190 Bird- Lore
FALL MIGRATION
Since the Redstart breeds over most of the eastern United States. it is not possible to determine the beginning of its fall migration in that pottion of its range from which were received the fullest records of spring arrival. Just south of the breeding range, in the South Atlantic and Gulf states, the dates show that the Redstart is one of the earliest of fall migrants. The earliest migrant in Chester county, South Carolina, was seen July 10; at Key West, Fla., July 22, 1889, and near there, at Sombrero Key light- house, July 28 and 29, 1886. It has been taken in Jamaica by August 10; in Costa Rica, August 13; Columbia, South America, September 2, and on the island of Antigua, Lesser Antilles. September 6. These dates are especially interesting because they prove so conclusively that the southern- most breeding birds start first in their migration, and pass at once to the southern portion of the winter range. The date of September 6, at An— tigua, is interesting because the Redstart is one of the very few migrant land-birds from the United States that range throughout the West Indies. even to the Windward Islands and Trinidad; and the early date shows that the flights from island to island are interspersed with but few and short intervals of rest,
Fall migration in the Mississippi valley is not quite so early; still the first were seen at New Orleans, La.. July 21, 1899, July 29. 1900, and july 30, 1897. The earliest migrants reach central Texas the last of August (and have been noted the first of September in Mexico, nearly at the southern limit of the bird's winter range in that country.
The regular tide of migration in southeastern United States sets in early in August. and the striking of the Redstart against the Florida lighthouses has been reported on nineteen nights in that month. The largest flocks pass through the Middle Atlantic states about the middle of September, and the greatest number strike the Florida lighthouses the first half of October‘
The species deserts eastern Massachusetts September 20, and south- eastern New York the first week in October. The average for eight years of the last one seen at Raleigh. N. C., is Octoberg: the latest. October 13, 1886 and 1891. Some other late dates are at Asheville, N. C.. October 28. 189+; Tarpon Springs, Fla., November 1, and at the Florida lighthouses, October 13, t885. October 25, 1886, October 17, 1887. and November 4, 1888. The southward migration in southern Florida lasts for more than a hundred days, as compared with barely fifty days in the spring.
The dates wesr of the Alleghanies are much the same; the last is noted in southern Minnesota about September 20, and central Illinois about the first of October.
The latest dates at New Orleans are October 9, 189+. October 19. 1895, October 10, 1896, and October 27, 1899.
