Common. 

Sialia  sialis,  Bluebird.  Common,  several  pairs  noted  with 
young. 


A  Glimpse  of  Winter  Bird  Life  in  Delaware 

BY  CHARLES  J.   PENNOCK 

It  was  only  fairly  daylight,  on  February  4,  1904,  when  I 
reached  Wilmington,  and  no  birds  h;ul  been  seen.  Leaving  Wil- 
mington by  train  at  half-past  seven,  two  large  Hawks,  probably 
Buteos,  were  seen  perched  above  the  niarsh  along  the  Christiana 
creek  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  watching  for  an  early  mouse 
astir,  and  forty  or  fifty  Crows  in  small  squads  were  distributed 
over  the  frozen  marsh  and  bleak  hillsides,  with  apparently  small 
prospects  of  a  very  substantial  meal.  Bird-life  at  this  time  of 
day,  with  a  fierce,  cold  wind  blowing,  was  not  much  in  evidence 
from  a  car  window — two  or  three  Meadow  Larks,  a  flock  of 
twenty-five  or  thirty  Titlarks,  and  a  single  Sparrow  Hawk, 
Cooper's  Hawk  and  Turkey  Buzzard  were  the  only  other  birds 
seen  before  reaching  Dover,  with  the  exception  of  a  lone  adult 
Bald  Eagle,  perched  on  a  dead  tree  not  far  distant  from  the  rail- 
road, and  entirely  indifferent  to  the  cold  and  wind.  At  this 
season  I  suppose  the  Eagles  must  depend  almost  exclusively  on 
carrion  for  their  subsistence.  They  are  not  abundant  about  my 
home  in  Chester  county,  Penna.,  but  I  have  known  of  three  or 
four  appearing  in  winter  during  the  past  few  years,  and  they 
have  frequented  the  vicinity  of  such  a  source  of  food  supi)ly. 

Arriving  at  Dover  at  nine  o'clock  I  tramped  for  two  hours 
through  several  inches  of  snow,  across  open  fields,  through  some 
small  pine  growth  and  sapling  thickets,  and  nowhere  found  any 
abundance  of  birds.  I  observed  a  flock  of  J  uncos,  a  few  Tree 
Sparrows,  a  few  Song  Sparrows,  a  pair  of  Cardinals,  two  Blue 
Jays,  one  or  two  Pox  Sparrows,  a  solitary  Downy  Woodpecker, 
and  a  couple  of  Red-shouldered  Hawks,  the  latter  at  very 
close  range  near  the  railroad  track.  Crows  were  quite  numer- 
ous, and  during  the  entire  tramp,  excepting  when  in  the  timber, 
I  believe  I  was  at  no  time  out  of  the  sight  of  a  Turkey  Buzzard. 

(42) 


DtLAVVARE    VALLEY   ORKITHOLOGICAL   CLDB.  43 

They  were  usually  single  birds  wheeling  and  soaring,  seemingly 
in  a  vain  search  for  food,  as  there  was  no  evidence  of  a  united 
gathering  at  any  attractive  center.  Once  I  saw  three  on  the 
ground  across  a  large  field.  They  were  close  at  the  edge  of  a 
thicket,  and  being  curious  to  know  the  attraction,  I  tramped 
across  the  crusted  snow  but  found  no  evidence  of  any  food  ; 
a  few  tracks  in  the  softened  snow  and  nothing  more.  Pos- 
fiibly  they  may  have  taken  shelter  from  the  fierce  wind  on  the 
Bunny  side  of  the  thicket,  or  there  may  have  been  some  food 
there  prior  to  the  snow-fall  and  not  yet  uncovered. 

Leaving  Dover,  I  took  the  evening  train  for  Lewes,  and  next 
morning  started  for  the  marsh  and  woods  at  the  rear  of  Hen- 
lopen  light-house. 

Crows  and  Turkey  Vultures  were  abundant,  three  or  four  of 
the  latter  wore  picking  at  the  solidly  frozen  carcass  of  a  long  de- 
funct horse,  two  stray  Titlarks  were  by  the  roadside  at  the  edge 
of  the  town  and  presently  a  Hock  of  twenty  or  thirty  flew  from 
a  wind-swept  lot  where  there  may  have  been  some  scant 
pickings,  two  or  three  flew  close  alongside  of  a  small  dwelling 
and  seemed  to  find  good  hunting  at  the  kitchen  drain  outlet, 
where  they  walked  about  tipping  and  swinging  until  a  door 
opened  and  they  flew  to  join  the  main  body.  A  single  Flicker 
flew  from  an  old  willow  tree  by  the  roadside  and  three  or  four 
Savanna  Sparrows  were  under  the  lee  of  a  snow-drift.  Two 
small  flocks  of  Meadow  Larks  and  several  Song  Sparrows  were 
along  a  hedge  row  in  sheltered  places.  The  cheery  "chuck, 
chuck"  of  a  Carolina  Wren  was  heard  and  later  two  others 
were  seen.  A  single  Robin  flew  across  a  lot  and  lit  at  some  dis- 
tance and  as  I  went  along  the  overgrown  fence  row,  to  pay  my 
closer  respects  to  him,  I  roused  a  dozen  or  more  Bluebirds  that 
went  floating  and  murmuring  ahead  of  me,  others  were  seen 
later,  and  some  thirty  Robins  were  observed  during  the  walk. 
Several  White-throated  Sparrows  hopped  out  and  chirped  that 
they  might  get  on  the  list  and  an  occasional  Tree  Sparrow  flew 
on  down  the  hedge.  A  pair  or  more  of  Chickadees  "zee-deed  " 
and  presently,  when  close  by  the  edge  of  the  marsh,  I  found 
myself  quite  surrounded  by  Mj'rtle  Warblers — the  first  one  fly- 
ing from  the  dead  and  dry  reeds  over  the  marsh  when  I  shook 


44  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

a  strand  of  wire  fence.  Afterwards  I  saw  several  more  of  these 
birds,  probably  twenty-five  in  all,  and  it  was  extremely  gratify- 
ing to  meet  a  member  of  this  family  in  mid-winter.  Of  course 
they  have  been  known  to  winter  regularly  in  lower  New  Jersey, 
but  one  docs  not  fully  appreciate  such  a  statement  until  it  is 
placed  right  before  him  with  the  wind,  a  gale  and  the  mercury 
having  recently  recorded  a  minus  quantity.  Three  Purple 
Finches  perched  on  the  tall  weeds  at  the  marsh  edge  and  then 
flew  into  the  cedars  with  the  Warblers. 

The  open  marsh,  to  the  west  of  the  woods  is  about  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile  across,  but  missing  the  trail  and  having  to 
retrace  in  part  my  route  to  cross  a  tidal  stream,  I  made  it  nearly 
two  miles.  This  part  of  the  trip  showed  no  birds  and  required 
brisk  walking  to  keep  comfortably  warm.  The  timber  was 
sparse  and  of  small  growth,  much  cut  out  and  the  undergrowth 
of  bay  with  man}'  green  briars.  I  had  scarcely  entered  on  the 
cart-road  leading  into  the  woods  when  I  was  greeted  with 
the  familiar  "mew"  of  a  Catbird  and  saw  it  fly  across  a 
small  opening  with  a  tangle  of  briars.  Here  the  Myrtle  Warb- 
lers and  White-throats  were  again  in  evidence.  As  I  entered 
farther  into  the  pines  I  found  the  walking  bad  enough,  a  few 
teams  had  broken  up  the  roadway  and  the  hard  freezing  made 
the  path  too  rough  for  pleasure.  Presently  I  heard  an  ap- 
parently familiar  note,  but  for  some  time  could  neither  discover 
the  bird  nor  recognize  his  voice,  as  I  listened  and  watched, 
tramping  at  times  into  soft  drifts  of  a  foot  or  more  in  depth.  I 
at  last  saw  the  bird  and  my  pleasure  and  surprise  were  indeed 
great  to  again  greet  an  old  south  Georgian  friend  in  the  form 
of  a  Brown-headed  Nuthatch.  Mr.  Rhoads  had  found  this 
species  in  lower  Delaware  during  the  breeding  season  and  it  is 
usually  resident  where  found,  but  being  at  the  northernmost 
limit  of  its  breeding  range  of  this  bird  a  winter  record  is  of  in- 
terest, particularly  during  such  a  winter  as  we  have  just  experi- 
enced and  it  only  the  more  fully  confirms  the  fact  that  the  bird 
is  resident  throughout  its  range.  I  spent  considerable  time 
watching  my  old  friend  and  renewing  an  acquaintance  with  hie 
active  and  versatile  movements.  At  times  I  was  within  fifteen 
feet  of  him  as  he  traveled  around  the  tip  of  a  small  pine  limb  ; 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  45 

again  he  flew  to  a  distance  and  I  almost  lost  him  and  then  he 
flew  back  towards  me  as  I  was  on  his  trail;  finally  he  went  oS 
without  an  adieu  and  I  continued  my  tramp  oceanward. 

Under  the  protected  inshore  bank  where  the  curiously  drift- 
ing sands  are  burying  the  pine  trees,  a  Downy  Woodpecker  and 
two  Red-breasted  Nuthatches  were  hunting  for  a  lunch  and  as 
I  came  out  in  view  of  the  ocean,  high  upon  the  sandbank,  above 
and  to  the  rear  of  the  lighthouse,  I  could  see  a  single  Gull  beat- 
ing its  way  up  shore  against  the  wind.  It  was  over  a  half  a  mile 
distant  and  I  could  only  guess  it  to  be  a  Herring  Gull.  I 
tarried  for  a  few  minutes  up  in  the  lighthouse  chatting  with  the 
keeper. 

At  times  the  winds  blow  the  sands  until  they  threaten  to 
smother  the  entrance  to  the  lighthouse,  but  at  present  all  is 
swept  clean  at  the  base,  but  far  to  the  rear  the  shifting  dune  has 
been  carried  on  like  a  rolling  mountain,  covering  many  trees 
far  beneath  its  crest.  A  hurried  walk  back  to  the  town  across  the 
bare  sands  and  marsh  shov/ed  nothing  new  but  a  flock  of  eigh- 
teen Snow  Buntings  feeding  and  flying  ahead  of  me  for  a  short 
distance  but  apparently  loath  to  leave  the  vicinity  of  the  shore. 


Report  on  the  Spring  Migration  of  1904 

COMPILED    BY    WITMEIl   STONE 

Observations  on  the  spring  arrival  of  birds  were  continued 
as  in  previous  years,  the  distribution  and  collection  of  schedules 
being  conducted  by  Mr.  Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore,  Dela- 
ware Co.,  Pa.  A  material  increase  in  the  number  of  observers 
is  to  be  noticed,  no  less  than  lifty-four  schedules  having  been 
returned.     The  1904  corps  of  observers  is  as  follows: 

Nevj  Jersey. 
Cape  May,  H.  Walker  Hand. 
Downstown  (near  Newfield),  W.  W.  Fair. 
West  Berlin,  Earl  R.  Lippincott. 
Yardville,  Rachel  E.  AUinson. 
Summit,  LaRue  K.  Holmes. 
Beverly,  J.  Fletcher  Street. 
Burlington,  Helen  F.  Carter. 
Moorestown,  Anna  A.  Mickle. 
Moorestown,  Wm.  B.  Evans  and  others. 
Rancocas,  Emily  Haines. 
Haddonfield,  Mrs.  E.  M.  Hamlin. 
Haddonfield,  H.  E.  Doughty. 

Pennsylvania. 
Kennett  Square,  Charles  J.  Pennock. 
Kennett  Square,  Elizabeth  W.  Hicks. 
Concordville,  Mrs.  K.  R.  Styer. 
Lenape,  Ellen  C.  Carter  and  others. 

Westtown,  Albert  Linton,  Jas.  G.  Vail,  Edith  Smedlej',  etc. 
West  Chester,  W.  E.  Roberts. 
Knowlton,  Bruce  P.  Tyler. 
Swarthmore,  Samuel  C.  Palmer. 
Swarthmore,  George  S.  Roberts. 

(4G) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  47 

Lansdowne,  John  D.  Carter. 

Lansdowne,  Louisa  M.  Jacob. 

Lansdowne,  Aldrich  J.  Pennock. 

Lansdowne,  Anna  D.  White. 

Lansdowne,  Friends'  School. 

Lansdowne,  Frank  A.  Eaton. 

