Sc ican tre ena asec aes es x: S ao t e = ‘ a 7 Man dada ts ee eer ee ebiecnemopenge geet se eae * ¢ a i Laide wage A wk poeta ete! wee : é at we gage i by was ere te ae é er c Z . roe Ca ay $ ve md * : 2 eds Bee tanya en RO 5 2 ‘ . . = . . ere rive = * Se eee is wode . . * ye * " + Ey “- ies ; . : ee ong sn eee os - renal = = Son por Bae a apm A ne Ra ; i emg os : : Pa Hire se he San ip eae A * oor potent chine He a Sieg nd pomp eo - eas w : et Ee ce © ee ene ; * ae cacntepane el paete- és emma ee ~ =. Py aie ae AEE Tomala - re on coagee | ae P os Te poms babe peat cmp ecmemer sas nasi : = eee Meret Meeer et Gotten etl Putarerortiad acm nd octane ta mmirolt Fes roan bere z hone et tet as Ay mrereune teams pene women Se on gee en ee Fe eas Sete Ae Pri fh 9 <9 es en Ee c repegmaiees acd fork ok naplcaeitenet deer aia —— = : —_ CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY GIFT OF Professor Albert H.Wright Cornell University Library 94H85 [Collected reprints, 1902-1928. Cornell University The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924001586381 VOL. XV, PP. 1-9 FEBRUARY 18, 1902 PROCEEDINGS Q.\y) Ouw00. anus he, CR BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON WW ELL Uicac THaGa, Ht. Y. THE GENERIC NAMES OF THE NORTH AMERICAN SKUNKS. BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL. Dr. J. A. Allen, in a recent paper on “The Generic Names of the Mephitine’,* has presented a careful study of the nomen- clatural questions relating to the genera Mephitis, Spilogale, and Chincha, reaching the conclusion that the changes in the application of these names which I proposed in my recent re- vision of the genus Chinchat rest on a faulty basis. It is of course very much to be regretted that a generic name should ever have to be changed, and the case of the North American skunks, where the name of one genus is transferred to another is especially deplorable. It was on this account that I not only exercised great care in the investigation of the ques- tion, but also, before suggesting so important a change, invoked the aid of several of our best mammalogists, including Dr. Allen. The change, however, then appeared inevitable, and after a very careful reading of Dr. Allen’s paper, and a thorough re- hearsal of all the evidence bearing on the question, I am still compelled to hold the same view. *Bull. American Museum Nat. Hist., XIV, pp. 325-334, Nov. 12, 1901. tNorth American Fauna, No. 20, Aug. 31, 1901. 1—Biou, Soo. Wash. VoL. XV, 1902. (1) 2 Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. It seems wise, in view of the radical differences between Dr. Allen’s position and my own, to go over the evidence again in greater detail than was possible or necessary in my former paper. In order to facilitate comparison of the two argu- ments, I shall adopt the order of presentation used by Dr. Allen, and at the close give a summary of my own views. The Genus Mephitis. The whole question of the application of the name Mephitis hinges on the identification of Cuvier’s ‘conepate’. If as Dr. Allen concludes, this is not one of the little spotted skunks, but the common two-striped skunk of the eastern United States, no further argument is required to support his contention, and the so-called ‘restrictions’ of Gray and Lichtenstein have no bearing on the question. For in that event the genus is not composite, but is composed of two congeneric species. But Dr. Allen’s position seems to be untenable. The ‘cone- pate of Cuvier, although doubtless the equivalent of Buffon’s ‘conepate,’ is based primarily on Viverra putorius Linn., since Cuvier refers to Linnzus and to no other author; and Viverra putorius of Linnzus is admittedly based on Catesby’s ‘pol-cat? of Carolina, which he calls Putorius americanus striatus. In order to make the matter clear, I shall endeavor to show that Catesby’s animal is referable to a species of Spilogale, and shall then trace the subsequent history of the species down to Cuvier’s time. The ‘pol-cat? was described and figured by Catesby in his ‘Natural History of Carolina,’ published in 1731, this being the first account of any North American skunk. The descrip- tion was prepared from his personal observation during a so- journ of several years in South Carolina and the adjacent por- tions of Georgia. He appears never to have visited Florida. Since it is important to show that he traveled in a region where Spilogale occurs, I will quote his brief itinerary, as follows: “The inhabited parts of Carolina extend West from the Sea about 60 Miles, and almost the whole Length of the Coast, being a level, low Country. In these Parts I continued the first Year * * * *, TI then went to the Upper uninhab- ited Parts of the Country, and continued at and about Fort Moore, a small Fortress on the Banks of the River Savanna, a oh Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 38 which runs from thence a Course of 300 Miles down to the Sea, and is about the same Distance from its Source, in the Moun- tains. I was much delighted to see Nature differ in these Up- per Parts, and to find here abundance of Things not to be seen in the Lower Parts of the Country; this encouraged me to take several Journeys with the Indians higher up the Rivers, towards the Mountains * * * *,” As Mr. Bangs has shown, Spilogale probably does not occur in the coast region of South Carolina or Georgia,* but that both the large and small skunks occupy the mountainous portions of North Carolina is well known. It is entirely probable, there- fore, that they are both found on the upper courses of the Savannah River. It was doubtless during one of his excursions ‘up the rivers towards the mountains’ that Catesby saw the ani- mal which served as the basis of his drawing. A copy of his plate is presented with this paper. His description of the ‘Pol-Cat’ is as follows: «This in Shape is not unlike our common Polcat, except that the Nose of this is somewhat longer: The Colour of all I have seen is black and white, tho’ not always alike marked; this had a List of white, extending from the hind-part of the Head, along the Ridge of the Back, to the Rump, with four others, two on each Side, running parallel with it.” Following this is an account of the characteristic habits of the skunk. Although neither the figure nor the description furnishes an accurate portrayal of either of the two skunks inhabiting the region where he travelled, the reference of both plate and de- scription to Spilogale seems unquestionable. The chief discrep- ancy lies in the continuity of the white stripes, and in the state- ment that there are five stripes, the median one being on the ridge of the back. The real animal shows four parallel stripes on the back (two on either side of the median line), broken on the hinder parts of the body into numerous irregular markings, while lower down ‘on each side an additional stripe runs par- allel to the others for a part of their length. (See plate.) When we consider that Catesby’s drawing was probably made from his recollection of an animal seen afield, perhaps at some distance, and probably in the dusk of twilight, the differences between the figure and the real animal become unimportant. It *Proc. Boston Soc. Nat. Hist., XXVIII, p. 224, 1898. 4 Howell—Generic Names of North American Skunks. must be remembered that it is not necessary to show that his figure is a correct representation of a Spilogale: the question is simply, could it have been based on anything else? Had he seen one of the large skunks, it is hardly conceivable that he would have represented an animal with two divergent stripes as having five parallel ones. The large skunks of the highlands of Carolina are extremely variable in color, some being almost entirely white on the upper surface of the body and tail, others nearly all black; in no case, however, are there more than two white stripes. The little spotted skunks of the same region, though subject to slight variation, always have the four parallel white stripes. The ac- companying plate is presented in order to bring out clearly the resemblance of Catesby’s figure to the little spotted skunk and its dissimilarity to the two-striped skunk. The figures of the skins (made from photographs) represent the average color pat- terns of the two species occurring in the region in question. In view of the foregoing evidence, there seems to be no rea- son for doubting that Catesby’s Polecat was based entirely on the little spotted skunk occupying the highlands of western Carolina, viz. Spilogale ringens Merriam. If the Florida species should later be shown to range northward as far as South Carolina, Catesby’s animal may then be properly referred to that form. Since the existence of a species of Spilogale in the region where Catesby traveled became known to naturalists, no one, so far as I know, excepting Dr. Allen, has ever questioned the ap- plicability of Catesby’s species to some member of that genus. Even if it be admitted that there is room for some difference of opinion as to the identification of Catesby’s species, it is customary in such cases to adopt the decision of the first author who revises the group. The name Mephitis putorius, based on Catesby’s species, was first used by Dr. Coues, who applied it in a broad sense to all the little spotted skunks of North Amer- ica.* Some years later, the name was definitely fixed by Dr. Merriam to the Florida species.+ Its use by these two authors would seem to be sufficient to establish the name on a firm basis. The only way in which it can now be overthrown is to *Fur-bearing Animals, p. 239, 1877. tNorth American Fauna, No. 4, p. 7, 1890. Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 5 show beyond question that it cannot possibly apply to a Spilo- gale, which has not been done. Pursuing the later history of Catesby’s species, we discover that his account influenced strongly every author who treated the North American skunks down to the time of Cuvier. Kalm, during his travels in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, learned of the presence of skunks in that region, where we know Spilogale does not occur, but his account of them,* as Dr. Allen says, is drawn largely from Catesby, and scarcely at all from personal observation. ‘Furthermore, he identifies his Polecat with Catesby’s. Linnezus, the next author to treat of the North American skunks, described, in the 10th edition of his Systema Nature (1758), under the name Viverra putorius, an animal having Jour white stripes. He cited Catesby and Kalm. Buffon, in 1765, described the same animal under the name of ‘le conepate,’ attributing to it five white stripes. His plate is evidently a copy of Catesby’s (a point not specifically men- tioned by Dr. Allen), and he quotes a long extract from Kalm, choosing his account, rather than Catesby’s, probably because it is fuller. Schreber, in 1776, under the Linnzan name Viverra putorius, reproduced Catesby’s plate again, and quoted Linnzus, Catesby and Kalm. Finally in 1798, Cuvier adopted Buffon’s name ‘le conepate’ for a five-striped skunk which he identified with Viverra puto- rius Linn., and renamed Mustela putida. t It will be seen from this résumé that the basis of Cuvier’s ‘conepaté is primarily Catesby’s Polecat, which has been shown to be a species of Spilogale. The references to Kalm are purely secondary, and should be accorded little weight, in view of the certain fact that Linneus, Buffon, and Cuvier all described a species having five (or four) white stripes, and obviously based on Catesby’s figure. Not a single element of the two-striped skunk appears anywhere in this chain except in Kalm’s account, where owing to the absence of Spilogale from the region in *Travels, Vol. II, p. 378, Stockholm, 1756. +The reason he excluded Viverra zorilla from his group of moujretivs is because he considered it to bea weasel from the Cape of Good Hope, and not a skunk at all. 6 Howell—Generic Names of North American Skunks. which he travelled, the reference to the large skunk is implied. The second species in the original genus Mephitis, viz.: ‘le chinche, Viverra mephitis, is admittedly one of the large North American skunks, the only question raised by Dr. Allen being the proper application of the specific name. Hence, as stated in my previous paper, Viverra mephitis hav- ing been removed by Lesson in 1842 to form the genus Chincha, the remaining species, V. putorius (here shown to be applicable to the species now known as Spilogale ringens) becomes, by elimination, the type of the genus Mephitis. The question of the type is not affected by the revisions of the genus by Gray (1837) and Lichtenstein (1838), for the rea- son that neither of the two groups composing the original genus was removed by them to another genus. Even on the as- sumption that Cuvier’s first species (V- putorius) is not a Spil- ogale, neither Gray’s revision nor Lichtenstein’s is a ‘restriction’ or ‘dismemberment? of the original genus (which according to this view contains but one group) but is simply a removal into new genera of species which had been associated with Mephitis by later authors.* The Genus Chincha. The applicability of the name Chincha to the large North American skunks is not questioned by Dr. Allen, except that he considers Chincha a synonym of Mephitis; but since he has opened the way for a fuller discussion of the evidence on this point, it may be well to refer to several facts which have come to my attention since the publication of my paper on the genus. These facts relate to the basis of Lesson’s type species, Chin- cha americana. A critical re-examination of the references cited under this name indicates that the last—that to F. Cuvier —is the most important, rather than the first—‘ Viverra mephitis Erxl.’—-which, on account of its prominent position, I rather hastily assumed to be the one on which Lesson relied ag the basis of his type. The importance of the reference to Cuvier is *In this connection it my be well to call attention to a lapsus penne in Dr. Allen’s paper, where on page 328, in the 6th and 7th lines from the top of the page, the words ‘first’ and ‘second’ should be interchanged, Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 1 shown by Lesson’s note that Cuvier’s plate is a ‘good figure’ of the species he is treating (‘B. fig.’ Bonne figure), and by his assignment of ‘Louisiana’ as the type locality, that being the source of the specimen recorded by Cuvier. An examination of Cuvier’s plate shows that it is indeed a ‘good figure’ of one of the North American two-striped skunks, and in the text we find the statement that the figure was based on a specimen which the elder Cuvier had in captivity, and which came from Louisiana. In view of this certain evidence, it seems best to consider that Chincha americana Lesson, which is the type of the genus, was based largely on the animal described by F. Cuvier, which is referable to Chincha mesomelas (Licht.) This conclusion, of course, does not affect the validity of the name Chincha, but simply serves to fix with greater certainty the basis of the type.* Viverra mephitis Schreber. Dr. Allen has made a very clear presentation of the facts bearing on the tenability of this name. His conclusion, how- ever, that it should be referred to Mephitis macroura Licht., seems to be based on a misapprehension of the facts. The members of the macroura group (Subgenus Leucomitra) as I pointed out in my previous paper, are usually either wholly ‘ “white or wholly black on the back, and in any case never have the divided stripe of the United States species (subgenus Chincha). The tail, in the majority of specimens, equals or exceeds the head and body in length, and never falls below 85 per cent of the combined length of head and body. Buffon’s figure (of which Schreber’s is a copy) portrays an animal with two broad divergent stripes separated by a small area of black; the tail is said to be half as long as the head and body. *In this connection, I may take occasion to publish a name which escaped me while preparing the list of specific names referable to the genus Chincha. (N. Am. Fauna, No. 20, p. 15). To that list should be added Mephitis vulgaris F. Cuvier, Hist. Nat. Mamm., VII, Table Gen. et. Method, p. 3, 1842, based on the plate and description of "le Chinche,’ published in a previous volume of the same work (Hist. Nat. Mamm., III, livr. 28, 1821). Cuvier says in this connection: ‘‘This animal is the Viwerra mephitis of the systematic catalogues; the name should be changed, since Mephitis has become the generic name.” 8 Howell—Generic Names of North American Skunks. It is evident, therefore, that the specimen on which the de- scription was based came from some part of the United States or Canada, and not from Mexico. The figure can be exactly matched by specimens from the eastern States, and also by specimens of estor from Arizona. It could hardly be supposed ‘ to have come, however, from the latter region, and the most logical conclusion is that it was taken somewhere in the east- ern part of the United States or Canada. The amount of white on the back is excessive for the Canada skunk, so far as our present limited knowledge of the species indicates. The short tail, however, is strikingly diagnostic, for this is a character possessed by no other eastern species. In the absence of any definite knowledge of the origin of Buf- fon’s specimen, it seems wise therefore to fix the name mephitis to the Canada skunk. If the name be rejected as unidentifiable, mephitica of Shaw would have to be rejected for the same reason, for Shaw’s name has exactly the same basis as Schreber’s, viz. Buffon’s ‘chinche’. The name mephitis, although accred- ited to Linnzus, is not his name, for he wrote memphitis, a word of quite different meaning; furthermore, Schreber’s de- scription, as shown by Dr. Allen, is based on Buffon, rather than on Linneus. Summary. 1. The original genus Mephitis Cuvier, contained two species, the first of which (Mustela putida) is a little spotted skunk, the second (Mustela mephitis) a large two-striped skunk. 