The evening times., 1900-07-28
Birds SCARCE In AUGUST
Nevertheless, Nearly Two Hundred
Varieties Are to Be Seen.
Owls Valuable to Farmers Because
They Destroy Mice-The MOuIting
Season, when Most OF the Feath-
cred Tribes Betake Themselves
to the Cool Shades of the Hills.

1t is generally believed and it is fact,
that birds Of all kinds are scarce in this
locality during the month Of August. 1t
is the moulting season, and the feathered
tribes betake themselves to the deep
shades Oi the interior woodlands. Never
theIess, nearly two hundred varieties are
to be found in the District of Columbia
and Maryland. While many OF these gen.
orally remain close to the ocean, some Of
them occasionally come as far inland as
Washington, following the course Of the
Potomac
On August IS. 1898, wandering petrol
was shot near Benning Bridge; the next
day one was found in a garret on Capitol
Hill, having entered through an open
window. The records for this species
are few, and have come from the
most diverse portions of the globe
Sandwich Islands, Azores, Cape Colony,
New Zealand etc. 1t is remarkable that
two specimens should be taken at Wash
ington at the same time, and also at
point considerable distance from the
ocean. 1t. however. bears a strong re
semblance TO Leach's petrol, and may
be more numerous than is supposed
Cormorants begin to put in their appear
snce. The black ducks and wood ducks
are on hand. Ruddy ducks, coots or
greasers, are recorded as early as the 10th.
and the goth marks the advent OF the blue
wing teal
The bittern is scarce, the least bittern
and the great blue heron. or crane, are
common Tte egret. or white crane, the
snow or little white heron and the little
blue heron occur regularly in limited num-
bers. Birds Of the year OF the little blue
herons are white and of the same size as
the little white heron but may be told by
the bare parts being Dlueish instead of
yellowish, as in the little white heron
The green heron, poke and the night
heron are common. King rail occur round
the head Of Chesapeake Bay, and clapper
rail farther down, on the salt marshes
Virginia rail are compar atively scarce and
so are sora, until about the 20th, when the
birds begin to arrive in numbers from the
North. A Florida galinule IS on record
on the 18th. purple gallinule on the 24th.
and northern phalarope on the 31st. all
three being quite scarce. Woodcock are
still numerous, and the first Wilson's or
Jack snipe are recorded on the 18th.
The dowitcher. or greybsck. is common.
and often with IT, though in lesser num-
bers, occurs the long-billed dowitcher.
This latter can only be differentiated by an
expert The stilt sandpiper is quite rare
The knot, or robin snipe the red-backed
sandpiper. the least sandpiper and the
semi -palmated sandpipers are all common
These last two are commonly called
peeps" being alike in SIZE and the
smallest Of the beach birds. They, how
ever, can easily be told apart il the clean.
cut toes Of the least sandpiper are compar-
ed with the partially webbed foot Of the
other. Peetoral Sandplper is a book name
that has never been in general use, the
bird being known as grass snipe. They
are fairly numerous
The Western sandpiper is considered