Lansdowne,  J.  H.  Austin  and  W.  R.  White. 

Secane,  Edwin  L.  Palmer. 

Media,  Lydia  G.  Allen. 

Media,  Philip  H.  IMoore. 

Overbrook,  C.  J.  Hunt. 

Overbrook,  Elmer  Onderdonk. 

West  Philadelpliia,  J.  H.  Steele. 

West  Philadelphia,  Pr.  J.  F.  Prendergast. 

Ardmore,  Wm.  L.  Daily. 

Haverford,  W.  J.  Serrill. 

Bryn  Mawr,  Miss  Emily  H.  Thomas. 

Germantown,  Samuel  Mason,  Jr. 

Germantown,  Stewardson  Brown. 

WLssahickon,  John  R.  Pickering. 

Hunting  Park,  Alexander  Patman. 

Olney,  George  S.  Morris. 

Oak  Lane,  Richard  C.  Harlow. 

Holmesburg,  H.  W.  Fowler. 

Frankford,  Richard  F.  Miller. 

Bristol,  Thomas  D.  Keim. 

Woodbourne,  Edward  Pickering,  Jr. 

George  School,  Students. 

Pottstown,  Hill  School  Ornithological  Club. 

Perkasie,  Albert  C.  Putter. 

Marietta,  W.  H.  Buller. 

Columbia,  J.  Jiiy  Wisler. 

Lopez,  Otto  Behr. 

The  records  of  arrival  of  all  the  species  at  the  stations  within 
ten  miles  of  Philadelphia  will  be  found  in  the  accompaning 
tables,  while  the  large  schedule  contains  the  arrivals  of  the  more 
common  species  at  the  remaining  stations. 

The  "Philadelphia"  stations  have  been  grouped  as  follows, 
on  the  plan  of  previous  j'ears: 


48  PROCEEDIKGS    OF   THE 

I.   Bristol,  Burlington,  Beverly,   Rancocas. 
II.  Moorestown. 

III.  Haddonfield. 

IV.  Swarthmore,  Lansdowne,  Secane,  Media. 

V.   Overbrook,     West    Fairmount,     Ardmore,     Haverford, 
Bryn  Mawr. 
VI.   Germantown,    Wissahickon,   Olney,   Oak  Lane,  Frank- 
ford. 
Comparing  the  earliest  dates  of  arrival  in  each  of  these  sec- 
tions for  twenty-one  common  species,  we  find  that  eight  were 
first  seen  in  the  Ardmore  section,  seven  in  the  Germantown  sec- 
tion, six  in  the  Swarthmore,  and  one  each  in  the  Moorestown 
and  Bristol  sections.     Tabulating  this  data  as  in  former  reports 
we  have  the  following  result: 

Bristol.       Moorestown.    Swarthmore. 

First      .  .      1  1  6 

Second       .7  3  5 

Third    .         .     6  5  4 

Fourth        .4  8  6 

Fifth     .         .     3  4  1 

Or  by  giving  a  rank  of  21  to  the  section  which  might  have 
been  first  to  observe  all  the  species,  we  get  relative  ranks  as  fol- 
lows: Germantown  46,  Swarthmore  53,  Ardmore  5(i,  Bristol 
64,  Moorestown,  74.  The  Haddonfield  record  being  too  defi- 
cient to  warrant  consideration. 

This  comparison  would  seem  to  indicate  a  tendency  on  the 
part  of  arriving  birds  to  spread  over  the  entire  Philadelphia  dis- 
trict simultaneouslj',  the  apparent  earlier  arrival  in  the  imme- 
diate vicinity  of  the  river,  indicated  in  previous  years,  being 
less  marked.  The  variability  in  the  time  of  arrival  as  recorded 
at  nearby  stations  is,  however,  remarkable,  indicating  how 
stragglers  may  arrive  here  and  there  days  before  the  siJecies  is 
recorded  at  the  bulk  of  the  stations.  Of  course,  this  may  be 
due  in  some  degree  to  careless  observation,  but  not  usually,  as 
can  be  seen  by  the  general  unanimity  of  arrival  at  a  number  of 
stations  on  the  same  day,  dates  of  arrival  later  than  this  "bulk 
movement"  are,  of  course,  due  to  lack  of  opportunitj'  for  con- 
tinuous observation. 


Ardmore. 

Germantown. 

8 

7 

4 

7 

2 

4 

1 

2 

6 

1 

DELAWARE    VALLKY    OK.NirHOI.OGICAL   CLUB. 


49 


The  following  examples  will  illustrate  this  point,  the  names 
of  the  earlier  stations,  from  which  the  species  was  reported,  are 
given  in  order  to  show  that  they  were  by  no  means  always  the 
most  southern  or  nearest  to  the  river. 


Chimney  Swift. 

April  15.  Haddonfield,    Lans- 

downe. 

April  21.  Westtown. 

April  22.  Beverly, BrynMawr. 

April  23.  Olney. 

April  24.  Eight  stations. 

April  25.  Sixteen  stations. 

Ovenbird. 
April  22.   Olney. 
April  24.   Knowlton. 
April  25.   Oak  Lane. 
April  26.  Lansdowne. 
April  29.   Frankford,  Kennett, 

Swarthmore. 
April  30.  Seven  stations. 
May   1.  Ten  stations. 


Scarlet  Tanager. 
April  30.  Olney,  Germantown. 
May  3.   Bryn  Mawr. 
May  6.   Haverford. 
May  6.   Ten  stations. 


Wood  Thrush. 
April  22.   Bryn     Mawr, 

cordville. 
April  26.   Frankford. 
April  28.   Olney. 
April  29.  Six  stations. 
April  30.   Seven  stations. 
May  1.   Six  stations. 


Con- 


60 


PROCEEDIKGS   OF   THE 


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DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB. 


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DELAWARE    VALLKY    OKMTHOLOGICAL    CLUB. 


53 


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54  PKOCEEDINGS    OK   THK 

List  of  Other  Species  Reported  by  Observers  during  1904.,  ond  Addi- 
tional Notes.      Wintei-  Notes  relate  to  Winter  of  1903-4. 

Holboell's  Grebe,  Colymbvs  holhoellri.      One  shot  near  ^Marlton, 

N.  J.,  April  4  (Carter),  one  at  Sandiford,  I'liilii.,  February  13 

{Miller),  and  one  at  Kennett  Square,  February  9  (  C.  J.  Pennock). 

Loon,  Gavin  iinber.     Ca])e  IMay,  N.  J.,  April  24  {Hand). 

Black-backed  Gull,   Larvs  marimii^.     One  shot  at  Angleeea, 

N.  J.,  February  5  (Stone). 

Herring  Gull,  TMrus  arcjentatu)-.  iSJumerous  on  the  Susque- 
hanna at  Columbia,  March  8-14  (  Wisler).  Last  neen  at  Frank- 
ford,  Phila.,  April  25  (Miller),  last  at  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  May 
22  (Hand). 

Ring-billed  Gull,  Laru.i  delaivurensiij.  Two  observed  at 
Bridesburg,  Phila.,  March  9  and  again  March  13  (Miller). 

Black-headed  Gull,  Lams  atririlla.  Arrived  at  Cape  May, 
N.  J.,  April  4  (Hand). 

Gannet,  Sida  bassana.     Cape  May,  N.  J.,  March  14  (Hand). 
Double-crei^ted    Cormorant,     Phalncrnrnrnx    dilophus.       Cape 
May,  April  21  (Hand). 

Merganser,  Merganser  americanus.     Bristol,  May  27  (Keim). 
^¥ood   Duck,    Aix  sponsa.     One  observed   on   Darby  Creek, 
April  26  (A.  J.  Pennock). 

Buffle-head,  Chariionetta  albe.nla.  Bridesburg,  Phila.,  March 
9  (Miller). 

Whistling  Swan,  Olor  colnmbianus.  Two  flocks  appeared  on 
the  Susquehanna  at  Marietta,  March  19,  one  of  five,  the  other 
of  thirteen  individuals;  three  were  killed  (Bidler). 

Bittern,  Botaurus  lentiginnsus.  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  April  5 
(Evans),  Summit,  N.  J.,  April  10  (Holmes). 

Great  Blue  Heron,  Arden  herodiax.  Frankford,  Phila.,  May 
2  (Miller),  Lansdowne,  March  26  (A.  J.  Pennock),  Pottstown, 
May  9  (Hill  School  Club),  Downstown,  N.  J.,  May  15  (Fair), 
Summit,  N.  J.,  April  3  (Holmes). 

Little  Blue  Heron,  Ardea  caerulea.  One  adult  male  seen  at 
Holmesburg,  May  11  (Miller). 

Clapper  Rail,  Rallus  crepitans.  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  March  5 
(Hand). 


Nasiks. 


Flicker  

Whip-poor-will  

Niglithawk 

Cliiraney  Swift 

Hummingbird  

Kingbird  

Crested  Flycatcher 

Phoebe  

Bobolink 

Cowbird  

Red-winged  Blackbird  ... 

Brtltiraore  Oriole 

Purple  Grackle     

Chipping  Sparrow 

Chewink  

Indigobird    

Scarlet  Tanager   

Purple  Martin  

Barn  Swallow  

Red-eyed  Vireo  

Black'and  White  Warbler 
Chestnut-sided  Warbler.., 

Ovenbird   

Maryland  Yellow-throat.., 

Chat  

Catbird 

Brown  Thrasher    

House  Wren 

Wood  Thrush   

Hermit  Thrush    

Robin    

Bluebird  , 


Flicker 

Whip-poor-will  , 

Nightbawk , 

Cliimiiej'  SwiTl , 

Hummingbird 

Kingbird  

("resled  Flycatcher 

I'lioebe  

lioholink 

('uwbird  

liud-winged  Blackbird  ... 

IJaltiniore  Oriole 

I'tirplo  Grackie    

Chipping  Sparrow 

{;iiewink  

liidij^obird    

Hcnrlet  Tanager  

I'lirplc  Martin  

Unrn  Swallow 

Ued-cyed  Vireo  

Hlnck'nnd  Wbite  Warblei 
Ctiealnut-sided  Wnrbler.. 

Ovei.bird   

Maryland  Yeliow-lliroat.. 

Ciial  

Cfilbird 

Brown  Tbrasbcr    

House  Wren 

Wood  Tbrusli  

IK'rmit  Tbrush    

Iti.bin    

Itiucbird  


Mar.  20  Mar.  2.1 
May    1  Ajir.lS 


.•Vpr.20 
Apr. 23 


Mar.   & 
Mav    1 
Fi.'b.29 
Apr, 
,V|,r. 


A|ir-   1 
Mnj    1 


i\[ir.27 
Apr.  2-1 
May    1 


Jlar.  9 
Feb.  23 


A|ir,29 
Miiy  1  l 
Muv 
Mnv 
Mai-.  2  2 


Miir. 
May 

Mar.26 
Apr.  10 

jiny  1 2 

\lir.  9 
May  1 6 
May  9 
Apr.24 

May's 
May  1 
MayU. 
May  1 
Apr.  10 
Apr.28 


Mar.  8 
Feb. 23 


Mar. 
May  1 
Mar. 
Mar.  3 
Apr.  a 


Apr.  19 
Apr.  29 
May  2 
Apr. 25 

May   "i 


May 

A|,r.: 
Apr.: 
Apr.:- 
Apr.; 

Jiar." 
Jan. 


Apr.  24 
May  1 1 
May  1 
May 
Mar.  23 
May    6 

Mar. 
May 
Mar. 
Mar, 30 
May 
May  8 
.May   6 


Aprl2' 
May  7 
May  G 
MayU 
Apr. 29 
Apr. 27 
May  8 
Mav  1 
A|.r.2& 
Apr. 24 
May    8 


Apr. 24 

May 
Apr. 2 
Mar.  19 
Apr. 30 
Mar.  28 
Mar.  19 
May 
Mar. 
Apr. 
Apr.l 
May  13 
May   G 
Apr.  7 
Apr.l 
May 
Apr.2G 


Apr.30 
Apr.  2  5 
Mav  3 
Apr.25 
Apr.ie 
Apr.25 
Apr.22 
Apr.l7 
Sfar.  SJJaD.  25 
Mar.  8,JaQ.25 


Apr.25 


Mav 
Mai-. 