2. Mustela putida Cuvier, is based on Viverra putorius Linn., and therefore primarily on Catesby’s Putorius americanus striatus, which is clearly referable to the little spotted skunk of the highlands of Carolina, i. e., Spilogale ringens Merr. Lin- neus’s reference to Kalm, since it is wholly secondary to the reference to Catesby, should have little weight. 3. Gray in naming Conepatus, and Lichtenstein in naming Thiosmus, did not restrict the genus Mephitis, but simply sep- arated groups which had been associated with Mephitis by authors other than Cuvier. 4. When Chincha was proposed by Lesson, the original genus Mephitis had never been divided, nor had the type in any way been fixed. Hence his selection of the second group, rep- : aa : >park I. Proc. Bron. Soc. Wasn., Vou. XV, 1902. PI THE TWO GENERA OF CAROLINA SKUNKS IN COMPARISON WITH CATESBY'S ‘POL-CaT’. Howell— Generic Names of North American Skunks. 9 resented by the species Viverra mephitis, to form a new sub- genus was perfectly legitimate. 5. The type of the genus Mephitis was fixed, not by Lesson’s assignment of the name to his third subgenus, but by the action of the principle of elimination, through the removal of Chincha from the original genus. 6. Mustela putida Cuvier, 1798, does not preoccupy Mephitis putida Boitard, 1842, for the reason that the former name, hay- ing been shown to be based on Catesby’s Polecat rather than Kalm’s, is applicable to a species of Spilogale (Mephitis as re- stricted) while Boitard’s name belongs to the large skunk of New Jersey—a species of Chincha. 4. Viverra mephitis Schreber, cannot, on account of the color pattern and short tail of the type specimen, relate to any species of the subgenus ZLeucomitra. Its restriction to the skunk of eastern Canada is entirely within the bounds of a reasonable interpretation of the probable origin of the specimen on which the name was based. EXPLANATION OF PLATE. (From photographs). Fig. 1. Skin of Chincha putida, from Washington. D. C. Fig. 2. Skin of Spdlogale ringens from Roan Mtn., N.C. (Top view.) Fig. 3. Skin of Spilogale ringens from Roan Mtn., N. C. (Side view.) Fig. 4. Reproduction of Catesby’s plate of the ‘pol-caz’. Vol. KXVI, pp. 139-140 May 24013 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON DESCRIPTION OF A NEW WEASEL FROM ALABAMA. BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL, Weasels are exceedingly scarce and very difficult to obtain in the Southern States. Within the past year three specimens, representing both winter and summer pelage, have been received from Alabama by the Biological Survey, and these seem to represent an undescribed subspecies, closely related to Mustela peninsulae (Rhoads). The acquisition of this material is due to the energy of Mr. Lewis S. Golsan of Autaugaville, and Mr. Bennington. King of Leighton, who, at my suggestion, made special efforts to obtain specimens of the Alabama Weasel. The new race may be characterized as follows: Mustela peninsulae olivacea subsp. nov. Type from Autaugaville, Ala. co ad. No. 180,802, U. 8. National Mu- seum, Biological Survey Collection. December 22, 1912. Collected by L. 8. Golsan. Original No. 144 (9988x). Characters.—Similar to M. peninsulae, but color in winter pelage decid- edly paler and more olivaceous; yellowish of feet less extensive. Color.—Type (winter pelage): upperparts nearest to buffy-brown (of Ridgway); head slightly darker, about Natal brown; a small patch of white on each side of face behind the eyes, and a few flecks of white on top of nose; color of upperparts covering about half of front feet, the remainder, including toes, being cream-buff; toes of hind feet tinged with whitish; black tail tip about 70 mm. in length; underparts straw- color, irregularly blotched with cartridge-buff. Summer pelage.—( Specimens from Leighton, Alabama ): upperparts mummy-brown; head Vandyke brown with a few white flecks between the eyes; underparts cartridge-buff to colonial buff; color of upperparts encroaching on the belly; toes of front feet cream color; those of hind feet tinged with whitish. 34—Proc. BIoL. Soc. WAsH., VoL. X XVI, 19138. (139) 140 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Skull,—Similar to that of peninsulae, with broad braincase, widely spreading zygomata, large post-orbital processes, broad and much inflated audital bullae, broad inter-pterygoid fossa and heavy molars. The bullae are of essentially the same shape as those of peninsulae but are not quite so high. Measurements.—Type (c’ ad.): total length, 420; tail vertebrae, 140; hind foot, 50. Skull: occipito-nasal length, 48; basilar length, 46.8; palatal length, 21.6; mastoid breadth, 25.3; zygomatic breadth, 29.3; breadth across post-orbital processes, 14; least interorbital breadth, 9, audital bullae, 15 x 7.6; width of inter-pterygoid fossa, 3.5. Remarks.—On account of the scarcity in collections of Mustela penin- sulae peninsulae, the range of color variation in that race is not known. The two winter specimens before me, however, differ widely, the palest one (No. 9379, Coll. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., Tarpon Springs, Florida) being about Verona-brown (of Ridgway), the other a much darker shade of brown. Both are darker and browner than the type of olivacea. The summer pelage of peninsulae is not definitely known, but a worn specimen from Hernando Co., Florida, is decidedly lighter than the specimens of olivacea from Leighton. The latter do not differ much in color of the upperparts from certain specimens of noveboracensis, but the underparts are a duller shade of yellow. , This weasel may be instantly recognized as distinct from Mustela novebo- racensis by its striking skull characters. The latter species ranges down the Alleghenies to northern Alabama, as evidenced by a typical specimen which I collected on Lookout Mountain near Fort Payne, in July, 1911. Vol. XXVI, pp. 199-202 October 23, 1913 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW BIRDS FROM ALABAMA. BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL. Recent field work conducted by the Biological Survey in Alabama has resulted in the discovery of undescribed forms of the common crow and of the towhee. Both of these new forms reach the extreme of differentiation on the Gulf coast, the towhee ranging nearly throughout Alabama and the crow still farther north to southern Ilinois and the District of Columbia. One interesting fact developed by these studies is that neither of the new races is closely related to the forms occupying penin- sular Florida, nor are they strictly intermediate between the latter and the northern races of the species. The crow is de- cidedly smaller than the Florida Crow while the towhee is much larger than the Florida Towhee and slightly larger even than the northern race. ‘i Corvus brachyrhynchos paulus subsp. nov. SOUTHERN CROW. Type from Bon Secour, Alabama. @ adult, No. 204,882, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection. October 24, 1908, A. H. Howell. Orig. No. 741. , Characters.—Decidedly smaller than Corvus b. brachyrhynchos, with a much slenderer bill. Nearest to Corvus b. hesperis but with shorter wing and slightly larger bill. Distribution.—Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, southeastern Texas, Georgia (?), South Carolina, and north to the District of Columbia and southern Illinois. Measurements.—Type(@ adult): wing, 275; tail, 165; exposed culmen, 46; depth of bill at nostrils, 16.5; tarsus, 54; middle toe, 34. Average of 4 adult males from Autaugaville, Alabama: wing, 290 (285-300) ; tail, 170 (166-178); exposed culmen, 51 (47-54); depth of bill at nostrils, 17.5 (17-18); tarsus, 60.5 (60-61); middle toe, 33.9 (31-36.5). Average of 3 52—Proc. BIoL. Soc. WasH., VOL. XXVI, 1913. (199) 200 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. adult females from coast of Alabama: wing, 274.3 (270-280) ; tail, 162.7 (155-168); exposed culmen, 45.8 (45.5-46); depth of bill at nostrils, 16.2 (16-16.5); tarsus, 57 (54-59); middle toe, 33 (52-34). Remarks. —This new race of the common crow seems to be fully as well characterized as the other recognized subspecies. Although the bird is nearest to C. b. hesperis in size, its range apparently is separated from the range of hesperis by a strip of country in central Texas in which no crows breed. Specimens examined from east Texas are apparently inter- mediate between brachyrhynchos and paulus. A series of 9 breeding birds from the District of Columbia and vicinity are also somewhat inter- mediate, but much nearer to paulus. This form shows no approach to pascuus, the resident bird of south Florida, which has much Jarger bill and feet. A breeding male from Christchurch Parish, South Carolina, is typical paulus and a breeding female from Mt. Carmel, Illinois, is apparently nearest to this form. Since Corvus brachyrhynchos has now been separated into five races, it seems desirable to fix the type locality of the original form. Brehm, in describing the species,* attributes it to North America, without mention of a definite locality. The measurements given by him (length, 1914 inches; tail, 814 inches; bill 23 lines) indicate a large bird and there is every probability that his specimen came from northeastern America. The large form is known to occur throughout New England and the type locality is hereby fixed at vicinity of Boston, Massachusetts. Specimens examined.—Total number 24, from the following localities: Alabama: Autaugaville, 6; Bayou La Batre, 1; Bon Secour, 1; Florence, 1; Whistler, 1. Mississippi: Fayette, 1. Louisiana: Tallulah, 1. Texas, Sour Lake, 1. South Carolina: Christchurch Parish, 1. Virginia: Falls Church, 5; Addison, 1. Maryland: Bladensburg, 1; Garrett Park, 1. District of Columbia: Washington, 1. Illinois: Mt. Carmel, 1. * Beitrige zur Végelkunde, II, 1822, pp. 37, 56. 201 irds from Alabama. 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Tapie or CompiRAtiIvE MeasureMENTS OF THE RAcES OF Corvus brachyrhynchos.* Depth Ex- - Mid- Males Wing | Tail booed oe Tarsus| dle ! culmen|, ostrils toe C. brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos 321 | 182. | 51.5 | 19.5 | 62 38 a oe pascuus . 304. [175 | 51.5 | 19 62.5 | 38 St » hesperis 302.5'171 | 47.5 | 16.5 | 57.8 | 35.5 a oe paulus ¢ .| 290 |170 | d1 17.5 | 60 3.9 ne i caurinus . | 288.5| 163 | 47 16.5 | 51 3 Females C. brachyrhynchos brachyrhynchos, 305 | 177 | 48 18 57.5 | 88 ee a pascuns . .| 804 | 169 | 51 19 62 38 ay ee hesperis ./ 295 | 169.5] 45.5 | 16 55.5 | 34 me a paulus + -| 283 | 167 | 47 16.3 | 59 33 . ee caurinus . 272 | 163) 45 16 48 30.5 Pipilo erythrophthalmus canaster subsp. nov. ALABAMA TOWHEE, Type from Spring Hill near Mobile, Alabama. Q adult, No. 207,771, U. S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection. May 8, 1911, A. H. Howell. Original No. 944. Characters.—Similar to P. e. erythrophthalmus, but with larger bill and slightly longer tail; white markings on tail feathers less extensive; sides and flanks averaging paler; females with head, neck, chest, and upper parts more grayish (dark olive-brown instead of Prout’s brown); iris red. Distribution.—Greater part of Alabama excepting extreme northern counties where it grades into erythrophthalmus; eastern and western limits of range unknown. Color.—Females: Upper parts varying from dark olive-brown to clove- brown; top of head somewhat browner (sepia or bistre) ; throat and chest pale fuscous, shading to bistre; otherwise as in erythrophthalmus. ' Measurements.—Average of 8 adult males from Alabama: wing, 89 (85-93); tail, 97 (90-101); exposed culmen, 14.9 (14-16); depth of bill at base, 10.2 (10-11); tarsus, 29.9 (28-32) middle toe, 19.9 (19-21.5); length of white spot on outermost tail-feather, 28.7 (26-33). Female (type): wing, 86; tail, 96; exposed culmen, 14; depth of bill at base, 10.3; tarsus, 29; middle toe, 19; length of white spot on outermost tail- feather, 24.5. Remarks.—This new race may be recognized in either sex by the rela- tively small amount of white on the tail, as compared with erythrophthal- mus, and by the large size and red eyes as compared with alleni. Females are much more grayish than those of either erythrophthalmus or alleni. The bird is probably in the main non-migratory, and occurs locally in moderate numbers throughout Alabama and probably adjacent parts of -Georgia and Mississippi. * All measurements, except those of paulus, from Ridgway's ‘' Birds of North and Middle America.” + Average of 4 adults from Autaugaville, Alabama. t Average of 5adults from southern Alabama. Vol. XXVIII, pp. 109-114 May 27, 1915 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON DESCRIPTIONS OF A NEW GENUS AND SEVEN NEW RACES OF FLYING SQUIRRELS. BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL. A study of the American flying squirrels has led to the dis- covery of a number of unrecognized forms, preliminary descrip- tions of which are presented herewith. The subgenus Glaucomys Thomas,* is believed to be of generic rank and the name is therefore used for all the American species. The large Hima- layan species, Sciuropterus fimbriatus Gray, referred by Thomas to Glaucomys, is here made the type of a new genus. Sciuropterus F. Cuvier, 1825, as has been shown by Miller,t isa synonym of Pteromys G. Cuvier, 18001; the latter name, in my opinion, should be restricted to the small Palaearctic species—volans,§ biéchneri, and related forms. Eoglaucomys genus nov. Type, Sciuroptera fimbriata Gray (= Sciuropterus fimbriatus auct.). Characters.—Skull essentially similar in general features to that of Glaucomys; postorbital processes longer and more strongly decurved; in- terparietal with antero-posterior diameter much greater than in Glauco- mys—about two-thirds of the transverse diameter; molariform teeth much as in Glaucomys, with comparatively simple structure, but with crown of pm divided into two cusps by a distinct sulcus (partially worn teeth “Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist., (ser. 8) I, 1908, p 5 (type Mus volans Linn.). + Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., X XVII, 1914, p. 216. } Pteromys G. Cuvier, Legons Anat. Comp., I, 1800—Type, Sciurus volans Linn. = Pteromys russicus auct. § Linnaeus (Syst. Nat. ed. 10, 1758) named the European flying squirrel Sciurus volans and the American species Mus volans; the names are not homonyms, therefore, and in recognizing the two animals as generically distinct, it will be necessary to use the name Pteromys volans (= P. russicus of Tiedemann and later authors) for the Russian animal, retaining Glaucomys volans for the small species of eastern North America. 19—Proc. BIOL. Soc. WasH., VOL. XXVIII, 1915. (109) 110 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. showing two closed triangles). Soles partially naked, bearing five pads— four at the bases of the toes, and a large metatarsal pad, elliptical in shape, situated about midway between the heel and the base of the toes ;* tail slightly flattened, full and bushy, narrowing decidedly towards the tip; ears large, subtriangular in shape, more acutely pointed than in either Glaucomys or Pteromys. Remarks.—The genus, so far as known, is monotypic. In external appearance it bears no close resemblance either to the American Glauco- mys or to the small Palaearctic flying squirrels of the genus Pteromys, being readily distinguished from either by the characters of the soles, as well as by large size and bushy, tapering tail. In cranial characters, the resemblance to Glaucomys is certainly striking, as Mr. Thomas has pointed out,t but in assigning the animal to the latter group, he evidently overlooked the important structural differences in the anterior premolar and in the plantar tubercles. Glaucomys volans saturatus subsp. nov. Type from Dothan, Alabama; adult female, No. 178,366, U. 8. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected March 13, 1912, by A. H. Howell; original number 1960. Characters.—Similar in size and skull characters to volans, but upper- parts darker at all seasons; toes not conspicuously whitened in winter. Compared with querceti: Upperparts darker, face grayer (less buffy), hind feet grayer (less brownish), and audital bullae smaller. Measurements.—Average of 12 adults from southern Alabama: Total length, 226; tail vertebrae, 100; hind foot, 30. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 34.9; zygomatic breadth, 20.4; mastoidal breadth, 17.4; inter- orbital breadth, 7.2; length of nasals, 9.5; alveolar length of maxillary tooth row, 6.5. Remarks.—This dark race of volans occupies the Gulf States, excepting Florida and Texas (and perhaps Louisiana), extending north to eastern Tennessee and western North Carolina and west to Arkansas and Okla- homa. It differs in color from all the surrounding races and from querceti and texensis also in skull characters. Glaucomys volans texensis subsp. nov. Type from 7 miles northeast of Sour Lake, Texas. . Adult male, No. 136,400, U. S. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected March 15, 1905, by J. H. Gaut; original number 3480. Characters.—Similar in size and color to volans; upperparts slightly more ochraceous and toes without conspicuous white markings in winter; skull decidedly shorter and relatively broader. Compared with saturatus: Colors much paler; skull shorter and broader. Compared with querceti: similar in color, but skull shorter, with smaller audital bullae. * A small, circular, supplementary tubercle appears in some specimens on the outer side of the sole, directly posterior to the pad at the base of the fifth digit. + Ann. & Mag. Nat. Hist. (Ser. 8), I, 1908, p. 6. Howell—A New Genus and New Races of Flying Squirrels. 111 Measurements.—Average of six adults from type locality: Total length, 229; tail vertebrae, 104; hind foot, 30.8. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 34; zygomatic breadth, 20.9; mastoidal breadth, 17.2; interorbital breadth, 7.3; length of nasals, 9.2; alveolar length of maxillary tooth- row, 6.3. Remarks.