Birds and Seasons 27 Hen, a sound truly suggestive of the season, impressing us at once as odd, and still further remarkable for its penetrating powers. BIRDS OF THE SEASOxN Permanent residents and winter visitants (see Bird-Lore, Dec, 1900. p. 187). A list of February and March arrivals at Glen Ellyn, Ills., observed during the past eight years. Extreme dates are given when more than one record has been made. February Migrants . — Vthrurxvy 12 to March 20, Meadowlark ; 19, American Cross- bill ; 19 to March 27, Bluebird. March Migrants.— March 2-31, White-rumped Shrike; 3-26, Rusty Blackbird; 3-27, Killdeer; 4-25, Robin; 6-19, Canada Goose; 7, Cedar VVaxwing, Redpoll; 7-24. Song Sparrow; 8-28, Purple Finch; 10, Mallard; 12, Mourning Dove; 12-13, Fox Sparrow; 12-24, Red-winged Blackbird; 17-30, Bronzed Grackle; 18, Cowbird ; 19, Brown Creeper; 19-22, Pintail; 19-29, Sharp-shinned Hawk; 20-26, Flicker; 21, Her- ring Gull; 21-27, Phoebe; 22-28, Ruby-crowned Kinglet; 24, Hermit Thrush; 27, Purple Martin; 28, Ring-necked Duck; 28-29, Golden-crowned Kinglet; 30, Golden Plover; 31, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. SUGGESTIONS FOR THE SEASON'S STUDY Re-z'ie^v of the Past Winter's Bird- Life. — Review the liird-life of the past winter a> shown by your own experience and Bird-Lore's Christmas census. Note comparative ab- sence of snow and the consequent presence, north of their usual winter range, of certain species; also absence of certain winter birds. Compare the Christmas bird lists with the object of ascertaining the distribution of our winter birds. What species appear to be most generally distributed? Birds and Seasons. — Compare the preceding outlines of the characteristics of the bird- life of Boston, New York, etc., and lists of February and March birds, in the preceding articles. Migration. — Wiiat theories have been advanced to account for tlie return of the iiirds from warm winter quarters, where food is abundant, to often bleak surroundings, where food is comparatively scarce? Discuss this question (see Cooke, 'Bird Migration in the Mississijipi 'alley'; Chapman, 'Bird-Life' and references therein given I. Note the re- lation between a species' winter range and its time of arrival at a given point. What is the nortluni limit of the winter range of the first species to arrive at your locality? Is it probable tiiat the first individuals to arrive are those representatives of the species that win- tered farthest north? Would it follow, then, that the last individuals of a species to arrive are those that wintered farthest south? Or is it possible that birds may linger on their northward journey where they find an abundance of food and thus be passed by individuals from further south? The question as to whether our first arrivals arc our summer resident birds or transients en route to a more northern breeding ground, has a direct bearing here. What is your opinion in regard to this point? Try and observe closely the movements of a certain flock of birds— Robins, for instance. Does it have a regularly frequented feed- ing place where you ran always find it at a certain time? A regularly freipiented roost- ing place? How long after a species is first noted do vmi observe individuals of it in localities where it is known to breed? Robins on your lawn, nr Red-winge.l Hhu kinnU in certain isolated marshes, for instance. Note the addition to the ranks of our winter l>ir<ls,— Juncos. Tree Sparrows, and others. This indicates that their migration is under way. Does it follow that our winter resident indi iduals of these species have already gone ? It is of special interest t.. know tiiai at tliis season migration i> also beginning in the