Apr. 21 

MaylGI 
Apr.30| 
May  4 
Mar.22 


Apr. 
May 
May 


Apr.a 
Mar. 
Mar. 


A|)r.l0 
Mar.  19 
May 
Mar 
Apr. 
.\pr.30 
May    8 
May    G 


May 

Apr.23 

May 

Apr.30 

Apr. 

May 

Apr.30 

May    2 

Apr.30 


Apr.  18 
Mar.  8 
Mar.  4: 


May    6 


Apr. 
Apr. 
Mav 
May 
.Apr. 
Apr. 


May22[ 

Apr.25  Apr.25 
May  1 
.May 
Mavis 
Mar.20  Apr. 


Mar 
Mar.20 
May 
Mar. 
Apr.   1 
.\pr.l 
May 
May  15 
May   7 
Apr.2G 
Mav    2 
May    1 
May    G 
.\pr. 
May    6 
Mav   6 
May    1 
Apr.  2  9 
May  15 
Apr.2tP 
.Apr. 10 
Mar.  5 
Feb.   8 


Apr.22 

May  (i 
May  15 
Mar.  27 


May  1 
Mar.27 
May  7 
91  Mar.  8 
Mar. 29 
Mav  1 
May  1 
May  1 5 


Apr.24 
Slay  1 8 
Mav  8 
May  1 
May  14 


Feb.  211 
May  24  . 

Apr.25'Apr 
May  24 
May  1 5 
May    9 

Mar.20 


May  10  Mar.20 
13 


Apr.29 


Apr, 
Apr. 

A'prl 
Apr. 
Apr.: 
Apr.: 

Mar! 
Mar. 


May  1 
May  5 
Apr.25 


Apr.29 
May  2 
Apr.29 


30  May  1 
.\pr.24 
May  16 
May  1 
Apr.  17 
May  5 
May  4 
Apr.24 
Feb.  21 
Mar.  G 


May  14 
May  0 
Mar.  8 
Apr.  e 
Aiir.29|Apr. 

Mayl3| 

May    8  May 


Mar. 
May 
Mar. 
Apr.l 


May  1 
May  1 
May  1 
May  1 
Apr.29 


Apr.29 
Apr. 13 
Mar.  9 
Mar.  13 


Apr.  5 
Apr.  7 
J(av  2C 
Mar.  3 
Mar.20 
Apr.  IT 
May  7 
May  111 


.May  ; 


20  Apr,19 

1 8  J  si  ay   "l 

12[Mav    2 

...  Mar.23 

30, Mav 

17i.Ma;-22 

.... Mar.20 

8 1  May    7 

3, Mar.   7 

17  Mar.  17 

May    2 

May  20 

May  12 


Apr.  17  Apr. 

May    8  

May    1 


May    1 

Jiar.   C 
Feb. 29 


May  2  May 

Apr.30 

May  5  May 

May  I'Apr. 

May  2Apr. 

May    ll 

May    ll 


May    1 
Aijr.M 


May    2 

may    7 

15lMavl4 


Feb, 28 
Feb. 17 


Mar. 
Feb.  1 


May  1 
Apr.24 
May  2 
May    2! 

Feb. 28 
Mar.  2 


Mar.2( 

May  it 
Apr.21 
May  IS 
Mai-  e 
May  t 
Mar.2; 
Mav  £ 
Mar.27 
Mar.2C 
May  G 
Mar.  7 
Mar.  29 
May  3 
May  20 
Apr.24 
Apr.30 
Apr.  19 
May  13 
Apr.25 
May  13 
May  6 
May  6 
May  9 
iMav  1 
Apr.24 
Apr.25 
May  1 
Mar.27 
Mar.  8 
Feb.  29 


May 
May 


Feb. 20, Apr.24 
Apr,29May    1 

May  22 

Apr.25|Apr.l5 
.Uay24'May  15 

May    ll 

May  4'May  15 
Apr.lSMay    1 

May   6 

Apr.lO|May  8 
Apr.l5'Mar,20 
May  l|.May  5 
Mar.  8Mar.  8 
Mar.26  Apr.  G 


Apr.20 

May 

May  10 

May 

Apr.20 

May 


.  May  10 

r  I'May  1 
r.23  Apr.l5 
,'lllApr.28 

r  8 

-.16  Apr.24 
-.u'Mar.  8 
lFeb.29 


Apr.25 
May's 


Apr. 
May 
■May 
May 
Mar. 
May 
Apr. 
Mar. 
May 
Ma'r. 
Apr. 
Apr 
May 
May 


)  Apr.   2 
.  May    8 

May    7 

15 

8  May  22 

7' 
20  Apr,   4 

SIMay  12 

3 

9Mar,20 


May  8  Apr. 
May  iJMay 
Apr.niApr 


May 
May 


May 
.May 
May    1 
May    8 

t'eb.  15 
Feb. 14 


IMay 
1  May 
..IMay 
..(May 
llMay 
Apr.; 
May 
May 
May 
Mar. 


5jApr.25 
22lMav  4 
17;May  14 

8, May  14 

10|Apr.29 
4iMay  11 

25jMay  4 
OiMay  9 
1  May    5 


'  Next  seen  April  24. 


'Next  seen  April  2.^, 


l.May  5 

;g 

Si 

2iApr.23 

lIMay  1 

C'Mar.  8 

..IMnr.  8 


TM£:  D£L/liVAf?C   VALLEY 

PHJttDCLP:'!" 


TABLE   11. 

SPRING  MIGRATION,  1904. 

RaRLIEST    dates    of    ARIUVAI.    OP   THIRTY-TWO   SI'ECIES    AT    TWENTY- 
TWO    STATIONS   ODTSIDK    THE    PllII.AItELPHlA    CIRCLE. 


DELVWAKK    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  55 

King  Rail,  Rallns  I'legnng.  Florence  Heights,  near  Bristol, 
June  26  {Kcim),  Frankford,  Phila.,  May  18  {Miller). 

Woodcock,  Philohela  minor.  Two  at  Swarthmore,  April  29 
(Palmer),  one  at  51st  and  Pine  Sts.,  W.  Phila.,  Oct.  (Stone), 
one  at  65th  and  Master  Sts.,  W.  Phila.,  March  23  (Hunt)  and 
at  Ardmore,  July  3  (Baily). 

Wilson's  .Snipe,  (Talliiingo  delicala.  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  March 
9  (Hand),  Oak  Lane,  March  26  (Harlow),  Bristol,  March  27 
(Keim),  Bridesburg,  Phila.,  April  15  and  26  (Miller),  Secane, 
(E.  L.  Palmer). 

Seniipalmated  Sandpiper,  Ereunetes  prmllus.  Cape  May,  N.  J., 
March  31  (Hand). 

Greater  Yellow-legs,  Totnnus  melanoleucvs.  Cape  May,  N.  J., 
March  18  (Hand). 

Upland  Plover,  Bartramia  longicauda.  Cupola,  Chester  Co. , 
Pa.,  April  24  (Hunt),  Frankford,  Phila.,  April  9  (Miller). 

Hudsonian  Curlew,  Kunwnius  fnidsoniats.  Cape  May,  N.  J., 
April  27  (Hand). 

Golden  Plover,  Charadriiis  dominints.  A  number  shot  at 
League  Island,  Phila.,  September  30  (Hunt). 

Killdoer,  Oxyechus  vociferus.  Wintered  at  Concordville 
(Styer). 

Oyster  Catcher,  Haematopus  palliatus.  Two  at  Cape  May, 
October  14,  1903  (Hand). 

Bobwhite,  Colinus  virginianus,  Lansdowne,  May  25  (A.  D. 
White). 

Dove,  Zenaidura  macroura.  Wallingford,  Delaware  Co. ,  Pa., 
March  11  (Morris),  wintered  at  Concordville  and  at  Downstown, 
N.  J.,  had  eggs  at  Mt.  Airy,  Phila.,  April  9  (Spaeth). 

Turkey  \'ulture,  Cathartes  aura.  Wintered  at  Concordville 
(Styer),  seen  twice  during  January  three  miles  north  of  Media 
(Moore). 

Marsh  Hawk,  Oirais  hudsonius.  Summit,  N.  J.,  April  10 
(Holmes). 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  Accipitcr  velox.  Summit,  N.  J.,  May 
12  (Holmes). 

Cooper's  Hawk,  Accipiter  cooperi.  Summit,  N.  J.,  April  28 
(Holmes). 


66  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Goshawk,  Arcipiter  atricajnlius.  Pottstown,  January  11,  16 
and  17  (Hill  School  Club) 

Red-tailed  Hawk,  Buteo  borealis.  Wintered  at  Lansdowne, 
Oak  I.ane,  Frankford,  etc. 

Red-shouldered  Hawk,  Buleo  Imeatus.  Reported  all  winter 
at  Secane,  Oak  Lane,  and  Frankford. 

Broad-winged  Hawk,  Bvtco  jilatyptervs.  Reported  as  winter- 
ing at  Media  {Moore),  Columbia,  May  1,  not  common  here 
(Wisler),  Swarthmore,  March  1  (Roberts). 

Rough-legged  Hawk,  Archilmtco  lagopus  smtcti-johannis.  Tini- 
cum,  February  27  (Carter),  arrived  at  Summit,  N.  J.,  April  3 
(Holmes). 

Bald  Eagle,  Haliiectus  leucocqihalus.  Florence  Heights,  near 
Bristol,  August  11  (Kcim),  Upsal  station,  Germantown,  Sep- 
tember (Stone). 

Duck  Hawk,  Falro  peregrinus  anatum.  Secane  during  winter 
(Palmer),  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  Februarj-  1  (Evans). 

Sparrow  Hawk,  Falco  spai-verius.  Reported  as  winter  resident 
at  Swarthmore,  Lanpdowne,  Media,  Bryn  Mawr,  Oak  Lane  and 
Frankford.  Arrived  at  Summit,  N.  J.,  April  19  (Holmes),  and 
at  Lopez,  Pa.,  April  6  (Behr). 

Osprey,  Pandion  haUaeius  carolineiiKis.  Two  on  Pensauken 
Creek,  N.  J.,  April  10  (Hunt).  One  seen  at  Westtown,  March 
25  (Linton,   Vail,  etc.) 

Long-eared  Owl,  Asia  wilsonianus.  Two  roosted  in  evergreens 
at  Yardville,  N.  J.,  from  early  February  to  early  April  (Allin- 
son),  one  wintered  in  fir  trees  at  Olney  (Morris),  one  at  Oak 
Lane,  December  2,  1903  (Hnrlow). 

Saw-whet  Owl,  Nyctula  acadica.  Ardmore,  Januarj'  10  and 
30  (Baity),  Oak  Lane,  November  20,  1903  and  February  6, 
1904  (Harlow). 

Screech  Owl,  Megascops  asio.  Reported  as  resident  at  Lans- 
downe, Media,  Bryn  Mawr,  Oak  Lane  and  Frankford. 

Kingfisher,  Co-yle  alryon.  Observed  througli  the  winter  at 
Westtown  (Linton,  Vail,  etc.),  Haddonfield,  N.  J.,  December 
15,  1903  (Doughty),  prejjaring  nest  at  Lansdowne,  April  16 
(Carter). 

Downy  Woodjiecker,  Dryobalcs  pubescens  mediami-'<.      Reported 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    OKNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  57 

as   resident  all   through    the   Delaware   Valley,    Perkasie   and 
Pottstown. 

Hairy  Woodpecker,  Dryobates  villosus.  Pottstown,  April  21 
(Ifill  School  Club),  and  in  winter  at  Oak  Lane,  Frankford  and 
Media. 

Red-headed  Woodpecker,  Melanerpes  erythrocephalus.  One 
pair  nested  at  59th  street  and  Lancaster  Ave.,  Philada.  (Hunt). 

Flicker,  Colaptes  auratus  luteus.  One  bird  all  winter  at  West- 
town  (Linton,  Vail,  etc.),  more  plentiful  than  usual  during 
winter  at  Concordville  in  spite  of  the  severe  cold  (Styer). 

Whip-poor-will,  Antrostomus  vocifcrus.  One  sang  loudly  in 
the  northeastern  part  of  Lansdowne,  well  within  the  town,  on 
evening  of  April  25  (Carter). 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  Nuttallornis  borcalis.  Arrived  at  Lopez, 
June  1  (Behr). 