—This subspecies bears a close resemblance to both volans and querceti in color but differs from them in characters of the skull. It is known from only a few localities, but apparently occupies the humid portion of eastern Texas and portions of Louisiana. Glaucomys sabrinus canescens subsp. nov. Type from Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Subadult female, No. 7663, Field Mus. of Nat. Hist.; collected February 3, 1900, by G. F. Dippie. Characters.—Similar to G'. s. macrotis, but much paler, with grayer head and larger skull. Compared with sabrinus: Size smaller; upperparts and feet paler; underparts whiter. Measuremenis.—Average of two specimens from type locality: Total length, 298; tail vertebrae, 140; hind foot, 38. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 38.8; zygomatic breadth, 22.9; mastoidal breadth, 17.6; inter- orbital breadth, 7.6; length of nasals, 11.2; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow, 7.6. Remarks.—This is the palest of the races of sabrinus and is apparently intermediate in size between sabrinus and macrotis. By reason of the small number of specimens available, its range can not be defined with exactness, but probably it occupies the thinly timbered portions of southern Manitoba and eastern North Dakota and may range even farther westward. Glaucomys sabrinus columbiensis subsp. nov. Type from Okanagan, British Columbia. Subadult male, No. 94,310, U. 8. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection) ; collected May 9, 1898, by Allan Brooks; original number 1214. Characters.—Similar to G. s. klamathensis, but upperparts more vina- ceous and tail much darker; much paler than oregonensis, both above and below; very similar to sabrinus, both in color and cranial characters, but soles of hind feet often yellow (as in klamathensis); skull similar to that of oregonensis; smaller than that of klamathensis, with smaller bullae. Measurements.—Two specimens (subadult) from Okanagan Lake, B. C., each measured: Total length, 318; tail vertebrae, 143; hind foot, 42. Skull: Average of 4 (adult and subadult) from same locality : Greatest length, 41; zygomatic breadth, 24.4; mastoidal breadth, 19.1; interor- bital breadth, 7.3; length of nasals, 12.7; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow, 7.8. 112 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. Remarks.—This subspecies is most closely related to oregonensis of the coast region of Oregon and Washington, intermediates between the two forms occurring at Sumas and Chilliwack, B. C. Intergradation with fuliginosus—the form occupying the Cascades—is shown by specimens from mouth of Salmon River, B. C. The present form occupies the low country in the interior of British Columbia and northern Washington. Glaucomys sabrinus latipes subsp. nov. Type from Glacier, British Columbia. Adult female, No. 68,753, U.S. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected August 13, 1894, by J. Alden Loring; original number 2111. Characters.—Similar to G. s. fuliginosus, but larger, and upperparts averaging darker and grayer; feet larger and darker colored. Compared with alpinus: Size larger; colors darker (more brownish, less drab) ; underparts darker. Measurements.—Adult female (type): Total length, 359; tail vertebrae, 161; hind foot, 43; average of 9 adults from Coolin, Idaho, and Stanton Lake, Mont.: 339, 151; 40.6. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 44.2; zygomatic breadth, 25.1; mastoidal breadth, 20; interorbital breadth, 8.3; length of nasals, 14; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow, 8.8. Remarks.—This subspecies is one of the largest of the American flying squirrels, equaling yukonensis in external measurements and exceeding it in size of skull. Although evidently closely related to fuliginosus, of the Cascades, there is at present no evidence of intergradation with that race. The present form differs widely from alpinus, which occupies the eastern slopes of the Rockies in Alberta, and from the much smaller bangsi of the Bitterroot and Sawtooth Ranges of Idaho and Montana. Glaucomys sabrinus flaviventris subsp. nov. Type from head of Bear Creek, Trinity County, California (altitude 6400 feet). Adult male, No. 13,319, Univ. of Calif., Mus. Vert. Zool.; collected August 13, 1911, by Annie M. Alexander; original number 1775. Characters.—Similar in size and skull characters to G. s. lascivus, but underparts and feet strongly suffused with yellow or buff; similar to klamathensis, but smaller, with much smaller audital bullae; underparts more yellowish and tail darker beneath. Compared with stephens: Upperparts much paler and underparts more yellowish; skull flatter with shallower braincase. Measurements.—Average of five adults from type locality: Total length, 301; tail vertebrae, 133; hind foot, 40.4; ear, 20.7. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 40; zygomatic breadth, 23.4; mastoidal breadth, 17.9; interorbital breadth, 7.9; length of nasals, 12.3; alveolar length of maxil- lary toothrow, 8.1. Remarks.—This race is apparently most nearly related to lascivus of the Sierra Nevada, from which it differs widely in the color of the under- Howell—A New Genus and New Races of Flying Squirrels, 1138 parts. It intergrades with lascivus in the region around Mt. Lassen, with klamathensis in the Warner Mountains, and with fuliginosus in the Siskiyou Mountains. Glaucomys bullatus sp. nov. Type trom Sawtooth (Alturas) Lake, Idaho. Adult female, No. 243244, U.S. Nat. Mus. (Biological Survey collection); collected September 28, 1890, by Vernon Bailey and B. H. Dutcher; original number 1883. Characters.—Size large (about equaling G. sabrinus latipes ; much larger than G. s. bangst); color of upperparts similar to that of bangsi but decidedly more ochraceous (less vinaceous); gray on face purer and more extensive; skull large, with narrow, deep braincase, the fronto- parietal region markedly elevated; molars heavy; audital bullae very large. Measurements.— Adult female (type) : Total length, 340; tail vertebrae, 150; hind foot, 46; average of 6 adults from Ketchum, Idaho: 336; 142; 42.5. Skull (of type): Greatest length, 44; zygomatic breadth, 25; mastoidal breadth, 19; interorbital breadth, 8.7; length of nasals, 13.9 ; alveolar length of maxillary toothrow, 9.2. Remarks.—This species resembles certain of the forms of sabrinus rather closely in color but is readily separated from all of them by its peculiar skull with very large bullae. Its range, as now known, is from Ketchum, Idaho, north to Cranbrook, British Columbia. At Sawtooth Lake it occurs on the same ground with the much smaller G. s. bangs and at Cranbrook, B. C., occurs with G. s. columbiensis. Vol. XXVI, pp. 199-202 October 23, 1913 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON DESCRIPTIONS OF TWO NEW BIRDS FROM ALABAMA. BY ARTHUR H. HOWELL. Recent field work conducted by the Biological Survey in Alabama has resulted in the discovery of undescribed forms of the common crow and of the towhee. Both of these new forms reach the extreme of differentiation on the Gulf coast, the towhee ranging nearly throughout Alabama and the crow still farther north to southern Illinois and the District of Columbia. One interesting fact developed by these studies is that neither of the new races is closely related to the forms occupying penin- sular Florida, nor are they strictly intermediate between the latter and the northern races of the species. The crow is de- cidedly smaller than the Florida Crow while the towhee is much larger than the Florida Towhee and slightly larger even than the northern race. | Corvus brachyrhynchos paulus subsp. nov. SOUTHERN CROW. Type from Bon Secour, Alabama. Q adult, No. 204,882, U.S. Nat. Mus., Biological Survey Collection. October 24, 1908, A. H. Howell. Orig. No. 741. Characters.—Decidedly smaller than Corvus b. brachyrhynchos, with a much slenderer bill. Nearest to Corvus b. hesperis but with shorter wing and slightly larger bill. Distribution —Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, southeastern Texas, Georgia (?), South Carolina, and north to the District of Columbia and southern Illinois. ; Measurements.—Type(@Q adult): wing, 273; tail, 165; exposed culmen, 46; depth of bill at nostrils, 16.5; tarsus, 54; middle toe, 34. Average of 4 adult males from Autaugaville, Alabama: wing, 290 (285-300); tail, 170 (166-178); exposed culmen, 51 (47-54); depth of bill at nostrils, 17.5 (17-18); tarsus, 60.5 (60-61); middle toe, 33.9 (31-36.5). Average of 3 52—Proc. BIoL. Soc. WasH., VOL. XXVI, 19138. (199) 200 Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington. adult females from coast of Alabama: wing, 274.3 (270-280); tail, 162.7 (155-168); exposed culmen, 45.8 (45.5-46) ; depth of bill at nostrils, 16.2 (16-16.5); tarsus, 57 (54-59); middle toe, 33 (32-34). Remarks.—This new race of the cominon crow seems to be fully as well characterized as the other recognized subspecies. Although the bird is nearest to C. b. hesperis in size, its range apparently is separated from the range of hesperis by a strip of country in central Texas in which no crows breed. Specimens examined from east Texas are apparently inter- mediate between brachyrhynchos and paulus. “fh iH qt Hil i ia oe (i ou ms Pas ms : — is One, OTN sii a i Hi) “ [ vi i Rd oe \ (h an} f is NU hy Wats Ke an iM e ae ie anne a a l - Wh iw mak Ae Pe th igs MA i x ( ~ Fic. 13.—Vesper Sparrow. 228 BIRDS OF ALABAMA is a short, simple, plaintive melody, delivered from a fence post or low limb of a tree, often many times repeated from the same perch. ; Food habits—The food of this sparrow, as studied in the Biological Survey, consisted of insects (81 per cent), grain (11 per cent), grass seed (16 per cent), and weed seed (42 per cent). Of the insect food, beetles, grasshoppers, and cater- pillars form the largest part. Like most of its tribe, it is a beneficial bird on the farm. SAVANNAH SPARROW: Passerculus sandwichensis savanna (Wilson). State records.—The Savannah sparrow (fig. 14) is a com- mon winter resident and in migration is. often abundant. Four or five were seen on Petit Bois Island, February 12, 1912, and several at Bayou Labatre, February 15, 1912, and November 19, 1915. It is more common in the interior than on the coast, having been observed at York (February), Carl- ton (March), Uniontown (March), Auburn (March), Jack- son (April 3, December 10), Barachias (December 12, April 24 to May 6), and Leighton (October 18 to April 30). Migrants from the north arrive in the fall about the middle of October and remain until the last of April. Stragglers may be seen even in May, Dr. Avery having taken two at Greens- boro, May 11, 1889. He notes the Savannah sparrow’s arrival there in autumn, October 18, 1888, and October 30, 1889. I saw several at Fairhope, October 16, 1908. General habits.—This little sparrow is found in winter in scattered companies in meadows and cultivated fields, where it runs about like a mouse with lowered head and tail, and when hard pressed flies only a short distance. It rarely seeks a higher perch than a fence post or stone wall, from which it delivers its weak, insectlike song—described by Hoffman as tsip-tsip-tsip, tseeece, tse-ee-ee. Food habits——The food contents of 119 stomachs of this bird examined in the Biological Survey consisted of 46 per cent of animal matter (insects and their allies), and 54 per cent vegetable (practically all seeds). Beetles constituted the most important element of the insect food, having been SPARROWS 229 al \ er | ~ \ a = tf A iN Yi yg | s ZB St WW ZAI 1 U ese iN \\ | NN Peo Fic. 14.—Savannah Sparrow. 230 BIRDS OF ALABAMA taken at all seasons, but chiefly during the warmer months. The bird is fond also of weevils, and consumes a good many cotton-boll weevils during the winter months. One bird col- lected in a Louisiana cotton field had eaten 7 of these insects, and others smaller numbers. Wherever it is numerous, the Savannah sparrow is highly beneficial to the cotton grower. Its consumption of seeds is likewise of a beneficial nature, since it takes mainly grass and weed seed and only a very small proportion of waste wheat and oats. GRASSHOPPER SPARROW: Ammodramus savannarum australis Maynard. State records.—The grasshopper sparrow is locally dis- tributed as a summer resident, and sparingly present, also, in winter. McCormack has found it at Leighton only in sum- mer; Avery records it as common in the “black lands” in southern Hale County, and he took specimens at Greensboro, November 30, 1891, and in January or February, 1890. Holt collected one at Jackson, February 20; one at Carlton, March 7; and one at Barachias, November 17 (1912). I saw a pair at Auburn, March 6, and a pair at Dothan, March 12 (1912). L. J. Goldman noted the species frequently at Ardell, March 20 to April 5, 1915. At Montgomery, April 19, 1912, there seemed to be a flight of the species, as I saw a dozen or more in a pasture on the river’s edge opposite the town. Single individuals were collected at Ashford, November 30, 1916, and Coffee Island, near Coden, December 4, 1916. Avery found a nest of this species on the prairie in southern Hale County, May 11, 1889, and McCormack has taken eggs at Leighton on June 15 and July 15. The bird breeds rather commonly in hay meadows on the prairie at Barachias, and young able to fly were seen there June 14, 1911. General habits.—This little sparrow is a very inconspicuous member of the fauna; it is even shyer and more averse to tak- ing flight than the Savannah sparrow, and rarely chooses a higher perch than a weed stalk or a fence from which to de- liver its song. It lives in dry, upland grass fields and is rather local in distribution. Its weak, insectlike song, writ- ten by Chapman as pit-tuck, zee-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-e, gives the bird SPARROWS 231 its name of grasshopper sparrow. The nest is placed on the ground in a meadow, well concealed in the vegetation; it is composed of grasses and is arched over with them. Food habits.—Although named grasshopper sparrow from its song, stomach examinations have shown this bird to merit the name also from its food habits, for grasshoppers consti- tute nearly one-fourth of its food. Caterpillars amount to 14 per cent of the total, and more than half of these are cut- worms. The army worm also is frequently eaten. The total animal matter in the stomachs examined amounted to 63 per cent. Judd, after examining 170 stomachs, sums up the bird’s economic relations as follows: As a destroyer of insect pests the grasshopper sparrow is most efficient, * * * and both the vegetable and animal food considered, it seems to be individually the most useful species of bird whose food habits have thus far been investigated,* HENSLOW SPARROW: Nemospiza henslowti susurrans (Brewster) .} State records.—The Henslow sparrow (fig. 15) is apparent- ly an uncommon winter resident in the southern half of the State, but its shyness and retiring habits probably account in part for its apparent rarity. N.C. Brown took 10 specimens at Coosada between February 18 and April 4, 1878, in old fields of rice and broom sedge.{t Dr. Avery found it rare and took only a single specimen, January 12, 1890, 12 miles south- west of Greensboro. One was taken by C. P. Rowley, at Gal- lion, April 26, 1894, one by Golsan at Autaugaville, March 11, 1915, one by Holt at Bay Minette, March 30, 1912, and several were seen by Holt and myself at Orange Beach, January 30, 1912. General habits.—This little sparrow lives in fields of dense, matted grass, where it hides with great persistence, and when flushed flies only a few yards, then seeks shelter again under the vegetation and swiftly runs out of sight. It is rather ° , 5. D., The relation of sparrows to agriculture: Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, p. 68, 1901, seecopirclas henslowi henslowi of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 86, p. 210, 1918; and vol, 36, p. 270, 1919. tBrown, N. C., Bull, Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. 4, p. 8, 1879. 232 BIRDS OF ALABAMA partial to wet situations, but is found to some extent in dry fields of broom sedge. The bird is a ground dweller and rarely aspires to a higher perch than a weed stalk or a small bush. Its song is very weak and inconspicuous, consisting of only two syllables, like tee-wick, which can be heard but a few rods away. Food habits.—Little is known of the food habits of this bird; 4 stomachs from Virginia examined by Judd contained beetles, cut worms, grasshoppers, bugs, and blackberries.* LECONTE SPARROW: Passerherbulus leconteti (Audubon). State records.—The LeConte sparrow is probably a rare and local winter visitant; it has been detected only’ once—by Nathan Clifford Brown—who took 7 specimens at Coosada, 3 during the latter half of February, and 4 during the first three weeks of March, 1878. General habits.—This a very shy and elusive bird, and most difficult to flush from its retreats in thick grass. Loomis found them in winter in South Carolina living in neglected old fields, grown up to briers and broom sedge. He says: “When not concealed, but in short grass, they are very tame, allowing one to approach within a few feet, and then running off a little way and stopping to look back.”} In its summer home on the prairies of Dakota, Coues found the birds “in the deep green sea of waving grass that rolled over an extensive moist depression of the prairie.”t Food habits.—Little is known of the food habits of this species. Loomis examined a number of stomachs in South Carolina and found in them several kinds of small seeds and gravel. NELSON SPARROW: Ammospiza caudacuta nelsoni (Allen) .** State records.—The Nelson sparrow, the interior form of the sharp-tailed sparrow, is a moderately common winter visi- *Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, p. 63, 1901. +Loomis, L. "M., The Auk, vol. 2, p. 191, Rens tCoues, Elliott, "Birds of the Northwest, . 185, 1874. **Pacserherbulus nelsoni nelsoni of the ra 0. U. Check-list ; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 35, p. 210, 1918. 233 SPARROWS “yl DUIIVAD INN if a ny — ae YY az hay ht O77 dl ff, pt pe Sa | hag = ow: i Mie Fic. 15.