woods, and kept them for two years; but they developed such fondness for poultry, being caught repeatedly thieving, that finally we had to shoot them.

We have in the woods a splendid pair of Barred Owls. They come around the barns at night, and I suspect them also of attempts at chicken-thieving, but they are too handsome and rare a bird in these parts to shoot. We have nothing good to say of the Screech Owl, which we suspect of having been the cause of the mysterious disappearance of many young birds from the nests.

If any one wants excitement, I suggest that he buy or borrow a stuffed Owl, and put it out in the garden in the daytime during the nesting season. All the birds in the neighborhood will soon congregate, and the children will learn the birds quicker than in any other way.

The Robin in Yosemite

By GARRETT NEWKIRK

The Spring Migration of 1915 at Raleigh, N. C.

By S. C. BRUNER and C. S. BRIMLEY

he migration of birds at Raleigh, N. C, during the spring of 1915 was so unusual that it is believed that a short account, together with a list of the records, will be of interest to the readers of Bird-Lore. In considering the following remarks, it may be well to bear in mind that records of the bird migration in this locality have been made each year for the past thirty-one years. Also, the amount of time spent in making observations during the past season is significant. From March 19 to May 7, field trips were made by Mr. Bruner on forty-seven days out of a possible fifty. Prior to and after this period observations were made by him for several weeks at intervals of from two to four days. Mr. Brimley was in the field for twelve days from March 30 to April 28, but was unable to pay full attention to birds. The duration of each trip averaged about four hours, this figure not including the time spent in going to and from the city. Observations for the most part were made independently by each of the writers, and on lands differing somewhat in general character. It is believed that the great majority of species were recorded on as near the actual date of their arrival as it would ordinarily be possible to obtain them.

The most remarkable fact in connection with the season was the very great delay in the arrival of the earlier migrants and in the departure of the winter birds. This was very probably due almost entirely to the unusual weather conditions which seemed to prevail throughout the South during March and early April. March was abnormally cool, especially so during the latter part of the month. At Raleigh one-half of an inch of snow fell on the thirty-first, and this was soon followed by the most severe snowstorm on record for the month of April. On April 2, at 8 P. M., wet snow began to fall, and continued steadily until about 8 P. M. on April 3, the ground at that time being covered to a depth of about ten inches, the total fall being equivalent to thirteen inches of dry snow. In the wake of this storm came fair and very warm weather. By April 6 nearly all traces of snow had disappeared, and the birds began to arrive. Between April 6 and April 9, the Black-and-White Warbler, Louisiana Water-Thrush, Yellow-throated Warbler, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Maryland Yellowthroat, and White-eyed Vireo all reached Raleigh, these species being from nine to fourteen days late. Prior to this period the Chipping Sparrow had appeared on March 19—about two weeks late,—and the Blue-headed Vireo on April 1, this bird arriving only one week late. After April 6, the greater number of other species came in at about their usual time or a few days later, but several were decidedly early. The Kingbird reached Raleigh on April 12, the earliest date yet recorded in this locality. However, this was the only record for early arrival that was broken among the commoner species, although two others were equaled.

Six new records were established for late departures of winter birds, namely: Loggerhead Shrike, April 1; Fox Sparrow, April 6; American Pipit, April 6; Brown Creeper, April 19; Song Sparrow, April 28, and White-throated Sparrow, May 19. Two former records were duplicated and seven of the remaining fourteen species noted were from four to fourteen days later than the average. It is plain that species which leave normally before the sixth of April could have been delayed a few days by the severe weather of late March and early April; but it is not easy to understand how it could have affected, to any marked extent, the species which depart in late April and in May.

The migration at Raleigh was also characterized by an unusually great variety of species, including a number of very rare birds. A Black-crowned Night Heron taken on April 4 and a Bay-breasted Warbler observed on May 5 constitute new local records. Other rare or uncommon species worthy of especial mention are the Yellow-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, Black-throated Green Warbler, Yellow-legs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Bartramian Sandpiper, Cape May Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Baltimore Oriole, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Wilson’s Warbler. The total number of species whose arrival was observed amounted to no less than sixty-eight in all, which is the largest number yet recorded at Raleigh during a single season. This fact can probably in no way be attributed to the abnormal weather conditions before mentioned (except possibly in the case of the Night Herons), but rather to the large amount of time spent in making observations. Also the fact that two observers were in the field did not play so large a part in this as might be expected, as one of them alone observed all but one of the sixty-eight species recorded.

A. COMMONER SPECIES