Yellow-bellied  Flycatcher,  Empidonax  flaviventris.  Lans- 
downe, May  16,  17  and  IS  (A.  J.  Pennock),  Media,  May  21 
(Moore),  Westtown,  May  6  (Vail,  Linton,  etc.). 

Horned  Lark,  Otocoris  alpestris.  Very  large  flocks  at  Wood- 
bourne,  Bucks  Co.,  during  winter  (Pickering),  irregular  at 
Sandiford,  Phila. ,  in  February,  gunners  shot  thirty -eight  in  one 
day  (Miller),  Holmesburg,  December  31,  1903  (Fowler),  60th 
street,  W.  Philadelphia  in  January  (Peck),  Pottstown,  January 
17  (Hill  School  Club),  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  all  winter  (Hand). 

Crow,  Cori'us  brachyrhynchos.  Reported  resident  at  most 
stations.  At  Sandiford,  Phila.,  they  flew  towards  the  Ben- 
salem  roost  (Miller),  had  eggs  March  25,  at  Olney  (Morris). 

Blue  Jay,  Cyanocitta  cristata.  Observed  through  winter  at 
Perkasie,  Lansdowne,  Secane,  Bryn  Mawr  and  Oak  Lane. 
None  seen  till  May  at  Frankford  (Miller),  first  at  Knowlton, 
May  1  (Tyler),  Swarthmore,  May  6  (Robertas). 

Meadow  Lark,  Sturnella  magna.  Resident  at  Holmesburg, 
Phila.  (Fowler),  Cape  May,  N.  J.  (Hand),  and  a  few  at  West- 
town  (Linton,  VaM,  etc.),  Knowlton,  January  18,  not  regular  in 
winter  (Tyler). 

Cowbird,  Molothrus  ater.  A  few  wintered  at  Cold  Spring,  Ciipe 
May,  N.  J.,  flocking  with  the  Red-wings  (Hand). 


58  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Red-winged  Blackbird,  Agelalus  phocniceus.  A  large  flock  at 
Cold  Spring,  Cape  May,  N.  J.,  all  winter  (Hand). 

Purple  Grackle,  Quiscalus  quiscula.  Building  nests  at  Olney, 
March  12  (Morris). 

Pine  Grosbeak,  Pinicola  enudeator  lencura.  Flock  of  ten  at 
Oak  Lane,  November  18,  1903,  one  of  which  was  killed  by  a 
hawk  and  secured  for  identification  (Harloxv). 

Purple  Finch,  Carpodacvs  jmrpureus.  Reported  in  winter  at 
Lansdowne,  Oak  Lane,  Burlington,  N.  J.,  and  Downstown,  N. 
J.,  migrants  noted  at  George  School,  May  2,  Pottstown,  April 
24,  Perkasie,  May  1,  Swarthmore,  May  1,  Frankford,  April  25, 
Summit,  N.  J.,  April  20. 

Redpoll,  Acanthis  linaria.  Lansdowne,  December  20,  1903, 
Frankford,  Phila.,  January  12,  on  February  26,  eix,  March  15, 
four  (Miller). 

Goldfinch,  Adragalinus  tristis.  Reported  in  winter  at  Potts- 
town, Lansdowne,  Secane,  Media,  Bryn  Mawr  and  Oak  Lane, 
none  wintered  at  Frankford  or  Downstown,  N.  J. 

Pine  Finch,  Sjnnus  pinus.  Lansdowne,  January  31  (A.  D. 
White),  Bristol,  April  24  (Keim). 

SnowHake,  Passerina  nivalis.  Pottstown,  January  31,  (Hill 
School  Club),  Bridesburg,  Phila.,  JIarch  1,  one  flock  of  thirty  or 
forty  reported  in  February  (Miller). 

White-crowned  Sparrow,  Zonoirichia  levcophrys.  Columbia, 
May  1  (  Wisler),  Frankford,  Phila.,  April  4  and  May  6  (Miller), 
Oak  Lane,  May  2  (Harluiv),  Summit,  N.  J.,  May  10  (Holmes), 
Audubon,  N    J.,  May  12  (S.  K  Rhoads). 

White-throated  Sparrow,  Zonoirichia  albicollis.  Wintered  at 
Swarthmore,  Secane,  Media,  Bryn  Mawr  and  Lansdowne.  Last 
noticed  at  Concordville,  May  21  (Stycr),  Lansdowne,  May  21 
(A.  D.  White),  Media,  May  3  (Allen),  Overbrook,  May  15 
(Hunt),  Paoli,  May  21  (Baihj),  Frankford,  May  16  (Miller), 
Burlington,  N.  J.,  May  8  (H.  F.  Carter),  arrived  at  Summit, 
N.  J.,  April  10  (Holmes). 

Tree  Sparrow,  Spizella  monticola.  All  winter  at  most  stations. 
Last  seen  at  Downstown,  N.  J.,  April  3  (Fair),  Summit,  N.  J., 
April  4  (Holmes),  Frankford,  April  20  (Miller),  Columbia, 
March  20  (Wisler),  Bristol,  March  20  (Keim),  Knowlton, 
March  20  (Tyler). 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  59 

Junco,  Junco  hyemalis.  All  winter  at  most  stations.  Last 
record  at  Downstown,  N.  J.,  May  1  {Fair),  Summit,  N.  J., 
May  5  (Holmes),  Bristol,  April  24  (Amu),  Knowlton,  May  1 
iTyler),  Columbia,  April  29  (Wisler),  Media,  May  1  (Allen), 
Overbrook,  May  1  (Hunt),  Frankford,  May  2  (Miller). 

Song  Sparrow,  Melospiza  cincrea  inelodia.     Generally  resident. 

Fox  Sparrow,  Passerella  iliaca.  Unprecedented  abundance 
during  first  few  days  of  March  at  Olney  (Morris). 

Towhee,  Fipilo  erythrophtJialmus.  One  bird  at  Secane,  Janu- 
ary 24  and  again  February  14  [E.  L.  Puhiur). 

Rough-winged  Swallow,  StclgklopU'ri/j'  scrripennis.  At  least 
one  pair  nested  on  Indian  Run  on  6Sth  street  within  the  city 
limits  (Hunt). 

Cedarbird,  Ampelis  cedrormn.  Flock  of  fifteen  or  twenty  at 
Yardville,  N.  J.,  February  25  (Allinson). 

Northern  Shrike,  Lanius  borealis.  Downstown,  N.  J.,  Febru- 
ary 18  and  March  21  (Fair),  Pottstown  February  8  (Hill  School 
Club). 

Yellow-throated  Vireo.  Vireo  famfrons.  Several  pairs  re- 
mained around  Ardmore  all  summer,  for  the  first  time  in  my 
experience  (Daily). 

Golden-winged  Warbler.  Helminlhophila  chrysoptera.  Knowl- 
ton, May  6  (Tyler),  Melmar,  Montgomery  Co.,  Pa.,  May  6 
(Miller),  Burlington,  N.  J.,  May  14  (H.  F.  Carter),  Summit, 
N.  J.,  May  8  (Holmes). 

Nashville  Warbler,  Hclminthophila  ruhricapilla.  Lansdowne, 
May  10  (Austin^,  Westtown,  May  12  (Linton,  Vail,  etc.).  Con- 
cord ville.  May  11  (Styer). 

Bay-breasted  Warbler,  Dendroira  castanea.  Bristol,  May  22 
(Keim),  Lansdowne,  May  18  (A.  D.  White),  Westtown,  May 
16  (Vail,  Linton,  etc.). 

Mourning  Warbler,  Geothlypis  philadeJphia.  Lansdowne, 
June  1,  one  seen  and  song  heard  (A.  D.  M'hite).  Arrived  at 
Lopez,  May  22  (Behr),  Summit,  N.  J.,  May  29  (Holmes).  Sev- 
eral in  full  song  evidently  breeding  at  Kittaning  Point,  Blair 
Co.,  Pa.,  June  20  (Stone). 

Hooded  Warbler,  Wilsonin  m.itrala.  Burlington,  N.  J.,  May 
15  (H.  F.  Carter),  Columbia,  May  1  (  Wisler),  Brush  Mountain, 


60  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

Blair  Co.,  Pa.,  June  21,  evidently  nesting  (Stone).     The  record 
in  last  report  at  Downstown,  May  10,  1903,  was  an  error. 

Wilson's  Warbler,  Wilson/a  pusilla.  West  Berlin,  N.  J., 
May  14  {Lippincolt) ,  Burlington,  N.  J.,  May  18  {H.  F.  Carter), 
Summit,  N.  J.,  May  15  (Holmes),  Westtown,  May  12  (  Vail,  Lin- 
ton, etc.),  Concordville,  May  11  (Styer),  Lansdowne,  May  12 
and  15  (A.  J.  Pcnnock),  Media,  May  19  (Moore),  Haverford, 
May  11  (Serrlll). 

Titlark,  Anlhus pendlvanicus.     Lansdowne,  March  8  (Carter). 

Mockingbird,  Mivms  polyglottos.  Ardmore,  April  25,  one 
(Baily). 

Winter  Wren,  Olbiorchihis  hiemalis.  Generally  throughout 
winter  in  the  Delaware  valley,  last  seen  at  Frankford,  May  2 
(Miller),  arrived  at  Suniniit,  N.  J.,  April  6  (Holmes). 

Carolina  Wren,  Thryothorus  ludoviciamis.  Reported  as  resi- 
dent at  Swarthmore,  Lansdowne,  Media.  Secane,  Bryn  Mawr 
and  once  observed  during  winter  at  Downstown,  N.  J. 

Brown  Creeper,  Certhia  familiaris  americana.  Last  seen  at 
Summit,  N.  J.,  May  1  (Holmes),  Frankford,  Phila.,  April  28 
(Miller),  Bristol,  March  20  (Keim). 

White-breasted  Nuthatch,  Sitla  carolinensis.  Generally  ob- 
served through  winter  and  less  frequently  in  summer. 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch,  Sitta  canadensis.  Summit,  N.  J., 
March  20  (Holmes),  Bristol,  March  13  (Keim),  Pottstown,  May 
6,  Fairmount  Park,  Phila.,  May  10  (Hunt),  Westtown,  May  12 
(Linton,  Vail,  etc.),  Burlington,  May  15  (H.  F.  Carter). 

Tufted  Titmouse,  Bxolophus  bicolor.  Resident  at  Media,  Bryn 
Mawr,  Oak  Lane,  etc. 

Black-capped  Chickadee,  Pnrus  atricapillus.  \\Mntered  at 
Pottstown,  Perkasie,  Bryn  Mawr,  Oak  Lane,  usually  plentiful 
at  Lansdowne  (.4.  D.  White)  and  at  Media  until  April  12 
(Allen). 

Gold-crowned  Kinglet,  Reguhis  satrapa.  Last  observed  at 
Swarthmore,  April  21  (Roberts)  and  Haverford,  April  21 
(Serrill). 

Gnatcatcher,  PolioptHa  caerulea.  One  shot  at  Frankford, 
April  19  (Miller). 

Hermit  Thrush,  Hylodchla  guttata  pallasii.     Cupola,  Chester 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  61 

Co.,  Pa.,  January  1  (Hunt),  Moorestown,  N.  J.,  December  25, 
1903  (Evans),  Lansdowne,  December  26,  1903  (Av.stin), 
Downstown,  N.  J.,  January  16  (Fair). 

Robin,  Merula  migratoria.  Winter  records,  Downstown,  N. 
J.,  February  3  (Fair),  Swarthmore,  January  17  (Palmer), 
Lansdowne,  January  27  (Eaton),  nest  with  eggs,  April  21 
(Palvier). 

Bluebird,  Sialia  sialis.  Several  wintered  at  Swarthmore 
(Palmer),  Lenape  (Carter),  Perkasie  (Butter)  and  Summit,  N. 
J.  (Holmes). 


City  Ornithology 

The  following  birds  were  observed  from  the  windows  of  the 
Friends'  Library,  overlooking  the  burial  grounds  at  Sixteenth 
and  Race  streets,  by  Mary  S.  Allen: 

Fish  Crow,  occasional. 

Flicker,  a  pair  on  March  26. 

Fox  Sparrow,  March  12  and  18. 

Song  Sparrow,  March  12  (singing),  April  28. 

White-throated  Sparrow,  April  25,  27,  28,  29,  and  May  6 
(singing). 

Chewink,  April  25  and  May  5. 

Scarlet  Tanager,  May  13  (reported). 