—Henslow Sparrow. 234 BIRDS OF ALABAMA tor, chiefly on the coast. In migration it is likely to be found almost anywhere in the State. It was common in dry, grassy spots around the marshes on Dauphin Island, February 12, 1912, and several specimens were secured on that date. Sev- eral were taken also near Bayou Labatre, May 16, 1911, and November 23 to 26, 1915, and one at Orange Beach, September 21, 1911. General habits.—This species is a ground dweller and con- fined mostly to wet marshes or the dry grass bordering the marsh. It is shy and very averse to leaving the cover of the marsh grass, among which it runs like a mouse. During their stay in the South, these birds scarcely ever utter any notes. The song is described by Goss as “a short, weak, unmusical twittering warble.” Food habits.—Seven stomachs of this bird examined in the Biological Survey showed the food to consist of caterpillars, flies, weevils, crickets, army worms, small mollusks, and the seeds of grasses, including wild rice. HOWELL SEASIDE SPARROW: Thryospiza maritima howelli (Griscom and Nichols) .+ State records.—The Howell seaside sparrow, recently de- scribed from Alabama, is not generally distributed, but occurs in more or less isolated colonies along the coast. In the breed- ing season (May) I found none in any of the big marshes about Mobile Bay or at Bayou Labatre. It breeds commonly, however, at Alabama Port, and abundantly on Grande Batture Island, living in wet marshes and in low bushes growing on the beach. After the breeding season was over, in July and August, Gutsell found it abundant in the Bayou Labatre marshes and fairly common on Petit Bois Island. On Dauphin Island it breeds commonly and occurs also in winter; 8 to 10 were seen there on February 13, 1918. Several were secured at Bayou Labatre, February 15, 1912, and November 23, 1915. A few were seen at Bon Secour in October, 1908, and about 6 on Coffee Island near Coden, December 4, 1916. Although -¢Passerherbulus maritimus howelli Griscom and Nichols, Abstr. Proc. Linnaean Soce.. New York, No. 32, p. 22, November 3, 1920; type from Dauphin Island, Ala, SPARROWS 235 this bird is apparently less common in winter than in summer, it is not known to migrate regularly. General habits.—Seaside sparrows are well named, for they are strictly confined to the salt or brackish marshes of the seashore or the rivers near the coast. The birds remain con- cealed in the dense marsh grass or rushes most of the time, but during the breeding season may be seen making short flights over the marsh, while the males frequently sing as they cling to the tops of the rushes. When flushed from their re- treats they fly for only a short distance, just above the tops of the rushes, then suddenly drop into the cover of the marsh. On warm days in winter occasional weak, squeaky, chipper- ing songs may be heard from these sparrows; the full song is sweet, and though rather weak, may be heard at some little distance. It suggests a weak, distant song of the red-wing and has somewhat the same form as a meadowlark’s song. The nest of the seaside sparrow is rather bulky, constructed of coarse grasses, and placed on the ground in a bunch of marsh grass or in low bushes; no nests have as yet been found in Alabama. Food habits——The food of this sparrow consists mainly of insects inhabiting the salt marshes, among which are included grasshoppers, crickets, caterpillars, flies, moths, wasps, and weevils. Spiders, snails, small crabs, and mollusks are eaten, as well as some weed and grass seed. LOUISIANA SEASIDE SPARROW: Thryospiza maritima fishert (Chapman) .f State record.—The Louisiana seaside sparrow breeds on the coast of Louisiana and eastern Texas; a single specimen was taken at Bayou Labatre, February 15, 1912, doubtless a strag- gler from its normal range.* LARK SPARROW: Chondestes grammacus grammacus (Say). State records.—The lark sparrow occurs as a rare and local summer resident. Dr. Avery found it breeding in southern * i ‘nd Nichols, Abstr. Proc. Linnaean Soc. New York, No. 32, p. 24, 1920. ipassczieekalas mmeritimis fisheri of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 36, p. 210, 1918. 236 BIRDS OF ALABAMA Hale County, where he speaks of it as uncommon, occurring chiefly in the “black lands.” He observed young birds with their parents in July, and took specimens August 1, 1890 (adult), and September 11, 1890 (young). C. S. Brimley took 4 specimens near Greensboro, August 16, 1890. Gutsell took 1 specimen, probably a migrant, on Petit Bois Island, August 30, 1911. Near Leighton, July 4, 1913, Holt picked up a dead specimen in the road, and the next day saw 2 more of the birds near the Tennessee River. I saw one near Leigh- ton, April 25, 1914. General habits—The favorite haunts of this bird are prairies and meadows, but it is said to have a fondness, also, for cornfields. It lives on or near the ground and somewhat resembles the vesper sparrow in habits and appearance, though its rounded tail with white-tipped feathers suggests the mourning dove. The nest is placed on the ground at the foot of a weed or corn stalk, more rarely in a low bush. The song, according to Ridgway— is composed of a series of chants, each syllable rich, loud, and clear, interspersed with emotion trills. At the beginning the song reminds one somewhat of that of the Indigo Bird (Passe- rina cyanea), but the notes are louder and more metallic, and their delivery more vigorous.+ Food habits.—The food of this sparrow is composed of in- sects (27 per cent), and the seeds of grasses, weeds, and grain (78 per cent). Judd says of it: ‘The lark sparrow is, with the exception of the dickcissel and grasshopper sparrow, the most valuable grasshopper destroyer of all the native spar- rows. More than half of its animal food (14 per cent of the total) consists of these insects, and in June they constitute 43 per cent of the diet.”{ In some sections of Illinois, accord- ing to H. K. Coale, this sparrow is called the “potato bird’’ from its habit of feeding on potato bugs. Mr. Coale adds that few survive the Paris green which they eat with the potato bugs.* If this habit is prevalent in Alabama, it may in part account for the rarity of the species there. pcm ee Ornith. Illinois, vol. 1, pp. 263-264, 1889, ytJudd, S. Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, p. 67, 1901. *Coale, H. X, in Ridgway, op. cit., p. 264. SPARROWS 237 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW: Zonotrichia leucophrys (J. R. Forster). State records.—The white-crowned sparrow migrates chief- ly throughout the Mississippi Valley and westward, but is of casual occurrence in the Atlantic States. It is apparently very rare in Alabama, only two instances being known: R. H. Dean observed one bird at Anniston, November 12, 1916, and: E. W. Graves saw one on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, April 26, 1917. General habits.—This species is similar in habits to the well- known white-throated sparrow. In winter it is found in small flocks, frequenting hedges, thickets, and low grounds grown up to rank grass and weeds. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW: Zonotrichia albicollis (Gmelin). . State records.—The white-throated sparrow occurs as al abundant migrant and winter resident. It has been observed in numbers at Jasper, Tuscaloosa, Autaugaville, Auburn, Dothan, Jackson, York, Ashford, and other places. Near the coast it is less common, only one having been seen at Orange Beach (December 8, 1915), and only a few at Mobile (March 24, 1912). James Newton Baskett, however, found the bird abundant in winter at Mobile.t Migrants from the north are recorded as arriving at Greens- boro, October 14 (1889), October 25 (1890), and October 27 (1893) ; and at Autaugaville, October 17 (1915). In spring the bulk of the birds leave by the last week of April, but a few linger even into May. I found them common at Leighton, May 1, saw a few at Florence, May 8 (1912), and one at Pratt- ville Junction, May 9 (1914). General habits —The white-throat is found in winter in scattered flocks, chiefly in hedges, brush piles, thickets, and the borders of woodland. It is a quiet, industrious bird, spending much of its time in thickets scratching for food among the dry leaves. If alarmed, the birds fly up into the underbrush and give their characteristic metallic alarm note. Wilson Bull., vol. 6, p. 36, 1899. 238 BIRDS OF ALABAMA During the spring migration the plaintive whistled song is frequently heard. A single instance of this species summering in Alabama is recorded by L. S. Golsan, who observed a pair near Prattville on several occasions in June, 1921. No evidence of nesting, however, was found.t Food habits.—This sparrow feeds largely upon seeds of grass and weeds and on wild fruits and berries. It is particu- larly fond of berries, which in summer and autumn compose about a fourth of its food. At this time it eats the fruit of the blueberry, wild cherry, mountain ash, greenbrier, straw- berry, spice bush, wild sarsaparilla, elder, blackberry, dog- wood, and high bush cranberry. The principal weed seeds destroyed are those of ragweed and bindweed, these two ele- ments forming a fourth of the food of the year. During October, ragweed alone constitutes 45 per cent of the food (Judd). The insect food comprises wasps, beetles, ants, and weevils, including the boll weevil. [TREE SPARROW: Spizella arborea arborea (Wilson) .* The tree sparrow is a northern bird, breeding in northern Canada and wintering in the United States as far south as Arkansas and pos- sibly northern Alabama. E. W. Graves has recorded it as common on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, in December,} but he now believes that these records were based on erroneous identifications.] CHIPPING SPARROW: Spizella passerina passerina (Bechstein). State records.—The chipping sparrow is a common resident in nearly all sections. It is migratory in the northern part of its range, and during winter considerable numbers move southward into Alabama and other Southern States. At that season the species is abundant in the northern and middle parts of the State, but is rather less numerous on the coast. Large flock were seen at Auburn the first week in March and on Sand Mountain in April and November, smaller numbers at Jackson (February), Carlton (March), Barachias (Decem- {Golsan, L. S., The Auk, vol. 39, p. 268, 1922. *Spizelia monticola monticola of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 87, p. 281, 1920. +Bird-Lore, vol. 12, p. 80, 1910; vol. 14, p. 38, 1912. SPARROWS 239 ber and March), Autaugaville (April), Tuscaloosa (April), and Leighton (November ). At Orange Beach, January 30; Whistler, February 5, 1912; and Bayou Labatre, December 3, 1916, small flocks were seen in the open pine flats. The bird occurs in the breeding season over most of the State, south at least to Castleberry. Fresh eggs have been found at Leigh- ton April 2 and May 11, and at Autaugaville, May 17; a second brood is usually reared in July. General habits—The chipping sparrow is a sociable bird, often living in dooryards and village gardens and placing its nest in trees or vines close to a dwelling. It frequents also orchards and dry, open woodland, and feeds mainly on the ground in plowed fields, pastures, and farm land generally. The song is a monotonous and rather unmusical trill—a series of chips rapidly repeated. The nest is placed in a tree, bush, or vine, usually on a horizontal limb; it is generally of rather: slight construction, made of grass stems or rootlets, and always well lined with hair; the eggs, 3 to 5 in number, are greenish blue with brownish or blackish markings. Late in summer and throughout the fall and winter these birds gather into loose flocks and visit pastures and cultivated lands, where they associate with other ground-dwelling sparrows. Food habits.—Caterpillars are the favorite animal food of this sparrow and these include such pests as canker worms, currant worms, tent caterpillars, and the larvae of the gipsy moth, browntail moth, and tussock moth. In June, 93 per cent of the food consists of insects, of which 36 per cent is of grasshoppers, 25 per cent caterpillars, and 6 per cent leaf beetles. Of the vegetable food the greater part is grass seed, principally crabgrass—that pest of the lawn and garden— with the seeds of other weeds, and a small portion of grain. FIELD SPARROW: Spizella pusilla pusilla (Wilson). State records.—The field sparrow (fig. 16) is a common summer resident over the greater part of the State, with the exception of the coast region. In winter it is generally dis- tributed and moderately numerous. It is known to breed at Elkmont, Huntsville, Fort Payne, Ardell, Dean, Auburn, 240 BIRDS OF ALABAMA Montgomery, Autaugaville, Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, and Abbeville. The last-named place marks approximately the southern limit of the breeding range, and the species is rare so far south. In winter it has been observed in considerable numbers at Auburn, Coosada, Autaugaville, Hollins, Leighton, Sand Mountain, Jackson, and York. A few were seen at Ash- ford in Nevember and a small flock at Orange Beach in Jan- uary. Fresh eggs have been found at Leighton, April 22, May 9, June 4, and July 18; McCormack states that the nesting season continues until late in August. General habits.—The field sparrow is well named, for it is a typical inhabitant of old, worn-out fields and bushy pastures. In winter it associates much with the chipping sparrow and other ground feeding species. It is much more shy and re- tiring than the chipping sparrow, and during the breeding season is found in wilder parts of the farm. The nest is placed on the ground or in low bushes; it is composed of grasses, weed stalks, rootlets, etc., and is lined with fine grasses and hair. The bird is a persistent and pleasing singer, rendering its simple lay at all hours of the day, even in the heat of midsummer. Its song is written by Langille: “free-o, free-o, free-o, free-o, free, free, free, free, free, free; the first four [notes] loud, well prolonged, and on a higher key, while the remaining notes run rapidly to a lower pitch, growing softer and weaker to the end, the last being barely perceptible at a short distance.’’* Food habits.—The food habits of this species are similar to those of the chipping sparrow, but since it forages more in waste lands than in gardens it is of less economic importance. Nearly half of its food consists of animal matter, including various species of beetles, caterpillars, grasshoppers, leaf- hoppers, ants, flies, wasps, and spiders. Most of the vegetable food consists of the seed of grasses, as crabgrass, pigeon- grass, broom sedge, etc. A small quantity of grain is eaten, chiefly oats taken in summer on stubble. *Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p. 379, 1884. 241 SPARROWS Fic. 16.—Field Sparrow. 242 BIRDS OF ALABAMA SLATE-COLORED JUNCO; SNOWBIRD; Junco hyemalis hyemalis (Linnaeus). State records.—The junco, or snowbird, as it is most often called, is a common winter resident from late in October to the middle of April. The species was found in abundance in winter and spring at Woodville, Florence, Ardell, Sand Moun- .tain, Auburn, Autaugaville, Carlton, and Jackson, and in smaller numbers at York, Uniontown, and Dean. None were seen in the coast region. First migrants from the north arrived at Leighton October 21 (1893), and at Greensboro October 25 (1890) and October 26 (1893). The last seen at Greensboro were noted by Avery, April 8 (1893), and the last at Leighton by McCormack, April 12 (1891). A few stragglers were noted by Holt at Myrtle- wood, April 16, 1912, and by the writer on Sand Mountain (Jackson County), April 12 to 17, 1914. General habits.—During the winter season the junco occurs in loose flocks, frequenting hedges, weedy fields, and the bor- ders of woodland. It feeds largely on the ground and scratches among the dead leaves in its search for food. The flocks easily take alarm at the approach of a person and as they flit away they display their white outer tail feathers and utter their characteristic tsip. Langille describes the song as “a prolonged tintinnabulous twitter—a more musical ren- dering of the monotonous strokes in the plain melody of the chipping sparrow. Sometimes, however, one may surprise it in a soft, low warble, as if indulging in a musical soliloquy.”* Food habits.—During its stay in the South, the junco feeds almost entirely upon the seeds of various weeds and grasses, including amaranth, pigweed or lamb’s-quarters, ragweed, crabgrass, pigeon-grass, purslane, broom sedge, Russian this- tle, ete. A small proportion of grain is eaten, but not enough to counterbalance the good effect of the consumption of weed seed. *Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p, 83, 1884. SPARROWS 248 BACHMAN SPARROW: Peucaea aestivalis bachmanii (Audubon). (PLATS I, FRONTISPIECE.) State records.—The Bachman sparrow (see frontispiece) is a fairly common summer resident over most of the State and a rare winter resident in the southern part. N.C. Brown, writing from Coosada, says this bird is very rare in winter, but increases in numbers abeut the first week in March and becomes rather common. Its song was first heard on March 8. Dr. Avery, at Greensboro, took specimens throughout the winter (December 18; January 12; February 7) and found the bird abundant in summer. I saw two single birds at Ash- ford late in November. The species is known to breed at Elk- mont, Sand Mountain (Jackson County), Guntersville, Ardell, Anniston, Wilsonville, Auburn, York, Woodbine, Autauga- ville, Weogufka, Erin (Clay County), Dothan, Castleberry, and Mobile. Avery found a number of nests at Greensboro and took eggs on April 30, May 8, June 6 and 23, and July 14. Fresh eggs were found at Leighton, July 3, and incubated eggs at Barachias, June 15, General habits.