Ovenbird,  April  30  and  May  6. 

Maryland  Yellow-throat,  May  19,  20  and  21,  at  least  two 
pairs. 

Catbird,  May  14. 

Brown  Thrasher,  April  27  and  May  9. 

Creeper  or  Nuthatch,  April  27. 

Hermit  Thrush,  April  20  and  29. 

Robin,  first  seen  March  23,  a  pair  remained  all  season. 

Brown  Creepers  were  frequently  seen  in  Logan  Square  during 
the  fall  migration,  and  Dr.  Trotter  heard  a  Warbling  Vireo  in 
full  song  at  Eleventh  and  Spruce  streets,  in  May. 


Abstract  of  the  Proceedings  of  the  Delaware  Valley 
Ornithological  Club  for  1904 


January  7,  190^.  Annual  Meeting.  Twenty-seven  members 
present.  Tlie  resignations  of  Messrs.  John  H.  Reese  and 
^\'ilIiam  R.  Roinick  were  accepted  with  regret. 

Mr.  Clark  J.  Peck  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  for  the  ensuing  year: 

President — Spencer  Trotter,  M.  D. 

Vice-President — William  A.  Shryock. 

Secretary — William  B.  Evans. 

Treasurer — Btewardson  Brown. 

The  paper  of  the  evening  was  by  Wm.  B.  Evans,  entitled, 
"Among  Strange  Voices  in  England,"  in  which  the  speaker's 
impressions  of  the  Chaffinch,  Swift,  Rook  and  Skylark  were 
dwelt  upon  at  length. 

Mr.  Baily  reported  a  Tcsvliee  (Pipilo  erylhrojihlhahnus) ,  Mock- 
ing-bird {Mimus  polyglottos)  and  Hermit  Thrush  {Hylocichla  gut- 
tata pallasii)  at  'Wildviood,  N.  J.,  December  27,  1903.  Thirty- 
eight  species  in  all  were  observed  during  the  day. 

Hermit  Thurshes  were  also  reported  wintering  at  several  other 
localities. 

A  resolution  protesting  against  changing  the  New  Jersey  law 
to  permit  the  shooting  of  Robins  was  adopted. 

January  21,  190^.     Seventeen  members  present. 

Messrs.  LaRue  K.  Holmes  and  J.  J.  Wisler  were  elected  Cor- 
responding members. 

Mr.  DeHaven  entertained  the  club  with  an  account  of  a  visit 
to  the  Yellowstone  Park  during  the  past  summer,  speaking  par- 
ticularly of  the  birds  and  mammals. 

Bluebirds  {Sinlia  sialis)  were  observed  on  January  9,  16  and 
17,  and  a  Robin,  at  Olney,  on  January  21. 

(62) 


DKLAWARK    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  03 

The  death  of  Josiah  Hoopes,  a  Corresponding  member,  was 
aimounced.      (See  Cassinia,  1903,  p.  82.) 

February  4,  1904-     Fifteen  members  present. 

A  discussion  was  held  upon  the  Shrikes  of  the  neighborhood 
of  Philadelphia,  and  a  number  of  skins  were  exhibited.  All  of 
the  "Loggerhead"  Shrikes  appeared  to  belong  to  the  recently 
proposed  race  Lanius  luduvlcianus  migrans  W.  Palmer,  and  only 

fall  captures  were  on  record. 

A  specimen  of  Red-tailed  Hawk  {Buteo  Imeatus)  from  North 
Carolina  was  exhibited  by  Mr.  DeHaven,  which  seemed  to  pre- 
sent an  unusual  amount  of  red  in  its  coloration. 

February  IS,  190/f.     Twenty  members  present. 

Mr.  Morris  read  extracts  from  his  journal  covering  a  five-day 
trip  to  Cape  Charles,  Va. ,  January  31-February  4.  Forty-two 
species  of  birds  were  observed,  among  which  were  Red-winged 
Blackbirds  (Agelaius  phoeniceus),  Crackles  {Quiscalus  qukcula), 
Robins  {Merula  migratoria),  Myrtle  Warblers  (Dendroica 
coronata)  and  Hermit  Thrushes  (Hylocichla  guttata  pallasH).  Of 
the  last  he  estimated  that  at  least  one  hundred  and  fifty  were 
seen.  Titlarks  {Anthus  pensilvanicus)  were  unusually  abundant 
and  it  seemed  that  the  Ipswich  Sparrow  ( Passer  cuius  princeps)  was 
actually  more  plentiful  on  Skidmore's  Island  than  the  Song 
Sparrow. 

March  S,  lOOi.     Eighteen  members  present. 

Some  Delaware  Notes  contributed  by  Mr.  C.  J.  Pennock  were 
read  by  Mr.  Stone  in  the  author's  absence.  (See  p.  42).  The 
most  interesting  records  were  Brown-headed  Nuthatch  (Sitta 
pusilla)  and  a  flock  of  Snow  Buntings  {Passerina  nivalis)  at  Lewes, 
February  5.  Mr.  Stone  exhibited  the  original  manuscript  of  John 
K.  Townsend's  ''  Narrative"  and  a  number  of  letters  received 
from  Dr.  Mahloii  Kirk  to  be  presented  to  the  Academj'  of 
Natural  Sciences. 

March  17,  1904-     Eighteen  members  present. 
The  resignation  of  Mr.  Robert  T.  Moore  was  accepted  with  re- 
gret. 


64  IROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Mr.  Baily  gave  a  resum^  of  his  observations  on  the  shore 
birds  of  the  Cape  May  county  coast,  based  upon  numerous  trips 
made  during  the  past  twenty  years. 

April  7,  1904-     Nineteen  members  present. 

Dr.  Hughes  described  the  nesting  of  various  Water-birds  and 
Grouse  in  South  Dakota.  The  increase  in  the  numbers  of  the 
latter  bird  he  attributed  to  the  disappearance  of  the  Coyotes  and 
the  development  of  the  grain  industry. 

Mr.  Stone  commented  upon  a  collection  of  birds  from  Cali- 
fornia recently  purchased  by  the  Academy. 

Mr.  Emlen  described  a  trip  down  the  Egg  Harbor  river,  N. 
J.,  in  March  and  spoke  of  the  birds  observed. 

April  21,  1904-     Twenty-seven  members  present. 

Mr.  Samuel  C.  Palmer  was  elected  to  Active  membership, 
and  Messrs.  James  L.  Whitaker  and  Frank  A.  Eaton  to  Associ- 
ate membership. 

The  death  of  Edwin  Sheppard,  for  many  years  an  associate 
member,  was  announced. 

Mr.  J.  A.  G.  Rehn  entertained  the  club  with  an  account  of  a 
trip  to  the  vicinity  of  Thomasville,  Georgia,  during  March  and 
earlj'  April,  illustrating  his  remarks  with  specimens  which  he 
had  secured. 

The  Mocking-bird  was  the  only  novel  species  to  a  northern 
visitor  among  those  found  commonly  about  the  open  ground, 
but  in  the  pine  woods  were  to  be  found  Brown-headed  Nut- 
hatches (Sitta  pusilla),  Bachman's  and  Pine-woods  Sparrows 
(_Peucsea  sestivalis  and  ce.  bachmani),  together  with  Pine  Warblers 
(Dendroica  vigorsii),  Myrtle  Warblers  (D.  coronata)  and  Hermit 
Thrushes  (Hylorichla  guttata  23allasvi).  The  Yellow-throated 
Warbler  {D.  dominica)  was  seen  March  15.  Along  the 
"  branches  "  and  in  swamps  there  were  noted  the  Parula  Warb- 
ler (Compsothlypiis  americana),  Prothonotary  Warbler  (Protono- 
taria  citrea)  and  Hooded  Warbler  (  Wilsonia  mitrata) . 

A  single  specimen  of  Bachman's  Warbler  {Helminthophila 
bachmani)  was  obtained  just  over  the  Florida  line.  (See  Auk, 
1905,  p.  85). 

A  letter  from  Jlr.  Wni.  D.  Carpenter  was  read  describing  a 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  65 

nest  and  four  eggs  of  the  Woodcock  {Philohela  minor),  found 
near  Paoli,  Pa.,  April  17,  1904. 

Mr.  De  Haven  stated  that  he  had  observed  Ducks  drinking 
drops  of  rain  water  which  collected  on  their  backs  as  they  sat 
on  the  salt  water,  and  commented  on  the  flight  of  Hawks 
through  a  gap  in  the  hills  near  Paterson,  N.  -J. ,  which  seems  to 
occur  annually  between  March  10  and  25.  This  year  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty-six  birds  were  shot  by  local  gunners  in  one  day. 

May  5,  1904.     Twenty-two  members  present. 

Mr.  Hunt  read  a  paper  describing  the  discover)'  of  Henslow's 
Bunting  (Ammodramus  henslowii),  at  Cupola,  Chester  Co.,  Pa. 
On  April  24,  six  pairs  were  observed  in  a  high  upland  field  over- 
grown with  grass  and  weeds;  on  the  26th  the  spot  was  visited, 
and  a  specimen  secured  for  identification.  It  was  presumed 
that  the  birds  would  nest  in  the  locality. 

Mr.  Coggins  read  a  paper  entitled,  "Confessions  of  an  Egg 
Collector,"  discussing  the  value  to  science  of  the  work  of  the 
man  who  collects  egg-shells.  The  rather  limited  compass  of 
scientific  truths  which  the  study  of  egg-shells  is  able  to  con- 
tribute was  reviewed.  In  the  conclusions  of  the  speaker  and 
the  discussion  which  followed,  it  was  considered  that  the  results 
obtained  hardly  justify  the  practice  of  indiscriminate  collecting, 
but  a  stimulus  to  bird-study  is  produced  which  might  otherwise 
never  have  been  aroused.  The  most  notable  egg-collector  pres- 
ent admitted  frankly  that,  so  far  as  he  was  concerned,  he  col- 
lected for  the  amusement  and  pleasure  that  it  gave  him. 

Mr.  Baily  described  the  photographing  of  the  Woodcock's 
nest  reported  at  the  previous  meeting.  The  bird  showed  re- 
markable tameness  and  allowed  a  closer  and  closer  approach 
until  finally  Mr.  Baily  was  able  to  stroke  her  back  with  his 
hand. 

Mr.  Stone  described  the  flight  song  of  the  Woodcock  as  heard 
by  Mr.  H.  W.  Fowler  and  himself  at  Speedwell,  N.  J. ,  April  30. 

May  19,  1904.     Thirty-two  members  present. 

Mr.  Richard  C.  McMurtrie  was  elected  an  Associate  member. 

Mr.  Pennock  spoke  of  some  recent  observations  in  Delaware; 


66  PUOCEEDINGS    OF    THE 

he  was  inclined  to  think  that  the  Mocking-bird  {Mirnus  "poly- 
glottos)  was  on  the  increase  in  the  upper  part  of  the  State.  A 
general  discussion  on  the  progress  of  migration  followed. 

Mr.  Hunt  described  the  vocal  performance  of  a  female  Red- 
winged  Blackbird  (Agelaius  phoeniceus),  which  sang  in  captivity. 

October  6,  IQOJf.     Thirty-seven  members  present. 

Messrs.  Bruce  P.  Tyler  and  Kenneth  Howie  were  elected  As- 
sociate members. 

The  death  of  Walter  D.  Bush,  a  Corresponding  member,  was 
announced. 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  made  a  communication  on  "  Song  Periods 
of  Some  of  Our  Common  Birds."  His  observations  began  on 
August  11,  1904,  in  the  neighborhood  of  Audubon,  N.  J.,  and 
of  twelve  common  species  but  one,  the  ^^'hite-eyed  Vireo  (  Vireo 
mrveboracmsis) ,  remained  in  song  to  September  11.  The  House 
Wren  ( Troglodytes  aedon)  was  the  first  to  stop  singing,  not  being 
heard  after  August  14.  He  suggested  a  generalization,  that  the 
finest  singers  have  the  shortest  song  periods,  but  noted  some  ex- 
ceptions. Mr.  Rhoads  proposes  to  give  the  subject  further  care- 
ful study  and  solicited  cooperation. 

Mr.  Hannum  described  the  destruction  of  young  Robins 
{Merula  mnjratm-ia)  and  Blackbirds  (Quiscahis  qnisada)  at  Con- 
cordville.  Pa.,  during  the  storm  of  last  month  and  similar  ob- 
servations were  made  by  Mr.  Peck  at  Overbrook,  Pa. 

October  20,  190 Jf.     Twenty- one  members  present. 

Mr.  W.  E.  Hannum,  who  has  been  absent  for  over  a  year  in 
Colorado,  was  re-elected  to  Active  membership,  and  Messrs. 
Paul  L.  Lorrilliere,  Richard  C.  Harlow  and  Stirling  W.  Cole 
were  elected  Associate  members. 

A  paper  on  the  Long-billed  Marsh  Wren  ( Telmatodytes  palus- 
trw),  "  That  Feathered  Midget  of  our  Tide-water  Swamps,"  was 
read  by  Mr.  Hunt  (see  p.  14). 

Mr.  Stone  stated  that  two  races  of  this  bird  had  been  recently 
distinguished;  one  inhabiting  the  Atlantic  coast  marshes,  and 
the  other  the  fresh  marshes  of  the  Mississippi  valley.  The 
question  had  been  raised  whether  the  birds  found  wintering  at 
Cape  May  were  not  the  latter. 


DELAWARE   VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  67 

Mr.  S.  N.  Rhoads  exhibited  a  volume  of  the  manuscript  diary 
kept  by  Titian  Peale  on  his  trip  to  Florida  in  1824  ;  and  Mr. 
Pennock  a  cop}'  of  the  rare  edition  of  Guthrie's  Geography  con- 
taining the  Ord  Zoology  which  he  had  purchased  at  an  old  book 
store  in  Wilmington,  Del. 

November  3,  1904.     Twenty-six  members  present. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Samuel  W.  Woodhouse,  Honorary  member 
of  the  club,  on  October  23,  1904,  was  announced,  and  the  fol- 
lowing resolution  was  adopted: 

The  Delaware  Valley  Ornithological  Club  has  heard  with 
deep  regret  of  the  death  of  Dr.  Samuel  W.  Woodhouse.  The 
last  of  a  generation  of  ornithologists,  whose  period  of  activity 
closed  long  before  the  birth  of  our  Club,  Dr.  Woodhouse  had 
always  shown  the  keenest  interest  in  our  work,  and  in  our  com- 
pany renewed  his  familiarity  with  the  studj',  to  which  he  had 
been  devoted  years  before.  His  kindly  disposition  and  enthu- 
siastic love  of  birds  endeared  him  to  us  all,  and  in  his  death  we 
recognize  the  loss  not  only  of  an  honored  member  but  of  a  true 
friend. 

Dr.  Hughes  made  the  communication  of  the  evening,  "A 
Trip  through  Idaho, ' '  treating  of  his  experiences  near  Oriphaeno, 
Moscow  Co.,  Idaho,  during  September  of  the  present  year. 
Ornithology  was  not  the  primary  object  of  the  trip,  and  no  spe- 
cimens were  collected,  but  forty-eight  species  were  recorded, 
some  of  the  more  interesting  being  the  White-headed  Wood- 
pecker (Xenopicus  albolarvatus),  Pinon  Jay  {Oyanocephalus  cya- 
nocephalus)  and  Franklin's  Grouse  (Canachites franklmii). 

Mr.  Carter  described  the  efforts  of  a  Flicker  (Colaptes  auratus 
luteus)  to  escape  from  the  attack  of  a  Duck  Hawk  {Falco  pere- 
gnnusanatum),  at  Anglesea,  N.  J.,  October  2.  The  bird  avoided 
his  pursuer  by  dropping  into  shallow  water,  again  by  turning 
suddenly  in  the  air,  and  finally  sought  shelter  between  two 
sand  dunes. 

November  17,  190^..     Twenty-six  members  present. 
Mr.  Hannum  addressed  the  Club  on  "  Impressions  of  Colorado 
Birds,"  covering  his  residence  at  Buena  Vista,  Col.,  1903-4. 


68  PROCEEDINGS    OF  THE 

The  country,  climate  and  effect  of  altitude  on  distribution  and 
migration  were  spoken  of  and  sketches  were  given  of  the  habits 
of  several  noteworthy  western  birds  including  the  Long-crested 
Jay,  Rocky  Mountain  Jay,  Clark's  Nutcracker  and  Water  Ouzel. 
A  sketch  of  the  late  Dr.  Woodhouse  was  read  by  Mr.  Stone 
(see  p.  1). 

December  1,  1904..     Twenty-one  members  present. 

Mr.  Carter  gave  an  account  of  his  observations  upon  the  birds 
of  Pocono  Lake,  Monroe  Co.,  Pa.  (see  p.  29). 

Messrs.  Baily  and  Rhoads  made  additional  remarks  on  the 
birds  of  the  Pocono  region. 

Mr.  Stone  remarked  upon  some  of  the  features  of  the  spring 
migration  as  shown  by  a  comparison  of  the  Club's  schedules  (see 
p.  46).  He  also  called  attention  to  Prof.  W.  W.  Cooke's  report 
on  the  migration  of  Warblers,  illustrating  by  charts  the  differ- 
ent winter  habitats  and  migration  routes  of  species  which  have 
approximately  identical  breeding  ranges. 

December  15,  1904.     Nineteen  members  present. 

Mr.  Keim  read  a  paper  on  the  "  Summer  Birds  of  Port  Alle- 
ghany, McKean  Co.,  Pa."  (seep.  36). 

Mr.  Spaeth  spoke  of  birds  observed  in  December,  at  Cape  May 
Point,  N.  J.,  among  which  were  Crackles  (Qukcalus  quismla), 
Robins  {Merula  migratoria) ,  Bluebirds  (Sialia  sialis)  and  Tree 
Swallows  {Iridoprocne  bicolor). 

Mr.  Brown  read  a  communication  from  Mr.  Frederick  W. 
Stack,  Plainfield,  N.  J.,  relative  to  a  Crow  roost,  in  which  he 
said:  "  I  wish  to  take  exception  to  the  statement  on  page  11  of 
the  last  Cassinia,  relative  to  the  Ash  swamps  being  occupied  as 
a  Crow  roost  at  the  present  time.  This  is  not  so,  and  to  my 
personal  knowledge  has  not  been  so  for  at  least  the  greater  part 
of  the  past  decade.  Three  years  ago  a  roost  near  Netherwood 
Heights  (Plainfield),  was  forsaken  and  the  evening  flights 
directed  slightly  southward  and  at  a  considerable  distance  be- 
yond, toward  Picton  station  where  a  large  roost  was  discovered 
by  Mr.  W.  D.  W.  Miller  of  this  city  and  is  known  as  the  Picton 
roost. ' ' 


Bird  Club  Notes 

The  early  portraits  of  Dr.  Woodhouse  which  appear  in  this 
number  are  reproduced  from  photographs  taken  from  daguerreo- 
tj'pes  kindly  loaned  for  the  purpose  by  Dr.  Samuel  W.  Wood- 
house,  Jr.,  to  whom  we  are  also  indebted  for  the  privilege  of 
consulting  the  manuscript  journals  kept  by  his  father  while  on 

his  several  expeditions. 

*     *     * 

Sixteen  meetings  of  the  Club  were  held  during  1904,  with  an 
average  attendance  of  twenty-three.  Fifty-three  members  were 
present  at  one  or  more  meetings. 

The  meeting  of  October  6 — the  250th — was  attended  by 
thirty-seven  members,  the  largest  number  ever  recorded. 

^     ^     ^ 

Early  in  the  present  year  Mr.  Charles  J.  Pennock  was  ap- 
pointed Ornithologist  to  the  Delaware  State  Board  of  Agricul- 
ture, and  through  his  efforts  we  may  soon  hope  to  have  reliable 
accounts  of  the  birds  of  this  ornithologically  neglected  state. 

As  is  well  known,  ornithology  is  often  the  first  field  of  activity 
of  scientists  who  are  later  diverted  to  other  lines  of  research. 
The  D.  V.  0.  C.  has  two  notable  instances  in  Henry  W.  Fowler 
and  James  A.  G.  Rehn,  who  are  gaining  prominence  respectively 
for  their  work  on  Fishes  and  Orthoptera.  Mr.  Fowler  has 
already  published  thirty-three  papers  with  descriptions  of 
eighty-eight  new  species  of  fishes,  many  illustrated  by  plates  of 
much  merit  from  his  own  brush.  Mr.  Rehn  has  published 
thirty-seven  contributions  to  our  knowledge  of  Grasshoppers 
and  their  kin,  and  upwards  of  130  new  species  are  credited  to 
him. 

In  the  field  of  literature,  a  noteworthy  contribution  from  a 
member  of  the  D.  V.  0.  C.  is  "  A  Selborne  Pilgrimage,"  in  the 

(  <'9  ) 


70  PROCEEDINGS    OF   THE 

Atlantic  Monthly  for  August,  by  Cornelius  Weygandt.  while 
Herbert  L.  Coggins  has  published  in  Youth,  of  which  he  is  ed- 
itor, a  series  of  Animal  and  Bird  Fables  well  worth  reading. 

The  following  ornithological  papers  have  been  published  dur- 
ing the  year  from  the  pens  of  members  of  the  D.  V.  0.  C. : 
Austin,  J.  Harold.     Christmas   Bird   Census.     Bird  Lore, 

1904,  p.  14. 
Baily,  Wm.  L.     Christmas  Bird  Census.     Bird  Lore,  1904, 
p.  13. 
Henslow's   Sparrow    in   Monroe   Co.,    Pa.     Anl\    1904, 
p.  486. 
EvAKS,  Wm.  B.     Christmas  Bird  Census.     Bird  Lore,  1904, 

p.  13.     (See  also  p.  203.) 
Hunt,  Chreswell  J.     Christmas  Bird  Census.     Bird  Lore, 
1904,  p.  13. 
New  Year  Bird  Census.      Wilson  Bidletin,  1904,  p.  17. 
July  Fourth  Censo-Horizon.     Wilson  Bidletin,  1904,  p.  78. 
All  Day  with  the  Birds.      Wikon  Bulletin,  1904,  p.  39. 
How  an  Abnormal  Growth  of  Bill  was  Caused.     Auk, 

1904,  p.  384. 
Henslow's  Sparrow    in   Chester  Co.,    Pa.      Auk,    1904, 

p.  386. 
Gold  Finch  and  Tree  Sparrows — Difference  in  Feeding. 

Bird  Lore,  1904,  p.  133. 
The   Marsh    Wrens'    Midnight    Song.      Wilson    Bulletin, 

1904,  p.  13. 
Some    Barn    Swallow    Nests.       Wilson    Bidletin,     1904, 
p.  83. 
Jackson,    Thos.    H.     Christmas   Bird   Census.     Bird   Lore, 

1904,  p.  13. 
Hales,   Henry.     An    Unusual   Nest  of   the  Cliff  Swallow. 
Bird  Lore,  1904,  p.  67. 
Cowbird  and  White-eyed  Vireo.     Bird  Lore,  1904,  p.  99. 
Mockingbirds  in  New  Jersey.     Bird  Lore,  1904,  p.  134. 
Jacobs,  J.  Warren.     Haunts  of  the  Golden-winged  Warbler. 

1904.     Published  by  the  author. 
Keim,    Thomas    D.     July    Fourth   Censo-Horizon.      Wilson 
Bidletin,  1904,  p.  78. 


DELAWARE    VALLEY   ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  71 

Miller,    W.    D.   W.     Report   on   Bird   Protection   in   New 

Jersey.     Auk,  1904,  p.  179. 
Breeding  of  the  Dickcissel  in  New  Jersey.     Auk,  1904, 

p.  487. 
Palmer,  Samuel  C.     Taming  a  Red-eyed  Vireo.     Bird  Lore, 

1904,  p.  133. 
Pennock,  Charles  J.     Some  of  Our  Useful  Birds.     Bull.  6, 

Delaware  Board  of  Agriculture,  1904. 
Delaware  Bird  Notes.     Auk,  1904,  p.  286. 
Stone,  Wither.     A  Collection  of  Birds  and  Mammals  from 

Mt.    Sanhedrin,   Cal.     Proc.   Acad.    Nat.   Sci.,    Phila., 

1904,  p.  576. 
Henslow's  Sparrow  at  Bethlehem,  Pa. — A   Correction. 