—This sparrow inhabits open pine woods and pastures. grown up with bushes or small trees. It is a quiet, retiring species but not very suspicious, and will often allow an observer to approach within a few feet. When startled from its nest in preference to flying it runs along the ground like a mouse, and utters a sound like the hissing of a snake. The nest, placed on the ground in dry, grassy fields, often among scattered old field pines, is composed of dry grasses, and lined with fine grass tops; it is cylindrical in shape and neatly roofed over; the eggs, 3 to 4 in number, are “pure white. The song, delivered at any time of day from a somewhat elevated perch, is easily the finest of any of the native spar- rows’ songs, being ranked by Chapman as even above the song of the hermit thrush. To my ear it suggests the song of the Bewick wren, but is louder and richer. The form frequently varies in a single individual and as it is pitched in several dif- ferent keys, this adds to its musical effectiveness. In winter 244 BIRDS OF ALABAMA the bird is very quiet and less conspicuous than ever, but is often seen feeding about fallen logs in open tracts of pine timber. Food habits.—The food of this sparrow, as indicated by examination of 10 stomachs from Alabama, consisted of 58 per cent animal matter, and 42 per cent vegetable. The animal food included leaf-beetles, 9.3 per cent; other beetles, including weevils and longicorns, 23.1 per cent. Bugs constituted 12 per cent and the other food items were grasshoppers and crickets (5.7 per cent) with some snails, spiders, and millipeds. The vegetable food consisted principally of grass seed and the seeds of sedges; wood sorrel and Indian strawberry made up the remainder. SONG SPARROW: Melospiza melodia melodia (Wilson). State records.—The song sparrow (fig. 17) occurs in Ala- bama only in winter, when it is abundant in all sections ex- cept the coast region. It was found in numbers at Anniston (October 22), Sand Mountain (October 27), Autaugaville (November), Ashford (November), York (February), Auburn (March), and Dothan (March 13). Only two were observed at Orange Beach in January, two on Petit Bois Island, February 12, and two at Bayou Labatre, February 16 (1912). First arrivals in fall appeared at Leighton, October 17 (1891), Greensboro, October 24 (1890), and Autaugaville, October 17 (1915). The last in spring were seen at Leighton March 30 (1889), and at Anniston, March 26 (1916). General habits.—During its stay in the South, the song sparrow lives in thickets, hedges, and brushy fields, partic- ularly in low, wet spots overgrown with broom sedge or briers. It feeds chiefly on the ground, and when startled from an elevated perch always makes a dive for a thicket or brier patch. It is found in loose companies, but never in compact flocks. It sings a little on warm days in fall and early spring, but reserves most of its vocal efforts until it has reached its breeding grounds in the North. There it is well known and beloved for its sociable habits and its cheery song—one of the first to be heard at the breaking up of winter. 245 SPARROWS il ll | Fic. 17.—Song Sparrow. 246 BIRDS OF ALABAMA The song is rendered in great variety—in fact, one scarcely ever hears two songs exactly alike from this species. It usual- ly opens with three loud, resonant tones, often bell-like, some- times double tones on the same pitch, followed by a somewhat confused warble, and ending with one or more single resonant notes or a trill. Although so endlessly varied, it has a charac- teristic quality easily recognized. Food habits.—The food of this sparrow, as indicated by examination of over 400 stomachs, consists of 34 per cent ani- ma] matter, insects with occasionally a spider or snail; and 66 per cent vegetable matter, mostly seeds. Judd says of this bird’s food: Insects amount to about one-third of the annual diet, and from May to August, inclusive, when they are eaten most freely, compose more than half of the food. * * * Of the vegetable portion * * * of the year’s food, 3 per cent consists of ragweed, 5 per cent of grain, 16 per cent of polygo- num [bindweed] and related seeds, 24 per cent of grass seed, and 18 per cent of miscellaneous seeds, such as those of wild sunflower, amaranth, lamb’s-quarters, clover, gromwell, rib- grass, wild solanum [nightshade] purslane, spurge, wood sor- rel, dandelion, chickweed, dock, and sheep-sorrel.* LINCOLN SPARROW: Melospiza lincolnii lincolnii (Audubon). State records.—In southeastern United States the Lincoln sparrow occurs only as a migrant, and in Alabama there is but one record—that of a bird which I saw at Florence, May 4, 1912. This was closely observed through a field glass, but was not secured. Andrew Allison found the species not un- common in spring migration in Tishomingo County, Missis- sippi, between April 23 and May 15, 1904.+ General habits—The Lincoln sparrow much resembles the song sparrow in appearance and habits. SWAMP SPARROW: Melospiza georgiana (Latham). State records.—The swamp sparrow is a common winter resident throughout the State. Avery records it common at Greensboro, where he has observed it between October 25 and *Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull. 15, pp. 88-84, 1901. Allison, A., The Auk, vol, 24, p. 21, 1907. SPARROWS 247 May 3. McCormack has seen it at Leighton at intervals be- tween October 18 and April 25. I saw one at Fairhope, Octo- ber 16, and several at Bon Secour, October 18 to 25, 1908. At Orange Beach, in January, 1912, it was fairly common in wet swamps. About 6 were seen on Petit Bois Island, February 12,1912. The last seen in spring at Barachias was on May 1 (1918). General habits.—This sparrow is found not only in swamps, but also in fields overgrown with brush and briers and par- ticularly in wet patches of broom sedge. It feeds chiefly on the ground and threads its way silently through the brush like a mouse; it is frequently taken by mammal collectors in mouse traps set in weedy fields or in broom sedge. In its summer home in the North it lives in swamps and marshy meadows and places its nest on the ground or in a tussock of sedges. The seng is described by Langille as a trill—‘“in a clear, whistling tone, sounding like tswee-tswee-tswee-tswee-tswee- tswee-tswee-tswee, quite sibilant, the notes being essentially the same as those of the chipping sparrow, only in much more prolonged and musical tones—a sort of enlarged and improved edition of it.’f Food habits.—More than half the food of the swamp spar- row consists of the seeds of sedges, grasses, and weeds, chief among which are seeds of bindweed (Polygonum) and giant ragweed. The insect food includes grasshoppers, caterpillars, leaf beetles, weevils, bugs, ants, and flies. FOX SPARROW: Passerella iliaca iliaca (Merrem). State records.—The fox sparrow occurs sparingly as a win- ter resident. Brown records it rather common at Coosada and mentions seeing stragglers in an old rice field until the third week in March. McCormack found it rare at Leighton, where it was seen November 19, December 17, and March 17. Avery observed it at Greensboro on numerous dates between November 19 and February 7. Graves records it from Sand Mountain (March 27), Dean from Anniston (December 25), Saunders from Weogufka (March 11), Golsan from Prattville qLangille, J. H., Our Birds in their Haunts, pp. 199-200, 1884, 248 BIRDS OF ALABAMA (December 3, February 15), and Miss Parkhurst from Talla- dega. Specimens were taken at Auburn, March 4, 1912; Woodville, March 12, 1915; Barachias, January 9, 1913; and Greenbrier Cove (Marshall County), November 8, 1916.. General habits.—This large and handsome sparrow is found chiefly: along hedges and in thickets, in company with other species of sparrows. It feeds on the ground and is a persistent and vigorous scratcher among the dry leaves and rubbish. Its ordinary note is a faint tstp but when alarmed it utters a sharp chuck. Occasionally snatches of its beautiful song may be heard early in spring. This is described as being among the finest songs of any of the sparrows, loud, clear, and silvery toned. -Food habits.—Judd, in writing of the food habits of this sparrow, says: The vegetable food differs from that of most other sparrows in that it contains less grass seed (only 1 per cent), less grain, and more fruit, ragweed, and polygonum. Half the food con- sists of ragweed and polygonum and more than a quarter of fruit * * *. It does no damage to cultivated fruit, though it occasionally eats the buds of peach trees and pear trees.* It has been known to eat cedar berries, pokeberries, holly ber- ries, and frost grapes. TOWHEE; CHEWINK; JOREE: Pipilo erythrophthalmus erythrophthalmus (Linnaeus). State records.—The northern race of the towhee, or che- wink, is not known to breed in the State, but in winter may be found generally in all sections. Wintering individuals have been taken at Greensboro, December 29, 1891; Auburn, March 9, 1912; Orange Beach, January 31, 1912; Battle Wharf, April 27, 1892; Teasley Mill (Montgomery County), March 31, 1914; Ardell, March 28, 1915; Scottsboro, April 18, 1914; and Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 12, 1914. General habits——The towhee lives in bushy pastures, thickets, and brushy borders of woodland. It is a ground- dwelling bird and seeks its food largely in thickets and brush *Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull, 15, p. 88, 1901. SPARROWS 249 piles, where it scratches vigorouly among the dead leaves. Active, nervous, and rather shy, it flies when disturbed from bush to bush with a whirring of its short, rounded wings and a flashing of its white tail-feathers. Its alarm note is a sharp, ringing che-wink or jo-ree. In the nesting season the male bird mounts to a moderately high perch in a tree or bush and delivers its simple melody many times without moving. The song is melodious, but musically of no very striking char- acter; it begins usually with two short, whistled notes, fol- lowed by a rather prolonged trill on a higher pitch. Food habits—The animal food of the towhee consists of beetle larvae, ants, moths, caterpillars, cockroaches, grasshop- pers, flies, and earthworms. Its vegetable food consists large- ly of wild fruits and berries and weed seed. It has been ac- cused of pulling up newly planted corn, but it is doubtful if any serious damage is done in this respect. ALABAMA TOWHEE: ‘Pipilo erythrophthalmus canaster Howell.+ State records.—The Alabama race of the towhee, only re- _cently distinguished as a subspecies, occurs nearly throughout the State, both summer and winter, breeding locally in mod- erate numbers. Specimens have been examined from Orange -Beach, Spring Hill, Dauphin Island, Castleberry, Seale, Wil- sonville, Tuscaloosa, Jasper, Ardell, Anniston, Woodville, Leighton, and Elkmont. Those from the most northern coun- ties are intermediate between canaster and erythrophthalmus, but rather nearer the former. Eggs have been taken at Au- taugaville, May 7 and June 23; and at Florence, April 27 and May 12. General habits.—The resident form of the towhee has red eyes, like the northern bird, but differs from it in having less white on the tail feathers and (in the females) grayer colors on the back. The songs and call notes are noticeably dif- ferent from those of the northern race and the call note— jo-ree—is rendered practically as one syllable. Like the north- ern subspecies, this bird lives in brushy thickets, but in the +Pipilo erythrophthalmus canaster Howell, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 26, p. 202, 1913; type from Spring Hill, Alabama. 250 BIRDS OF ALABAMA coast region is most often found in the small wooded swamps which occur at frequent intervals. The nest, placed on the ground, usually at the foot of a small bush, is rather bulky, composed of dead leaves, strips of bark, and fine grasses. CARDINAL; REDBIRD: Richmondena cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus) .* State records.—The cardinal is one of the most abundant and widely distributed birds of the State, and being non: migratory, is found in about equal abundance at all seasons. According to N. C. Brown, mating begins about the middle of February, and the songs of the males are first heard at that time. Nest building does not begin, however, until April. Eggs have been found at Barachias, April 10; Leighton, April 13, May 17, and June 24; York, April 27; Woodbine, April 12; Autaugaville, April 18 and May 28; Castleberry, June 3; Sand Mountain (Jackson County), June 26; Greensboro, August 5, and Hayneville, August 6. General habits——The favorite haunts of the cardinal are brushy swamps and river-bottom thickets, and in such situa- tions it is often abundant. Many birds, however, take up their abode in village or town dooryards, where they are much prized for their bright colors and sprightly songs. The species is not gregarious, but frequently several pairs occupy the same piece of woods. On several occasions the cardinal has been noted by the writer as the first bird to sing at daybreak. The song is quite varied, consisting of a series of clear, resonant whistles, the notes sometimes slurred, sometimes double, and often repeated rapidly 20 or more times. The nest is placed in a bush, usually 3 to 6 feet from the ground. Food habits——The food of the cardinal, as studied by McAtee, consists of about seven-tenths vegetable and three- tenths animal matter. Of the vegetable food, weeds and other seeds compose the largest part—about 36 per cent; wild fruit amounts to 24 per cent, and grain nearly 9 per cent. Most of the grain eaten is corn, with some oats, wheat, sorghum, and rice. Of the seeds and berries of wild fruit, those most *Cardinalis cardinalis cardinalis of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name, s¢e The Auk, vol. 35, p. 500, 1918. GROSBEAKS 261 commonly eaten are wild grapes, dogwood berries, black- berries, raspberries, mulberries, hackberries, pokeberries, cherries, and the seeds of the spice bush, prickly pear (cactus), sumac, and poison ivy. McAtee, treating of the food habits of the cardinal, says: The cardinal has been accused of pilfering certain grains, notably corn, to an injurious extent, which charge the evidence from stomach examinations [nearly 500 were examined] neither proves nor disproves. But in view of the fact that only 8.73 per cent of the total food is grain, and that more than half of that amount is waste, the loss is greatly overbalanced by. the destruction of weed seeds alone, which compose more than half of the vegetable food. * * * since the cardinal, by its general food habits, does at least 15 times more good than harm, it must be classed among the very useful species. The following list of important pests the bird has been shown to prey upon is in itself sufficient proof of the cardinal’s value. The list in- cludes the Rocky Mountain locust, 17-year cicada, potato beetle, cotton worm, boll worm, cotton cutworm, cotton-boll weevil, codling moth, rose-beetle, cucumber beetle, fig eater, zebra cater- pillar, plum scale, and other scale insects. A host of minor in- sect pests are attacked and the seeds of many noxious weeds are destroyed. The cardinal much more than pays its way and deserves and should receive strict protection.* ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK: Hedymeles ludoviciana (Linnaeus) .f State records.—The rose-breasted grosbeak occurs in Ala- bama as an uncommon migrant. McCormack has noted it only twice at Leighton—a pair April 25, 1890, and a male a few days later. Avery records it as a rare autumn migrant at Greensboro, seen September 23 and 25, 1890, September 26 and October 4, 1893.. Holt saw it at Barachias, April 26, 1909, and May 2, 1913, and I took a male there, April 24, 1912. Several were seen or heard on Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May 2 to 5, 1914, and one at Prattville Junction, May 9, 1914. Saunders found a few at Hollins between April 25 and May 4, 1908; Miss Parkhurst records one at Talladega, May 3, 1908; Graves saw one on Sand Mountain, May 7, 1911, and three *McAtee, W. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 32, pp. 24-25, 1908. fzomciodix ludoviciana of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 40, p. 523, 1923. 252 BIRDS OF ALABAMA males, May 1, 1913; and Dean noted the species at Anniston, April 30 and May 7, 1916. There are three specimens in a collection of mounted birds taken at Point Clear.. General habits.—In its summer home in the North, this handsome bird dwells in woodlands, and is said to prefer second-growth timber which is somewhat wet or swampy. It nests also in orchards and parks and does not shun the vicinity of dwellings, but in spite of its conspicuous markings it is so shy and retiring that it is not often seen. Its ordinary call note is a thin, sharp eek, not very noticeable, but quite un- like that of any other species. The song “strongly resembles the finest performance of the robin—only the warble is much more copious, continuously prolonged, and finely modulated with a peculiar richness, purity and sweet pathos in the tones * * *” (Langille). The male assists in incubation and often sings while on the nest. Food habits.—According to Barrows, this grosbeak has a fondness for the buds and blossoms of fruit trees. It also helps itself to cherries, strawberries, and green peas. How- ever, it is one of the few birds that regularly feeds on the potato-bug and is useful, also, in destroying other leaf-eating beetles.f McAtee found the food to be composed of about equal parts animal and vegetable matter; among the pests recorded as destroyed by this bird he mentions cucumber beetles, the hickory borer, plum curculio, Rocky Mountain locust, canker- worms, tent caterpillars, army worms, gipsy and brown-tailed moths, and the chinch bug.* BLUE GROSBEAK: Guiraca caerulea caerulea (Linnaeus). State records.—The blue grosbeak is a fairly common sum- mer resident, but of somewhat local distribution. It has been found in nearly all parts of the State, but is rare in the north- ern counties as well as in the coast region; it is most numerous in the Central Prairie Belt. At Greensboro it is a common breeder, and at Montgomery and Barachias it is abundant. At Leighton it has been seen but twice—April 28, 1890, and {Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 536, 1912. *McAtee, W. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 32, p. 67, 1908. GROSBEAKS 253 May 1, 1912. Graves saw one at Carpenter, in the Tennessee Valley, July 25, 1913. A pair was seen at Auburn, April 28, 1912, and again, May 7, 1914, evidently intending to breed. The bird has been seen in the breeding season, also, at Annis- ton, Ardell, Tuscaloosa, Erin (Clay County), Fitzpatrick, Hayneville, Castleberry, and Dauphin Island. First arrivals in spring were noted at Greensboro April 18 (1891) ; at Barachias, April 18 (1908) and April 20 (1909) ; the last seen in fall at Greensboro was on September 26 (1890). Eggs have been found at Autaugaville, June 6; Greensboro, June 18 and August 2; and Montgomery, July 3. The blue grosbeak is found about the borders of woodland and in fields grown up to bushes, briers, and weeds, seeming to prefer the vicinity of a stream. In central Alabama it lives on the prairies, and is frequently seen along the roadsides. In spite of its bright colors, it is not very conspicuous. Its voice is described by Ridgway as follows: ‘The usual note is a strong harsh ptchick, and the song of the male a very beauti- ful, though rather feeble, warble, somewhat like that of the Purple Finch, but bearing a slight resemblance also to that of the Rose-breasted Grosbeak.”} The nests are placed in low trees, bushes, or blackberry briers, from 2 to 7 feet from the ground, constructed of leaves, paper, weeds, grass, etc., and lined with rootlets and hair. Food habits.—The food of the blue grosbeak, as determined by McAtee from stomach examinations, is composed of two- thirds animal matter (insects) and one-third vegetable. Grain constitutes 14.25 per cent of the diet, but on account of the scattered distribution of the birds, no appreciable damage is done during most of the summer. Later, when they forage in flocks, they are said to do considerable injury. Weed seeds constitute 18 per cent of the total food, thus forming the prin- cipal element in the vegetable portion of the diet. The animal food consists mainly of snails, spiders, and various insects. Among the important pests eaten are grasshoppers, weevils, the purslane sphinx, and the cotton cutworm. Crickets and shorthorned grasshoppers are eagerly consumed, composing fRidgway, R., Ornith. of Illinois, vol. 1, p. 299, 1889.. 254 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 27.2 per cent of the total food. Thirty-two of the 51 blue gros- beaks ate them, several taking nothing else. They are fed to the nestlings in generous measure, and without doubt are the most important single article of diet.t INDIGO BUNTING: Passerina cyanea (Linnaeus). State records.—The indigo bird is an abundant summer resident in the northern and middle portions of the State. It does not breed in the southern counties, nor has it been seen there in migration. In the Talladega Mountains it ranges to the tops of the ridges, 1,800 feet altitude. It has been noted in the breeding season at Florence, Huntsville, Elkmont, Sand Mountain (Jackson County), Fort Payne, Erin (Clay County), Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, Seale, Barachias, and Au- taugaville. Migrants were noted as arriving at Greensboro, April 6 (1887) and April 15 (1893) ; Coosada, April 6 (1878) ; Bara- chias, April 13- (1909); Leighton, April 17 (1891); and Scottsboro, April 18 (1914). Most of the birds depart in September and the last are seen about the middle of October. Eggs have been found at Autaugaville, May 22; Barachias, June 4; Leighton, May 16, June 24, July 22, and August 12. General habits.—This handsome little sparrow dwells in bushy pastures, second-growth sprout lands, and similar situa- tions. It is in many sections very abundant but, in spite of its bright colors, attracts little attention. The male is a per- sistent singer throughout the season, even in the heat of the midsummer days; the song, delivered from a rather elevated perch on a tree or telegraph wire, has been described as ‘‘a sort of hurried warble, quite fluent, and yet seeming to stick in the throat a little” (Langille). The plain, brown-streaked female may be recognized by the peculiar chink, characteristic of the species. The nests are placed in bushes or blackberry briers, 3 to 4 feet from the ground. Food habits ——Forbush states that the indigo bird feeds on caterpillars, grasshoppers, measuring worms, the larvae of butterflies and moths, and small beetles. “The larger part of its food consists of seeds, many of which are those of weeds. McAtee, W. L., Biol. Surv. Bull. 32, pp. 78-85, 1908. BUNTINGS 255 During its short stay with us it is one of the few useful species seen much about the garden, and is of some service in the orchard.”’* PAINTED BUNTING; NONPAREIL: Passerina ciris ciris (Linnaeus). State records.—The painted bunting, or nonpareil, although occurring in Mississippi and in the coast region of Georgia, is found in Alabama only as a rare straggler. The only records of its occurrence are from the vicinity of Mobile. Dr. A. K. Fisher observed a single male of this species, May 13, 1886, in the northern suburbs of Mobile. A bird answering the description of this species was reported to me from the vicinity of Mobile by A. B. Taylor, who stated that he observed it every spring near his home. This brilliant little bird has long been prized as a cage bird and many thousands were formerly trapped for that purpose. Whether this accounts for its scar- city in Alabama is not known. General habits—The painted bunting is said to inhabit thickets, hedges, and the borders of woodland, preferring the neighborhood of streams. Its song, according to Nuttall, much resembles that of the indigo bird, but is more feeble and concise. DICKCISSEL: Spiza americana (Gmelin). State records.—The dickcissel, or black-throated bunting, has a rather restricted distribution in Alabama. It occurs commonly as a summer resident in the Central Prairie Belt, but outside of this area is recorded only from Leighton and Talladega. It breeds at both these places and also in southern Hale County and at Autaugaville (rarely) and Barachias (abundantly). McCormack, writing in 1891, speaks of it as formerly rare at Leighton but increasing in numbers. Within a few years, however, the bird disappeared, probably because the clover fields in which it bred were turned to other crops; McCormack has not observed it in recent years, and I failed to find it there on several visits between 1911 and 1914. A *Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and Their Protection, p. 298, 1907. 256 BIRDS OF ALABAMA specimen taken at Point Clear a number of years ago is now on exhibition in the mounted collection of James K. Glennon in the Point Clear Hotel. McCormack noted this bird’s arrival at Leighton on May 2 (1891), and states it is rarely seen after July. Avery saw the first arrivals at Greensboro on May 1 (1888). General habits—The dickcissel is of local distribution and of fluctuating abundance in the Eastern States; it is a prairie- loving bird, but also lives to some extent in clover fields and pastures in wooded regions. It dwells chiefly on cr near the ground, and is usually satisfied with a low perch from which to render its song. The bird is not at all shy and is rather conspicuous by reason of the habit of sitting on top of a weed, bush, or stake, repeating its simple song many times in succes- sion with characteristic emphasis. Ridgway writes it, see, see,—dick, dick—cissel, cissel, and this rendering has given the bird the name by which it is now known. “The nest is built of grasses, weed stalks, and leaves, lined with finer grasses and hair, and is placed usually in rank clover or among weeds and coarse grasses within a foot or two of the ground. Occasionally it is built in a rose bush or other small shrub, but always very low.’’* Food habits —Examination of 152 stomachs of this bird in the Biological Survey showed that the food consisted of 70 per cent animal matter (insects, with a few spiders) ; and 30 per cent vegetable. The vegetable food consisted mainly of mil- let, oats, and pigeon and other grasses. The insect food was chiefly grasshoppers, crickets, beetles, and moths. Speaking of its destruction of grasshoppers and crickets, Judd says: “From June to August, inclusive, half of -its diet consists -of these destructive insects. It feeds eagerly on short-horned grasshoppers (Acrididae), longhorned grasshoppers (Locusti- dae), and crickets (Gryllidae). The stomachs examined con- tained more crickets and long-horned grasshoppers than those of any other bird whose food habits have yet been investigated by this Department.”+ Prof. Forbes investigated the food of 11 specimens of this bird taken in an orchard in Illinois. Three-fourths of the stomach contents consisted of canker- *Ridgway, R., Birds of Illinois, pp.. 303-804, 1889. Judd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull, 15, p. 91, 1901. TANAGERS 267 worms, cutworms, and other caterpillars, 9 per cent of beetles, and 7 per cent of snails.t TANAGERS: Family Tangaridae. SCARLET TANAGER: Piranga olivacea (Gmelin) .* State records.—The scarlet tanager occurs sparingly as a migrant and as a breeder in the mountainous parts of Ala- bama (fig. 18). It is fairly common in summer on Sand Mountain, Lookout Mountain, Talladega Mountains, and Mount Weogufka. I saw several on Choccolocco Mountain near Anniston (June 8), one on Monte Sano near Huntsville (May 13), one at Squaw Shoals (June 3), and several near Guntersville (June 18). Holt observed one at Ardell, June 26, 1918. At Teasley Mill, Montgomery County, a male was observed daily from May 11 to 16, 1914, and the species may possibly have been breeding there. A male taken in spring (date not known) at Point Clear is in the mounted collection of James K. Glennon. McCormack reports this species a rare spring migrant at Leighton, seen May 5, 1890, and April 27, 1893. I observed first arrivals there, April 22, 24, and 25, 1914. Avery found it at Greensboro both in spring and fall, noted April 27 and May 3, 1893; October 16, 1890; and September 18 to October 2, 1891. First arrivals in spring were reported at Shelby, April 16 (1898) ; Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 15 (1912), and April 19 (1914) ; Anniston, April 23 (1916) ; and Barachias, April 28 (1909), and April 24 (1912). General habits —This handsome bird is a dweller in decidu- ous woodland, and although not particularly shy, it is rarely found close to habitations. It is partial to oak or hickory timber and often lives in small groves or hedgerows. It is distinctly an arboreal species, ranging in the “upper stories” of the woodland and rarely descending to the ground. The song resembles that of the robin, but has a characteristie metallic twang to it, a ringing quality that appears also in the common alarm note—chip-ch-r-r-r. The nest is a rather frail, tForbes, S. A., Amer. Agr., vol. 40, pp. 482-483, 1881. *Piranga erythromelas of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 37, p. 282, 1920. 9—B 258 BIRDS OF ALABAMA shallow structure of small twigs and weed stalks, lined with fine rootlets or blossom stems, placed on a horizontal limb of a deciduous tree, from 7 to 30 or even sometimes 40 feet above the ground. Food habits—Forbush speaks of this tanager as “the ap- pointed guardian of the oaks” and states that it captures many moths and other insects which infest these forest trees. He adds: f “As a caterpillar hunter the bird has few superiors. It is often yery destructive to the gypsy moth, taking all stages but the eggs. * * * Leaf-rolling caterpillars it skillfully takes from the rolled leaves, and it also digs out the larvae of gall insects from their hiding places. Many other injurious larvae are taken. Wood-boring beetles, bark-boring beetles, and weevils form a considerable portion of its food during the months when these insects can be found. Click beetles, leaf-eating beetles and craneflies are greedily eaten.” } This tanager occasionally takes a little fruit, as cherries, strawberries, mulberries, or huckleberries, but in the main it is insectivorous in its diet, and as indicated by the above quota- tion, decidedly beneficial. SUMMER TANAGER; SUMMER REDBIRD; BEE-BIRD= Piranga rubra rubra (Linnaeus). State records.—The summer tanager is much commoner than the scarlet tanager and is generally distributed as a sum- mer resident, but in the pine flats of the coast belt occurs only sparingly. First arrivals from the south appear usually the first week in April, having been noted at Coosada, March 81; Greensboro, April 8; Autaugaville, April 4; Tuscaloosa, April 7; Smelley, April 10, and Sand Mountain, April 12. The last seen in fall at Leighton was on October 8 and at Bon Secour on October 19. I took an adult male at Piedmont, October 20, 1916. Eggs have been found at York, May 14; Leighton, May 17 and June 8; Autaugaville, May 19; and Prattville, May 27. General habits —This tanager is found in rather open pine woods and seems to prefer tracts having an undergrowth of Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, pp. 218, 214. TANAGERS 259 ©Gréensitera iontown Autaugeville © “oe €y York 6 ij Selhce ‘ Oakchi Py lakchia- ‘ 0 Gs i Jackso y Minét en birhop Bzyou » Son Se€our-- POrarge Beech —————-al PET, B18 DAUFHIN 1D. b MONTGQMERY ©Bzrachies , Fic. 18.—Breeding area of the Scarlet Tanager (Piranga olivacea) in Alabama. 260 BIRDS OF ALABAMA small oaks and hickories. It is not a shy bird and is more often found on the lower branches of trees than is the scarlet tanager. The alarm note is characteristic, written by Nuttall, “tshicky-tukky-tuk;” the song resembles that of the scarlet tanager, but is sweeter and lacks the metallic quality of the latter. The nest is placed on a horizontal limb of a tree, from 5 to 35 feet above the ground; it is rather shallow, composed of grasses and weed stalks, and is often so thin that the eggs may be seen from the ground beneath. Food habits.—The food habits of this bird are not well known. Many observers have reported its habit of visiting fee hives and destroying the bees. It is said to feed also on beetles, wasps, tomato worms, and spiders, and on certain small wild fruits, as blackberries and whortleberries. Examination in the Biological Survey of 6 stomachs taken in Alabama showed that the bird has a decided preference for Hymenoptera (bees, wasps, etc.), these insects being present in 5 of the 6 stomachs in proportions varying from 70 to 98 per cent of the total content. SWALLOWS AND MARTINS: Family Hirundinidae. PURPLE MARTIN; BLACK MARTIN; GOURD MARTIN: Progne subis subis (Linnaeus). State records.—The purple martin is a common summer resident in all parts of the State, and is known to breed at Elkmont, Sand Mountain, Stevenson, Fort Payne, Gunters- ville, Natural Bridge, Ardell, Tuscaloosa, Abbeville, Dothan, Seale, Castleberry, Mobile and Bayou Labatre. It is one of the earliest of the spring migrants to arrive, having been noted at Carlton, March 4 (1912); Carrollton, March 9 (1887); Longview, March 9 (1917); Autaugaville, March 12 (1918) ; Coosada, March 13 (1878) ; Leighton, March 19 (1890); and Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), March 15 (1913). Late in summer, martins gather into flocks preparatory to their southward flight, which takes place quite early in fall. Mc- Cormack observed thousands of them feeding over a pasture at Leighton, August 3, 1889, and during the last few days of that month they were even more abundant; the last seen in SWALLOWS 261 that locality were noted September 11. Holt observed a flock of several hundred at Tuscaloosa, July 22, 1913, gathered late in the afternoon over the center of the town. Eggs of this species have been found at Autaugaville, May 28, and at Bara- chias, June 14. General habits.—The martin is a bird of the open country, found in abundance everywhere in cultivated regions of the State. Nesting as it does about dwellings and farm buildings, it is well known and universally beloved. Practically every farmyard has some provision for these birds in the way of nesting boxes, and even the rustic cabins of the negro field hands are not without their string of hollow gourds hung on a pole for the accommodation of the birds—a practice, Gosse tells us, learned from the Indians. At present this bird is mainly dependent for its nesting sites upon boxes or gourds put up for its accommodation; it is said, however, occasionally to nest in woodpecker holes. Like the other members of its family, the martin takes its food entirely on the wing, coursing swiftly over pastures and. cultivated lands in its pursuit of insects. The birds frequent- ly alight on dead trees and just prior to the autumn migra- tion they gather into large flocks and spend much time on these perches and about the spires of churches or other town buildings. At this season they roost at night in willows or other deciduous trees, or in long grass and reeds in marshes, retiring to the roost at dusk and leaving at break of day. Food habits —The food of the martin as determined by Prof. Beal, consists entirely of insects, with a few spiders. Hymenoptera—ants, bees, and wasps—furnish the largest item, amounting to 23 per cent of the total. The bird has frequently been accused of destroying honey bees, but exami- nation of over 200 stomachs showed only 5 containing these insects, all of them drones. Flies, including many long-legged tipulids and some of the house-fly family, are eaten to a con- siderable extent, forming about 16 per cent of the food. Hemiptera, or bugs, including stink-bugs, tree hoppers, negro bugs, and one squash bug, were found in the stomachs and formed nearly 15 per cent. Beetles amounted to about 12 per cent and included May beetles, ground beetles, dung 262 BIRDS OF ALABAMA beetles, the cotton-boll weevil, clover weevil, and other species destructive to nuts and seeds. Small moths are frequently eaten and butterflies occasionally. Dragonflies are a favorite food, having been found in 65 of the stomachs examined, 7 containing no other food.