Auk,  1904,  p.  386. 
'Plumage,'     'Ornithology,'    and    other    Ornithological 

Articles  in  the  Encyclopedia  AmeiHcana,  1904. 
Street,  J.  Fletcher.     Christmas  Bird  Census.     Bird  Lore, 

1904,  p.  12. 
Surface,  H.  A.     Various  Articles  on  Economic  Ornithology 

in  Bulletins  of  State  Zoologist. 
Trotter,  Spencer.     Some  Nova  Scotia  Birds.     Auk,  1904, 

p.  5.5. 

*  *    * 

The  Spencer  F.  Baird  Ornithological  Club  still  maintains  an 
active  organization.  The  officers  for  1905  are,  President,  Mrs. 
Edward  Robins;  Secretary,  Mrs.  Spencer  Trotter  and  Treasurer, 
Mrs.  \Vm.  Channing  Russel. 

*  *     * 

Edwin  Sheppard,  an  Associate  meniber  of  the  D.  V.  0.  C, 
died  in  Philadelphia  on  April  7,  1904,  at  an  advanced  age. 

Mr.  Sheppard  was  an  artist  by  profession,  coming  to  this 
city  when  quite  a  young  man  to  pursue  his  studies.  His  deep 
interest  in  birds  brought  him  to  the  Academy  of  Natural 
Sciences  and  turned  his  attention  to  the  illustrating  of  scientific 
works.  For  years  he  worked  at  the  Academy,  being  absent 
only  during  the  Civil  War,  when  he  returned  to  his  native  city, 
Richmond,  Va.,  and  enlisted  in  the  engineer  corps  of  the  Con- 
federate Army.      He  then  traveled  into   Louisiana  and   Texas, 


72  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

and  has  in  conversation  described  the  Ivory-billrd  Woodpeck- 
ers and  other  interesting  birds  that  he  saw  at  this  time. 

Mr.  Sheppard  served  on  the  Ornithological  committee  of  the 
Academy  from  1S72  to  1875.  He  was  deeply  interested  in 
everything  relating  to  birds  and  joined  the  Club  the  year  after 
its  organization.  While  a  frequent  attendant  at  the  earlier 
meetings,  failing  health  prevented  him  from  taking  any  active 
part  in  its  work  of  late  years. 

Some  of  the  best  known  of  Mr.  Sheppard' s  ornithological 
ilhistrations  are  to  be  found  in  Baird,  Brewer  and  Ridgway'e 
"  History  of  North  American  Birds,"  Trumbull's  "Common 
Names  of  Game  Birds,"  and  Elliot's  volumes  on  "Shore 
Birds,"  "Ducks  and  Geese,"  etc.  Dr.  Coues  once  said  of  him: 
"he  has  drawn  more  and  better  illustrations  of  North  American 
birds  than  any  artist  now  living,"  which  was  true  at  the  time 
he  wrote.  Mr.  Sheppard  was  well  acquainted  with  Dr.  Thomas 
B.  Wilson,  John  Cassin  and  other  ornithologists  of  their  day 
and  has  described  to  me  with  much  enthusiasm  a  meeting  he 
once  had  with  John  W.  Audubon.  W.  S. 

*     *     * 

Walter  D.  Bush,  a  Corresponding  member  of  the  Club,  died 
at  his  home  in  Wilmington,  Delaware,  on  August  11,  1904. 
Mr.  Bush  was  elected  in  1898,  and  though  he  was  able  to  attend 
but  few  of  our  meetings  he  was  ever  ready  to  render  assistance 
to  those  interested  in  the  ornithology  of  his  native  state.  In- 
deed, until  quite  recently  he  seems  to  have  been  the  only  one  at 
all  familiar  with  the  bird  life  of  Delaware,  and  had  it  not  been 
for  his  modest}'  and  the  engrossing  cares  of  an  active  iiusiness 
life  his  knowledge  would  have  gained  him  a  much  more  promi- 
nent position  in  the  ornithological  world. 

He  was  active  in  securing  the  passage  of  the  recent  law  for  the 
protection  of  birds  in  Delaware  and  as  Vice-President  and 
President  of  the  Delaware  Natural  History  Society,  did  much 
to  advance  interest  in  scientific  pursuits.  As  a  citizen  h^  was 
prominent  in  all  public  enterprises  in  Wilmington  and  '  as 
widely  known  and  respected. 

Mr.  Bush  was  born  in  Wilmington,  August  30,  1851,  the  son 
of  George  W.  Bush.     He   early  entered   the  coal   and  freight 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL    CLUB.  73 

business,  established  by  his  father,  and  largely  through  his 
energy  it  grew  to  its  present  proportions.  He  was  President  of 
the  Bush  Company  at  the  time  of  his  death  and  also  of  the 
Delaware  Real  Estate  Co. ,  while  he  was  a  director  of  many  other 
organizations.  He  married  Rebecca  Gibbons  Tatnall,  who  with 
seven  children  survive  him.  W.  S. 

*     *     * 

Harry  Garrett  died  at  his  home  in  West  Chester,  Pa. ,  June 
25,  1904,  in  his  sixty -sixth  year. 

He  was  the  son  of  the  late  Davis  and  Elizabeth  Garrett  who 
resided  in  Willistown  township,  Chester  Co.,  where  Harry  was 
born  and  passed  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  From  his  parents 
he  inherited  a  fondness  for  nature  study  and  his  spare  hours 
were  devoted  to  his  bird  neighbors.  He  was  of  a  modest,  un- 
assuming nature.  He  did  not  belong  to  any  of  our  bird 
societies,  nor  did  his  name  often  appear  in  print,  yet  there  are 
very  few  who  had  a  more  accurate  knowledge  of  our  birds,  their 
habits  and  haunts,  than  Harry  Garrett. 

A  taxidermist  of  more  than  ordinary  skill,  he  amassed  a  very 
fine  mounted  collection  of  local  birds,  which  went  to  Swarth- 
more  college  many  years  since.  About  fourteen  years  ago  he 
moved  to  West  Chester,  where  he  still  maintained  his  interest 
in  birds,  though  it  was  divided  with  mineralogy,  in  which  field 
he  was  an  enthusiast.  Many  specimens  collected  and  prepared 
by  Garrett  are  to  be  seen  in  the  Josiah  Hoopes  collection,  now 
in  the  Academy  of  Natural  Sciences  of  Philadelphia.     T.  H.  J. 

At  the  twenty-second  Congress  of  the  American  Ornithologists 
Union,  Mr.  J.  Warren  Jacobs  was  elected  a  Member  and  Mr. 
Clark  .J.  Peck  an  Associate. 


OFFICERS  AND  MEMBERS 


OF   THE 


Delaware   Valley   Ornithological   Club. 


1905. 

SPENCER  TROTTER,  M.  D.,  President. 

WILLIAM  A.  SHRYOCK,  Vice-l^resident. 

WILLIAM  B.   EVANS,  SecTclary,  56  N.  Front  St.,  Phila. 

STEWARDSON  BROWN,  Treasurer,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Gerniantown. 


ACTIVE  MEMBERS. 

William   L.  Baily,  Ardmore,  Pa Fouuder. 

Stewahdson  Brown,  20  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila *16yi 

Herbert  L.  Cogoins,  5025  McKeaa  Ave.,  Germantown,  Phila 1897 

I.  NoRRis  De  Haven,  Ardmore,  Pa ISl'l 

Arthur  C.  Emlen,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Pa 1897 

William  B.  Evans,  Moorestown,  N.  J 1898 

Henry  W.  Fowler,  Holmesburg,  Phila 1894 

William  E.  Hannum,  508  Broadway,  Camden,  N.  J 1901 

William  E.  Hughes,  M.  D.,  3945  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1891 

Chrkswell  J.  Hunt,  1306  N.  Fifty-third  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 

George  Spencer  Morris,  OIney,  Phila Founder. 

Samuel  C.  Palmer,  Swarthmore,  Pa 1899 

Charles  J.  Pennock,  Kennett  Square,  Pa 1895 

James  A.  G.  Rehn,  1918  N.  Twenty-first  St.,  Phila 1899 

Samuel  N.  Rhoads,  Audubon,  N.  J Founder. 

*  Date  indicates  year  ot  election  to  Club. 

(74) 


DELAWARE    VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLUB.  75 

William  A,  Shryock,  21  N.  Seventh  St.,  Phila ,  1891 

Wither  Stonk,  Academy  Nat.  Sciences,  Phila Founder. 

Spenckr  Trotter,  M.  D.,  Swarthmore  College,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa.     .  Founder. 
Samcel  Wright,  Conshohocken,  Pa 1892 


ASSOCIATE  MEMBERS. 


J.  Harold  Adstin,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1903 

CHARLK3  W.  BnviNGER,  911  N.  Sixteenth  St.,  Phila 1900 

William  D.  Carpenter,  228  S.  Twenty-first  St.,  Phila 1899 

John  D.  Carter,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  P;i 1900 

John  E.  Chamberun,  45  N.  Seventh  St.,  Phila 1904 

Stirling  W.  Cole,  11«  N.  Sixth  St.,  Camden,  N.  J 1904 

Francis  R.  Cope,  Jr.,  Awhury,  Germantown,  Phila 1895 

William  J.  Cresson,  Swarthmore,  Delaware  Co.,   Pa 1899 

Frank  A.  Eaton,  Lansdowne,  Pa 1904 

Ernest  M.  Evans,  Awbury,  Germantown,  Phila 1899 

A.  P.  Fellows,  4006  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1894 

George  Forsvthe,  West  Chester  (Route  4),  Chester  Co.,  Pa.  .....  1891 

Sampel  M.  Freeman,  13  E.  Penn  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1896 

Alfred  Morton  Githens,  1337  Pine  St.,  Phila 1895 

Bartram  W.  Griffiths,  4024  Green  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 

Rev.  John  H.  Hackenbero,  3211  Columbia  Ave.,  Phila 1903 

Samuel  S.  Haines,  M.  D.,  Mill  St.  &  Central  Are.,  Moorestown,  N.J.   .    .  1901 

Richard  C.  Harlow,  Oak  Lane,  Phila 1904 

Kenneth  Howie,  48  Sedgewiek  Ave.,  Germantown,  Phila 1904 

William  W.  Justice,  Jr.,  Clappier  St.  &  Wissahickon  Ave.,  Germantown, 

Phila 1903 

Thomas  D.  Keim,  3409  N.  Twentieth  St.,  Phila ....      1902 

Raymond  Kester,  1514  Chc-stnut  St.,  Phila 1892 

Nathan  Kite,  Moylan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1898 

Joseph  B.  Lodge,  3340  N.  Sixteen  St.,  Phila 1900 

Paul  L.  Lorrilliere,  CoUingdale,  Del.  Co.,  Pa 1904 

David   McCadden,  4204  Powelton  Ave.,  W.  Phila 1892 

Richard  C.  McMurtrie,  152  Carpenter  St.,  Germantown,  Phila.    .    .    .       1904 

F.  Guy  Myers,  1110  S.  Forty-seventh  St.,  W.  Phila 1896 

Elmer  Onderdonk,  4221  Parrish  St.,  W.  Phila 1903 

Frederick  N.  Owen,  1812  Green  St.,  Phila 1902 

Clark  J.  Peck,  6728  Leeds  St.,  Phila 1904 

James  F.  Prenderoast,  M.  D.,  3833  Spring  Garden  St.,  W.  Phila.    .    .    .  1899 

J.  Harris  Reed,  Aldan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

Charles  J.  Rhoads,  Bryn  Mawr,  Pa 1890 

William  E.  Roberts,  Box  135,  West  Chester,  Pa 1901 

Anthony  W.  Robinson,  409  Chestnut  St.,  Phila 1898 


76  PROCEEDINGS   OF   THE 

William  B.  ScHEniNG,  3024  W.  York  St.,  Phila 1893 

C.  Few  Seiss,  1338  Spring  Garden  St.,  Phila 1892 

EuwAitD  A.  Sklliez,  1317  N.  Nineteenth  St.,  Phila 1902 

William  J.  Serrill,  Haverford,  Pa 1891 

Walter  G.  Sibley,  6626  McCallum  St.,  Germantown,  Phila 1900 

L.  I.  Smith,  Jr.,  3908  Chestnut  St.,  W.  Phila 1901 

Walter  Gordon  Smith,  5870  Drexel  Road,  W.  Phila 1898 

Reynold  A.  Spaeth,  7300  Boyer  St.,  Mt.  Airy,  Phila 1901 

James  L,  Stanton,  5218  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila. 1901 

John  H.  Steele,  301  S.  Fortieth  St.,  Phila 1903 

J.  Fletcher  Street,  Beverly,  N.  J 1903 

Joseph  W.  Tatom,  5220  Parkside  Ave.,  W.  Phila. 1892 

William  H.  Trotter,  Chestnut  Hill,  Phila 1899 

Brcce  P.  Tyler,  Kaowlton,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1904 

Charles  A.  Voklker,  Aldan,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa Founder. 

Charles  S.  Welles,  Elwyn,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa .  1900 

CoRNELins  Weygandt,  Wissahickon  Ave.,  below  Frank  St.,  Germantown, 

Phila 1891 

Albert  L.  Whitaker,  Cedar  Grove,  Frankford,  Phila 1896 

James  L.  Whitaker,  Cedar  Grove,  Frankford,  Phila 1904 

Walter  R.  White,  Lansdowne,  Delaware  Co.,  Pa 1903 

Edward  W.  Woolman,  44  N.  Thirty-eighth  St.,  W.  Phila 1902 


CORRESPONDING  MEMBERS. 

Charles  H.  Baker,  Grassmere,  Orange  Co.,  Fla 1900 

Thomas  J.  Beans,  Moorestown,  N.  J.     .  1895 

Herman  Behr,  Jennings,  Md 1897 

Otto  Behe,  Lopez,  Sullivan  Co.,  Pa 1897 

W.  H.  Bdller,  Marietta,  Lancaster  Co.,  Pa 1896 

Liedt.  Frank   B.  Eastman,   U.  S.  A.,  Presidio,  San  Francisco,  Cal.  .    .    .  1898 

Marcus  S.  Fabr,  Princeton,  N.  J 1901 

Harry  L.  Graham,  Redlanda,  Cal 1897 

Allen  H.  Grosh,  York,  York  Co.,  Pa .    .    .1900 

Henry  Hales,  Ridgewood,  N.  J 1895 

H.  Walker  Hand,  1002  Washington  St.,  Cape  May,  N.  J 1900 

LaRue  K.  Holmes,  Pine  Grove  Ave.,  Summit,  N.J 1904 

Thomas  H.  Jackson,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

J.  Warren  Jacobs,  Waynesburg,  Greene  Co.,  Pa 1895 

August  Koch,  Williamsport,  Pa 1895 

Samuel  B.  Ladd,  West  Chester,  Pa 1895 

Waldron  D.  W.  Miller,  Plainfield,  N.  J 1900 

Howard  Y.  Pennell,  M.  D.,  Downingtown,  Pa 1894 

A.  H.  Phillips,  Princeton,  N.  J 1895 

M.  W.  Raub,  M.  D.,  Lancaster,  Pa 1895 


DELAWARE   VALLEY    ORNITHOLOGICAL   CLOB.  77 

H.  Jdstin  Roddy,  State  Normal  School,  Millersville,  Lane.  Co.,  Pa.   .    .    .  1895 

Fbedekick  Sorenskn,  Chalmersgarten,  Gothenburg,  Sweden 1900 

Frederic  W.  Stack,  Plainfield,  N.  J 1905 

Hdoh  E.  Stone,  Coatesville,  Pa 1895 

H.  A.  Surface,  Harrisburg,  Pa 1900 

C.  F.  Sylvester,  Princeton,  N.  J 1901 

W.  E.  Clyde  Todd,  Carnegie  Museum,  Pittsburg,  Pa 1895 

Henry  Warrington,  San  Francisco,  Cal 1896 

Asa  p.  Wat,  Bridgeton,  N.  J 1902 

William  H.  Werner,  Atlantic  City,  N.  J 1901 

William  L.  Whitaker,  Mitchell,  Ind 1893 

J.  Jay  Wisler,  Columbia,  Pa 1904 

Robert  T.  Yodng,  Cripple  Creek,  Colo 1892 


DECEASED  MEMBERS. 

Died. 

John  Farnum  Brown,  Active  member May  13,  1894 

Walter  D.  Bush,  Corresponding  member August  11,  1904 

John  W.  Detwiller,  M.  D.,  Corresponding  member  .    .    .  September  26,  1898 

Josiah  Hoopes,  Corresponding  member January  16,  1904 

Gilbert  H.  Moore,  Associate  member May  28,  1899 

William  Patterson,  Corresponding  member August  27,  1900 

Edwin  Sheppard,  Associate  member April  7,  1904 

William  W.  Smith,  Associate  member ....  July  3,  1892 

Samoel  W.  Woodhouse,  M.  D.,  Honorary  member October  23,  1904 


INDEX  TO  SPECIES. 


Every  meation  of  a  bird,  eitlicr  by  comnion  or  technicftl  name,  except,  in  the 
migration  tables,  is  indexed  under  the  current  technical  name  of  the  species. 

Acanthis  linaria,  58 
Accipiter  atricapillus,  56 

cooperi,  42,  55 

velox,  37,  55 
Actitis  macnlaria,  32,  37 
Agelaiua  phoeniceus,  30,  39,  58,  63,  66 
Aix  sponsa,  54 
Amraodramu3  henslowii,  65 
Ampelis  cedrorum,  30,  40,  59 
Anthue  pensilvanicus,  42,  43,  60,  63 
Antrostomus  vocil'erus,  31,  57 
Archibuteo  lagopus  sancti-johannis,  56 
Ardea  herodias,  32,  33,  54 
Asio  wilsonianus,  56 


Astragalinue  tristis,  31,  39,  58 

Baeolophus  bicolor,  60 
Bartraraia  longicauda,  55 
Bouasa  umbellus,  31,  37 
Botaurus  lentiginosus,  54 
Bubo  virginianus,  38 
Buteo  sp.,  42 

borealis,  37,  56 

lineatus,  31,  38,  42,  55,  63 

platyurus,  56 

Canachites  franklinii,  67 
Cardinalis  cardiualis,  42 
Carpodacus  purpureus,  31,  58 
Cathartes  aura,  42,  43,  55 
Ceophloeus  pileatus  abieticola,  38 
Certhia  fam.  americana,  40,  60,  61 
Ceryle  alcyon,  32,  38,  56 
Chaetura  pelagica,  6,  30,  31,  38 
Charadrius  dominicus,  55 
Chordeiles  virginianus,  30,  38 
Cinclus  mexicanus,  68 
Circus  hudsonius,  55 
Cistothorus  stellaris,  17,  66 
Coccyzus  erythrophthalmus,  31 
Colaptes  auratus  luteus,  30,  38,  43,  57 

61,  67 
Colinus  virginianui",  55 
Colymbus  holboellii,  54 
Compsothlypis  americana,  64 

a.  usneae,  34 
Contopus  virens,  32,  38 


Corvus  brachvrbynchos,  31,  39,  42,  43, 
57,  68 
corai  principalis,  39 
ossifragus,  61 
Cyanocephalus  cyanocephalus,  67 
Cyanocitta  cristata,  31,  38,  42,  57 
stelleri  annectens,  68 
Cyanospiza  cyauea,  30,  39 


Dendroica  aestiva,  40 

blackburniae,  31,  40 

caerulescens,  34,  40 

castanea,  59 

coronata,  43,  44,  63,  64 

dominica,  64 

maculosa.  31 

pensylvanica,  31,  40 

vigorsii,  64 

virens,  31,  40 
Dolichonyx  oryzivorus,  39 
Drvobates  pubescens  medianus,  31,38, 
42,  45,  56 

villosus,  31,  38,  57 


Ectopistes  migratorius,  37 
Empidonax  flaviventris,  57 

traillii  ainorum, 
Ereunetes  pusillus,  55 


33 


Falco  peregrinus  anatum,  56,  67 

sparverius,  42,  56 
Florida  caerulea,  54 

Galeoscoptes  carolinensis,  30,  40,  44,  61 
Gallinago  delicata,  55 
Gavia  iraber.  54 
Geothlypis  Philadelphia,  59 
trichas,  30,  40,  61 


Haematopus  palliatus,  55 
Hali;eetus  leucocephalus,  32,  42,  56 
Helminlhophila  bachmani,  64 
chrysoptera,  59 
rubricapilla,  32,  59 
Hirundo  erythrogastra,  30,  40 
Hylocichla  aliciae  bicknelli,  35 
fuscescens,  32 

(79) 


INDEX    TO   SPECIES. 


Hylocichla  g.  pallasii,  31,   32,  40,    60, 

132,  63,  64 

mustelina,  31,  40 


Icterus  galbula,  30 
Iridoprocne  bicolor, 


2,  68 


Junco  hyemalis,  31,  39,  42,  'j9 

Laniu3  borealis,  59 

ludov.  migrans,  40,  63 
Larus  argentatus,  45,  54 

atricilla,  37,  54 

dtlawarensis,  54 

mariuiis,  54 
Loxia  c.  minor,  31,  32 

Megascops  asio,  38,  56 
Melanerpes  erj  tlirocephalua,  38,  57 
Melospiza  cinerea  melodia,  30,  39,  42, 
43,  61 
georgiana,  32 
Merganser  americanus,  54 
Merula  migratoria,  31,  40,  43,  59,  61, 

63,  66,  68 
Mimus  polyglottos,  60,  62,  64,  66 
Mniotiltii  Taria,  34,  40 
Molothrus  ater,  39,  57 
Myiarchus  crinitus,  32 

Nucifraga  Columbiana,  68  I 
Numenius  hudsonicus,  55 
Nuttalloruis  borealis,  34,  57 
Nyctala  acadica,  56 
Nycticorax  n.  naevius,  32,  37 

Olbiorchilus  hieraalis,  34,  4  0,  60 
Olor  columbianus,  54 
Otocoris  alpestris,  57 
Oxycclius  vociferus,  55 

Pandiou  hal.  carolinensis,  32,  56 
Parus  atricapillus.  31,  40,  60 

carolinensis,  43 
Passerculus  sandw.  savanna,  43 

princeps,  63 
Passerella  iliaca,  42,  59,  61 
Passcrina  nivalis,  45,  63,  58 
Perisoreus  canad.  capitalis,  68 
Petrochelidon  lunifroiis,  30,  31,  40 
Peucaea  aestivalis,  64 

ae.  baclimani,  64 
Phalacrocorax  diloplius,  54 
Pbilohela  minor,  31,  37,  55,  64,  65 
Pinicola  e.  leucura,  58 
Pipilo   erythrophthalmus,  31,    39,   59, 
61,  62  " 


Piranga  erythromelas,  31,  39,  61 
Polioptila  caerulea,  60 
Pooecetes  gramineus,  31,  39 
Protonotaria  citrea,  64 

Quiscalus  quiseula,  30,  58,  63,  68 
q.  aeneus,  39 

Rallus  elegans,  55 

crepitans,  54 
Regains  satrapa,  34,  60 

Sayornis  pbcEbe,  30,  38 
Seiurus  aurocapillus,  31,  61 
Setopbaga  ruticilla,  31,  40 
Sialia  sialis,  31,  40,  43,  61,  62,  68 
Sitta  canadensis,  34,  40,  45,  60 
carolinensis,  60 
pusilla,  44,  63,  64 
Sphyrapicus  varius,  31,  32 
Spinus  pinus,  58 
Spizella  mouticola,  42,  43,  58 

pusilla,  30,  39 

socialis,  30,  39 
Stelgidopteryx  serripennis,  59 
Sula  bassana,  54 
Strix  pratincola,  26 
Sturnella  magna,  30,  39,  42,  43,  57 

Telmatodytes  palustris,  14,  17,  18,  20, 

24,  66 
Thryotborus  ludovicianus,  43,  60 
Totanus  melanoleucus,  55 
Toxostoma  rufum,  30,  40,  61 
Trochihis  colubris,  30,  38 
Troglodytes  aedon,  30,  40,  66 
Tyrannus  tyraunus,  30,  38 

Vireo  flavifrons,  59 
gilvus,  61 
noveboracensis,  66 
olivaceus,  31,  40 
solitarius,  34 

Wilaonia  canadensis,  34,  40 
mitrata,  59,  (14 
pusilla,  60 

Xenopicus  albolarvatus,  67 

Zamclodia  ludoviciana,  31 
Zenaidura  macroura,  30,  37,  55 
Zonotricbia  albicollis,   32,  33,  43,  44 
58,  61 
leucophrys,  58 


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