* CLIFF SWALLOW: Petrochelidon albifrons albifrons (Rafinesque) .+ State records.—The cliff, or eaves, swallow is a common spring and autumn migrant, arriving on the coast about the last week in March and reaching the northern counties the first week in April. Migration continues during April and May and stragglers may be seen even as late as the first of June. At Leighton, April 30, 1912, I observed a flock of about a hundred of these swallows flying high over the fields. Small numbers were seen at Jasper, May 5, Auburn, May 7, and Au- taugaville, May 10; a flock of 12 was seen at Seale May 19, and 1 bird, May 22 (1914). Peters saw one on Petit Bois Island, June I, 1914, a very late date. Dr. Avery noted the bird only in spring at Greensboro, and his collection contains 1 speci- men taken May 1, 1890. McCormack at Leighton noted its arrival in southward migration, Fuly 22, 1891, and found it abundant from August 7 to 31, 1887. He states that it re- mains till the second week in September. The only place in the State where this bird is known to breed is on the high cliffs bordering the Tennessee River near Fort Deposit, where a colony of about a hundred pairs have established themselves. On June 18, 1913, large young could be seen in the nests of this colony. General habits.—Cliff swallows are very sociable and un- suspicious birds, always found in rather large colonies, and often selecting for their nesting sites a building on the busy street of a town or the low eaves of a barn near which people are constantly passing. The nests are gourd-shaped struc- tures of mud, plastered to the face of a cliff or the side of a building, usually protected from the weather by an over- *Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S.. Dept. Agr., pp. 8-6, 1918. +Petrochelidon lunifrons lunifrons of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 34, p. 205, 1917. SWALLOWS 263 hanging ledge or by the projecting eaves. Telegraph wires are favorite perches, and often hundreds of the swallows may be seen at once perched on the wires in close ranks. They feed over pastures, cultivated lands, ponds, and rivers, taking their food chiefly on the wing; occasionally they alight on the ground to pick up food and to secure the mud used in con- structing their nests. In the colony on the Tennessee River a pair of duck hawks were living in the same cliff, but no indi- cation was evident of disagreement between the hawks and the swallows. Food habits.—The food of the cliff swallow consists almost entirely of insects, most of them taken on the wing. Beetles, ants, bees, wasps, flies, and bugs make up the greater part of the food, and include such destructive species as the chinch bug and the cotton-boll weevil. During late summer and fall, when these swallows are moving southward in large flocks, they capture immense numbers of boll weevils over the cotton fields. Thirty-five birds shot in Texas in September had eaten a total of 678 weevils, one bird having consumed 48 of the insects at a single meal. Honey bees (all drones) were identified in 18 of the 375 stomachs examined.* BARN SWALLOW: JHirundo rustica erythrogastris Boddaert.} State records.—The barn swallow occurs abundantly as a migrant and casually as a breeder in the northern part of the State. It is probably the most numerous of any of the swal- lows and remains for a longer period than the others. Mi- grants arrive in spring about the middle of April and are common for about a month. The southward movement be- gins the latter part of July and continues until the middle of September. McCormack records the bird at Leighton be- tween April 15 and May 15 and between August 6 and Septem- ber 18. Avery noted it at Greensboro during practically the same periods. First arrivals were seen at Sylacauga, April 14 (1908), Barachias, April 21 (1912), and Sand Mountain *cf. Beal, F. E. L., Food Habits of the Swallows; Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 6- si ‘Hirundo erythrogastra of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 35, p. 212, 1918. 264 BIRDS OF ALABAMA (near Carpenter), April 22 (1911). Late migrants (single birds) were noted at Seale, May 19 and 20 (1914) ; Mobile, May 28 (1914), and Alabama Port, May 30 and June 5 (1914). Gutsell observed the first southbound migrants at Bayou La- batre, August 8, and found the species common at Orange Beach, September 9 to 21 (1911). Holt saw two migrating birds at Petit Bois Island between July 26 and 30 (1913). Only one instance of this bird’s breeding in the State is known. Under a bridge at Tuscumbia, May 15, 1892, F. W. McCormack found a nest with eggs. As the species is known to breed as far south as Nashville and Athens, Tennessee, it may again be found breeding occasionally in northern Ala- bama. General habits.—The barn swallow is a familiar bird in the North, living about cultivated lands and entering with confi- dence the buildings of the farmer. The birds spend most of their daylight hours coursing swiftly over the fields, usually rather close to the ground, in pursuit of their insect prey. They develop greater speed and show more skill and grace in their evolutions than any of the other swallows. From time to time small parties gather on the ridge pole of a barn or some similar situation, where they preen their feathers, play together, and carry on a conversational twittering. The song, delivered both from these perches and on the wing, is a series of musical twitterings interspersed with a variety of liquid or guttural notes, the whole performance animated, cheerful, and very pleasing. Breeding originally in caves and cliffs, the barn swallow now depends for nesting sites almost wholly upon farm build- ings and bridges. The nests are semicup-shaped and rather shallow, constructed of alternate layers of mud and fine grasses and thickly lined with feathers. Food habits.—The food of the barn swallow, as shown by the investigations of Prof. Beal, is composed almost entirely of animal matter—insects, with a few spiders and snails. Diptera, or flies, constitute the largest item, amounting to almost 40 per cent of the total. Beetles, including weevils, are next in order, reaching about 16 per cent of the total; the destructive cotton-boll weevil is eaten in considerable numbers SWALLOWS 265 in the summer and fall, at the time when the insects are flying about considerably. Ants formed nearly 10 per cent of the food, and other Hymenoptera about 12 per cent; Hemiptera, or bugs, furnished 15 per cent, and included stink bugs, chinch bugs, plant lice, and leaf hoppers. Dragonflies are captured in some numbers.* Forbush states that this bird is very serviceable in destroy- ing the moths of the smaller cutworms found on grass lands. He adds that the birds gather codling moths, cankerworm moths, and tortriad or leaf-rolling moths from the orchard and that they catch also horseflies, house flies, mosquitoes, gnats, and crane flies.} Barrows states that barn swallows are very fond of the fruit of the bayberry or wax-myrtle and sometimes, during their autumn migration, alight by thou- sands on the low bushes and gorge themselves on the berries. TREE SWALLOW; WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW: Tridoprocne bicolor (Vieillot). State records.—The tree, or white-bellied, swallow occurs irregularly, but often in considerable numbers, in migration. It is the hardiest of its tribe and a few remain all winter on. the Gulf coast. McCormack states that it reaches Leighton about the last week in March and remains in greater or lesser numbers during the whole of April. He has not ob- served it in fall. Golsan took one at Autaugaville, October 3, 1914, and I observed small flocks at Theodore, November 11, and at Bayou Labatre, November 19, 1915. A few were ob- served in Grand Bay, March 22, and several near Mobile, March 24 (1912). At Chuckvee Bay, Baldwin County, February 7, 1912, I saw 3 of these swallows and at the same place, March 16, a flock of about fifty. Four individuals were seen near Jasper, April 30, 1914, in a flock of barn swallows. General. habits —In the North, this swallow is widely dis- tributed, nesting not in colonies but in scattered pairs in wood- peckers’ holes, in hollow trees and stumps, and also in bird boxes and in crevices about the eaves and corners of buildings. *Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 11-15, 1918. +Forbush, E. H., Useful birds and their protection, pp. 345-346, 1907. tBarrows, W. B., Michigan bird life, pp. 548-549, 1912. 266 BIRDS OF ALABAMA Immediately after the breeding season, even by the first of July, these swallows gather into flocks and roost by night in the reeds in the marshes. Chapman says: “They migrate by day, leaving their roosting-ground in flocks which some- times contain myriads, and, after attaining a great height, pursue their journey to the south.”* Their flight is ordi- narily performed at a moderate height, but not so low as the barn swallow. They do not fly so swiftly as the latter bird, and are much given to sailing about in circles. In the South in winter and during migration the birds feed about pastures, marshes, rice fields, and over bodies of water. Especially do they frequent tracts of bayberry or wax-myrtle bushes, the fruit of which in winter forms in some regions their principal food. Food habits.—The tree swallow differs from the other swal- lows in that it feeds to a considerable extent on berries as well as insects. Examination of 348 stomachs in the Biologi- cal Survey showed the food of this species to consist of about 80 per cent animal matter and 20 per cent vegetable. Prof. Beal states that the vegetable food is made up of a few varie- ties of seeds and berries, but more than nine-tenths of it con- sists of the fruit of a single shrub, the bayberry, or waxberry (Myrica carolinensis). These berries were found in 70 stom- achs, 30 of which contained no other food, and as they are eaten all the summer, at a time when insects are abundant, it is evident that they form a standard article of diet and are not a makeshift for lack of better food.+ Other berries, including those of the red cedar, dogwood, and Virginia creeper, are occasionally eaten. The habit of feeding on the berries of the wax myrtle makes it possible for the tree swallow to remain all winter in cold climes, even as far north as New Jersey. Of the insect food, flies comprise the largest item—over 40 per cent of the total. These include crane flies, horse flies, and house flies, the last being most numerous. Beetles, including the cotton-boll weevil and other destructive weevils, are extensively eaten. Other insects *Chapman, F. M., Handbook of Birds of Eastern North America, p. 419, 1912. +Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., p. 16, 1918. SWALLOWS 267 taken by this swallow are ants, wild bees, wasps, leaf hoppers, plant lice, chinch bugs, dragonflies, and moths.t BANK SWALLOW; SAND MARTIN: Riparia riparia . riparia (Linnaeus). State records.—The bank swallow probably occurs regular- ly in migration, but is apparently not at all common. It should be carefully distinguished from the rough-winged swallow, which also nests in banks. The spring migration should bring the birds to Alabama by the last of March or first of April, but the only record in spring is that of two birds which we saw near Jasper, April 30, 1914—one of which we secured. Gutsell noted their appearance at Bayou Labatre, August 7, 1911, and found them there irregularly during that month. L. S. Golsan reports finding a small colony breeding in the bluffs along the Alabama River, at Washington Ferry, Autauga County, May 5, 1895, the only instance at present known. He caugnt one bird in his hand on the nest and care- fully identified it.* This species, as its name indicates, nests | in holes in cut banks, usually in rather large colonies. The burrows are always at some distance from the foot of the bank, often with- in a few feet of the top, and usually 3 feet or more in depth; at the end of the cavity a nest of grasses and feathers usually is constructed in which the 4 to 6 white eggs are laid. General habits—The bank swallow, the smallest of its family, is a strongly gregarious species, found in flocks both in the breeding season and in winter. In migration it often travels with other species of swallows, flying usually at no great height with a rather unsteady, flickering flight. The. birds frequent pastures and cultivated lands and are especially attracted by bodies of, water. Food habits.—The food of this swallow consists almost wholly of insects, with a few spiders. As with most of the other swallows, flies constitute the most important element, amounting to over one-fourth (26 per cent) of the total; house flies and crane flies are the kinds commonly taken. Beetles —. tBeal, Op. cit., pp. 16-18. ¥*Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 280, 1914. 268 BIRDS OF ALABAMA form nearly 20 per cent of the total and include such destruc- tive species as the cotton-boll weevil, alfalfa weevil, rice weevil, and plum curculio. Twenty-five birds taken over the cotton fields of Texas in September were found to have eaten a total of 68 boll weevils, one bird having taken 14 of them.7 Other insects eaten by the bank swallow are ants and other Hymenoptera, leaf hoppers, plant lice, dragonflies, Mayflies, and a few caterpillars.t ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW; SAND MARTIN; GULLY MARTIN: Stelgidopteryx serripennis serripennis (Audubon). State records.—The rough-winged swallow, the only swal- low which nests regularly in the State, is a generally dis- tributed and fairly common summer resident. It arrives from the south the last of March or first of April. McCormack noted the first one at Leighton, April 6 (1893), and Avery records the first at Greensboro, April 15 (1893). Brown, at Coosada, noted its arrival on March 22, but states that it was not generally distributed until the first week in April. It probably leaves in autumn about the last of Septem- ber. General habits —The rough-wing is not so gregarious as its relative the bank swallow, breeding usually in small colonies or in isolated pairs. It is the common “bank swallow” of the South, found usually in the vicinity of streams or ponds in nearly every locality. It spends much of its time in the air in search of food, but is often seen resting on telegraph wires or the dead branches of trees. Its flight is rather slow and somewhat erratic. Its notes are harsh and squeaky but not loud. In autumn the birds are said to gather into large flocks and to roost at night in their burrows. The nests are placed in holes in cut banks, or in crevices in stone walls or cliffs. A most remarkable site selected by one or more pairs of these birds for their nest was on a but-. tress beneath the deck of a transfer steamboat which made daily trips on the Tennessee River from Guntersville to Hobbs: +Howell, A. H., Biol. Surv. Bull. 29, p. 14, 1907. Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 21-25, 1918, WAXWINGS 269 Island, a distance of 24 miles, leaving at 10 a. m. and return- ing at6 p.m. The birds, of course, followed the boat all the way to feed their young. A nest examined on the boat, June 19, 1918, contained young. Food habits.—The food of the rough-winged swallow con- sists principally of insects, with a few spiders. Flies com- posed nearly one-third (32.89 per cent) of the total. Ants and other Hymenoptera are extensively eaten, and bugs to a lesser extent. Beetles amounted to nearly 15 per cent of the food and included the cotton-boll weevil, alfalfa weevil, rice weevils, and flea beetles. A few moths, caterpillars, dragon- flies, Mayflies, and an occasional grasshopper make up the re- mainder of this bird’s food.* WAXWINGS: Family Bombycillidae. ‘CEDAR WAXWING; CEDAR-BIRD; “SEAL:” Bombyceilla cedrorum Vieillot. State records.—The cedar waxwing, often called cedar-bird,. is an irregular, though sometimes not uncommon, winter visi- tant and often remains late in spring. McCormack records it common at Leighton, where it arrives in small flocks from October 1 to 15, and remains till May 25. Avery found it common also at Greensboro, between October 9 and April 18. Brown reports it of irregular occurrence in small flocks at Coosada between January and April; and Saunders records: small flocks at Woodbine, May 7 to 17, Golsan and Holt record: it as a winter resident in Autauga and Montgomery Counties,,. remaining until June.t The birds were observed in flocks, numbering from 6 to 25 individuals, at Tuscaloosa, April 3; Stinson, April 18; Muscle Shoals, Apri] 25; Jasper, April 29;: Ardell, May 5; Auburn, May 7; and Seale, May 20 (1914). General habits.—Although destitute of song and uttering: only a faint, lisping note, this bird easily attracts attention: by its soft, delicate coloring and its jaunty appearance. It is’ found in flocks during the greater part of the year and in. winter feeds largely in hackberry, cedar, and other berry-- *Beal, F. E. L., Bull. 619, U. S. Dept. Agr., pp. 25-27, 1918. +Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 2380, 1914. 270 BIRDS OF ALABAMA bearing trees. The birds are great gourmands and often gorge themselves to such an extent that they are unable to fly. They move in compact flocks with a rather swift and some- what undulatory flight. Food habits.—The cedar-bird feeds to a considerable extent on fruit, both wild and cultivated, and its fondness for cher- ries has gained for it in the North the name of “cherry bird.” Examination of 152 stomachs, however, showed that 74 per cent of the food consisted of wild fruit and only 13 per cent of cultivated fruit, while cherries were found in only 9 of 41 stomachs taken in June and July. The bird is said to be par- ticularly fond of raspberries, blueberries, serviceberries, and buffalo berries and relishes all kinds of wild cherries. Bar- rows says: On the other hand we have no bird which is more valuable to the horticulturist as an insect eater, for it not only eats insects freely and at all seasons when they are obtainable, but it seems to be partial to the farmer and fruit grower. Thus it eats cater- pillars of many kinds and sometimes almost confines itself to a diet of canker worms when they are unusually abundant.¢ During its stay in the South this species feeds to a large extent on cedar berries and hackberries. It takes, also, the berries of the haw, sumac, bittersweet, chokecherry, black alder (Ilex verticillata), and greenbrier. SHRIKES: Family Laniidae. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE; FRENCH MOCKINGBIRD; BUTCHERBIRD: Lanius ludovicianus ludovicianus Linnaeus. State records.—The shrike (fig. 19), known in the South as loggerhead or “French mockingbird” (and sometimes er- roneously as “catbird”), is a fairly common resident in the southern half of the State, from Tuscaloosa and Shelby Coun- ties to the coast (fig. 20). It is of somewhat local distribu- tion and is most abundant in the Central Prairie Region. In the vicinity of Montgomery dozens of the birds may be seen any day along the roadsides. Avery reported it common also tBarrows, W. B., Michigan bird life, p. 557, 1912. 271 ird). oof ri os hips og ike (Butcher SHRIKES Loggerhead Shr 19 Fic. 272 BIRDS OF ALABAMA at Greensboro; Saunders saw a pair feeding young at Stew- artsville, Coosa County, May 4, 1908;* Holt collected 2 speci- mens (adult male and young) at Wilsonville, June 4, 1913; and I saw 3 and took 1 young bird at Tuscaloosa, June 2,.1913. Dean saw one at Anniston May 18, 1916—probably a breeding specimen of this race. I found the bird rather common in May on the coast at Coden, and in June observed a few at Dothan and Abbeville. It has been seen in the breeding sea- son also at Seale, York, Myrtlewood, Bay Minette, and Mobile. In winter it has been observed in small numbers at Ashford, Orange Beach, Bayou Labatre, Petit Bois Island, Jackson, Carlton, and Uniontown. Specimens were taken at Auburn, October 1, 1908, and March 7, 1912. Dr. Avery found a nest with incubated eggs at Greensboro, April 25, 1887. Fresh eggs have been taken at Barachias, April 4 and May 26 (Holt), and incubated eggs at Autaugaville, April 2 (Golsan). Palmer records eggs taken at Gastonburg, March 29, 1888.+ General habits——The shrike is a bird of open farming coun- try and is usually of frequent occurrence along roadsides, where the telephone wires afford it convenient perches while it is on the lookout for its prey. It resembles the mocking- bird in general appearance but may be distinguished by its shorter tail and shorter, hooked bill. The shrike does not hunt for its prey, but remains motionless on some elevated perch until it spies something desirable—grasshopper, beetle, or mouse—when it drops lightly to the ground and seizes its quarry with its claws and kills it with its strong beak. Many of its victims are impaled on thorns or barbed wires, which probably aid the bird in tearing them apart and affords an opportunity to return later to the feast if nothing better offers. The notes of the shrike are harsh and unmusical. Chapman describes them as “a series of guttural gurgles, squeaky whistles, and shrill pipes.” The nest is a rather bulky structure, composed of small sticks, rags, cotton, weed stalks, and feathers, placed usually in thorny bushes or hedges, 7 to 15 feet from the ground. Two or sometimes three broods are reared in a season. *Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908. +Palmer, W., The Auk, vol. 15, p. 251, 1898. SHRIKES 273 / : MW Wy Y Why ME HB, LOWY yyy Ye WY y Yy, > ( LB, Wy) a/ YY ais 274 BIRDS OF ALABAMA Food habits.—In its food habits the shrike is both carnivor- ous and insectivorous. Examination of 88 stomachs in the Biological Survey showed the food to consist of vertebrates (mammals, birds, and a few fish) 28 per cent, and inverte- brates (insects, spiders, and snails), 72 per cent. Insects form the bulk of the food during the warmer months, while in winter the greater part consists of mice and small birds. Mice are taken at all seasons and in winter compose half the food; birds make up only 8 per cent of the food for the year. I once shot a shrike in the act of eating a lizard. According to Judd, the larger part of the insect food of this shrike consists of Orthoptera (grasshoppers and crickets), and the remainder is principally beetles. In summer, when grasshoppers are abundant, the loggerhead does not seem to attack birds. Grasshoppers and crickets were found in three- fourths of the stomachs examined and 14 of the 88 shrikes had fed exclusively upon these pests.t Cankerworms, cut- worms, and other caterpillars, together with wasps and spiders, are destroyed to a moderate extent. As a result of his investigations, Judd concluded that the loggerhead is a decidedly beneficial bird and in this opinion he is supported by all who have studied the bird’s habits. MIGRANT SHRIKE: Lanius ludovicianus migrans W. Palmer. State records.—The northern race of the shrike occurs in moderate numbers as a fall and winter visitant in the northern parts of Alabama. Specimens have been examined from Woodville, March 9; Ardell, March 28 and April 1; Leighton, November 8 and 5 (1915), and Oleander, November 7 (1916). McCormack states that migrant shrikes do not pass the nest- ing season at Leighton, but appear there about the middle of August and remain in moderate numbers till about April 10. I saw two individuals at Tuscumbia, September 16, 1908 and R. H. Dean reports seeing the species at Anniston on various dates from September 17 to January 25. tJudd, S. D., Biol. Surv. Bull. 9, p. 22, 1898. VIREOS 27d WIREOS: Family Vireonidae. RED-EYED VIREO: Vireosylva olivacea (Linnaeus). State records.—The red-eyed vireo, known to many as “hanging bird,” is one of the most common and widely dis- tributed of our summer birds. On the pine flats of the coast region, however, it is seen only rarely, in migration. It ar- rives from the south about the first of April, the earliest birds having been noted at Greensboro, March 27 (1891); Barachias, March 31 (1909); Autaugaville, April 2 (1912); and Jackson, April 4 (1912). First arrivals were noted at Sand Mountain (near Carpenter) April 15 (1917), and at Anniston, April 16 (1916). The species was particularly abundant near Muscle Shoals, April 20 to 22, 1914. In fall, the latest birds were seen at Leighton, October 2 (1891), and at Greensboro, October 18 (1890). Nests with eggs have been found at Leighton, May 6, at Weogufka, May 21, and at Au- taugaville, May 26. General habits.—This familiar bird is found in deciduous woodland, both in wet river bottoms and on dry mountain sides, and often takes up its abode in shade trees along village streets. It is gentle and unsuspicious, and often remains on its nest until almost touched by the hand. It is deliberate in its movements and lives for the most part well up in the trees. The song is a smoothly flowing, melodious warble and the bird is a most persistent singer even in the hot days of midsummer. The continuous and rather monotonous style of performance has earned for the bird the name “preacher.” The nest is cup-shaped and pensile, fastened to the forks of a horizontal limb of a bush or tree, commonly 4 to 5 feet above the ground, but sometimes as high as 25 feet. It is neatly and compactly woven of strips of bark, paper, plant down, leaves, ete. Food habits.—This vireo is one of our most useful woodland birds. Forbush, speaking of its destruction of caterpillars, says: In the discovery of this kind of game the bird has few superiors. * * * It is most astonishing to see him pick up caterpillar after caterpillar from twigs and foliage, where with 276 BIRDS OF ALABAMA the best of glasses our untrained eyes can discern “nothing but leaves,””* Its insect food also includes moths, butterflies, ants, beetles, weevils, grasshoppers, katydids, locusts, chinch bugs, dragon- flies, horseflies, and mosquitoes. Many spiders are consumed and a large quantity of wild fruit, such as raspberries, black- berries, mulberries, pokeberries, elderberries, and wild grapes, as well as seeds of the magnolia, dogwood, sassafras, and prickly ash. PHILADELPHIA VIREO: Vireosylva philadelphica Cassin. State records.—The Philadelphia vireo is one of the rarer vireos; it occurs in the Mississippi Valley as a regular though uncommon migrant and will doubtless be found occasionally in Alabama. Thus far there is but one definite record of its occurrence, that of a specimen which I collected May 6, 1912, in oak woods on top of a bluff bordering the Tennessee River at South Florence. General habits —This species closely resembles the red- eyed vireo in habits and song, but has more the appearance of the warbling vireo. It may be recognized by the pale, greenish-yellow color of the underparts. WARBLING VIREO: Vireosylva gilva gilva (Vieillot). State records.—The warbling vireo, although a common summer resident in the Northern States and found throughout the Mississippi Valley, apparently is of rare occurrence in Alabama. Saunders records having heard one singing at Sylacauga, April 16, 1908. One was secured by J. L. Peters near the Tennessee River, north of Leighton, April 24, 1914, and one by E. W. Graves on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), May 4, 1914. Further investigation doubtless will show it to be more or less regular in occurrence at that season. General habits ——This vireo shows a decided preference for tall shade trees, particularly elms. It remains near the tops of the trees and is therefore difficult to observe. Its song is *Forbush, E. H., Useful birds and their protection, p. 205, 1907. +Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908. VIREOS 277 a sprightly, musical warble, very similar to that of the purple finch and quite unlike that of the other vireos. YELLOW-THROATED VIREO: Lanivireo flavifrons (Vieillot). State records.—The yellow-throated vireo is a moderately common summer resident in the northern and central portions of the State, but becomes rarer toward the coast. It is recorded in the breeding season as far south as Abbeville and Castleberry. The species arrives from the south at about the same time as the red-eye, earliest migrants having been noted at Au- taugaville, March 20 (1913); Shelby, March 27 (1898); Greensboro, March 28 (1893); Jackson, April 3 (1912); Tuscaloosa, April 4 (1914); Sand Mountain (near Carpen- ter), April 6 ¢1911 and 1912) ; and Leighton, April 8 (1891). In fall it was last seen at Leighton, September 26 (1891). A nest with fresh eggs was found by Golsan at Booth, April 25, 1916, and a nest with young near Autaugaville, May 15, 1910. General habits—The yellow-throated vireo dwells in upland woods and groves of deciduous timber, spending most of its time in the upper stories of the woods. It sings a rich alto song, similar to that of the red-eye, but distinguished from it by the upward inflection of some of its phrases. It has, also, a loud, harsh, scolding note which is frequently uttered dur- ing the nesting season. The nest resembles that of the red- eyed vireo, and is usually decorated on the outside with lichens, plant down, shreds of cotton or paper, bits of bark, insect cocoons, and like material. It is hung in the forks of a limb, usually from 10 to 40 feet above the ground. Food habits.—This vireo, according to Forbush, feeds upon pests of the household, forest and orchard. Common houseflies and mosquitoes are eaten. In the orchard it attacks the apple plant lice, the hairy tent, gipsy, and tussock caterpillars, as well as moths of many species. It is quite destructive to the larvae of butterflies, also, while weevils and 278 BIRDS OF ALABAMA other beetles, grasshoppers, and leaf-hoppers are eaten to a less extent. This species eats a few unimportant wild berries, such as the fruit of the red cedar.* Other observers have noted it feeding on cankerworms, tobacco worms, ants, and spiders. BLUE-HEADED VIREO: Lanivireo solitarius solitarius (Wilson). State records.—The blue-headed, or solitary vireo occurs as an uncommon migrant and winter visitant. Brown observed it in some numbers at Coosada, where he noted the males beginning to sing on March 6; all had departed by March 20.+ I collected a specimen at Bayou Labatre, February 7, 1912, the only one seen during the season. A migrant was reported at Shelby, April 4, 1898, and one was seen by Golsan at Au- taugaville, November 25, 1912. Specimens were also taken by him at Autaugaville, December 3, 1915, and at Prattville, January 23, 1916, and February 5, 1916. General habits——This vireo resembles the yellow-throated vireo in habits but lives rather in the lower stories of the woodland. Its song which is occasionally heard in spring mi- gration, is rich and sweet, and similar to that of the yellow- throat. In winter the bird may be found in swampy thickets or other low situations. MOUNTAIN SOLITARY VIREO: Lanivireo solitarius alticola (Brewster). State records.—The mountain solitary vireo, a race of the blue-headed vireo, is apparently rare in the State, there being only two records of its occurrence. There is one specimen in the Avery collection, taken October 23, 1890, at Greensboro. Saunders records the species as arriving at Woodbine March 14, 1908, and common there from March 21 to April 12; one specimen collected by him proved to be of this form.** *Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, p. 208, 1907. 7Brown, N. C., Bull, Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 4, p. 7, 1879. tGolsan’ and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 231, 1914: **Saunders, A. A. The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908. VIREOS 279 WHITE-EYED VIREO; HANGING-BIRD: Vireo griseus griseus (Boddaert) . State records.—The white-eyed vireo is a common summer resident in nearly all parts of the State. A few individuals winter in the extreme southern United States, and one seen by Holt at Barachias, February 21, 1913, was doubtless a win- tering bird. First arrivals in spring were noted at Weogufka, March 17 (1908); Mobile, March 18 (1912); Autaugaville, March 27 (1913) ; Greensboro, March 28 (1891) ; Sand Moun- tain (near Carpenter), April 1 (1914) ; and Leighton, April 2 (1890). The last in autumn was seen at Leighton, September 20 (1891) ; Anniston, September 24 (1916), and Greensboro, October 18 (1890). Nesting begins in April, eggs having been found at Coosada, April 20; Leighton, April 24 and May 10; Autaugaville, May 1; and on Sipsey Fork near Mellville, May 3. General habits —This species is of very different habits from the other vireos, dwelling nearer the ground and pre- ferring dense thickets for its home, usually in swamps or low, wet bottoms. It is not particularly shy, but the nature of its haunts prevents easy observation of the bird. Its song, how- ever, is loud and very characteristic, being quite unlike that of any of the other species. It is a sprightly and varied ditty, strongly.accented, suggesting different translations to almost every listener. Ridgway interprets it as chick’ty-beaver, lim’ber, stick; while Burroughs writes it: chick-a-re’r-chick. The bird has, also, a peculiar mewing, scolding note and is at times an accomplished mimic; in the seclusion of his haunts it sometimes gives voice to a remarkable and varied medley which includes the notes of many other birds. The nest is placed in thickets or swampy woodland, usually 3 or 4 feet above the ground; it is deeply cupshaped and heavily orna- mented on the outside with such material as lichens, mosses, shreds of bark, paper, and spiders’ webs. Food habits.—The food of this vireo includes cankerworms, cutworms, tobacco worms, ants, beetles, bugs, and house flies. Some fruits and berries are eaten, such as blackberries, rasp- berries, mulberries, and the fruit of the sassafras and palmetto. 280 BIRDS OF ALABAMA WOOD WARBLERS: Family Compsothlypidae.* BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER: Mniotilta varia (Linnaeus). State records.—The black and white warbler (fig. 21), sometimes known as the black and white creeper, is a common migrant and a moderately common summer resident in the northern half of Alabama (fig. 22). It is recorded in the’ breeding season at Florence, Leighton, Elkmont, Sand Moun- tain, Guntersville, Woodbine, Talladega Mountains, Ardell, Autaugaville, and Greensboro. Migrants from the south arrive by the middle of March, having been noted at Coosada, March 13; Woodbine, March 14; Shelby, March 18; Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 1; and Leighton, April 9. In fall, migrating birds have been observed at Leighton, October 2; Autaugaville, October 16; and Castleberry, October 10. Eggs were taken by Golsan near Autaugaville, April 25, 1891, and Holt saw a pair of the birds feeding large young on Gunters Mountain, June 17, 1913. General habits.—This warbler lives chiefly in deciduous woodland and is rarely seen away from its favorite habitat. In habits it resembles the creepers but structurally is a true warbler. Its mode of progression is by a series of hops by which it ascends the trunk or limbs of a tree, often in a spiral course, searching in the crevices of the bark for its insect food. It clings with ease to the under side of a branch after the man- ner of the nuthatch. Its song, though not loud, is incisive and easily recognized. Langille writes it: ‘“‘Ki-tsee, ki-tsee, ki-tsee, ki-tsee, as slender to the ear as ‘hair-wire’ to the eye * * *’+ The second syllable of each note is strongly ac- cented. The nest is placed on the ground in deciduous woods, at the base of a tree, bush, or stump, or beside a log or stone; it is quite bulky and sometimes partially roofed over. Food habits.—According to Forbush this species feeds on wood-boring insects, bark beetles, click beetles, curculios, eae of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 37, p. 4 19: ;Langille, J. H., Our birds in their haunts, p. 276, 1884. WARBLERS 281 Am Th) h, t ) nl, f SU a N i 4, 25 Lhe ety, SSSR eT) athe. Fic. 21—Black and White Warbler. 282 BIRDS OF ALABAMA caterpillars, and moths. He reports it “very destructive at times to hairy caterpillars, eating large quantities of them.”} PROTHONOTARY WARBLER: Protonotaria citrea (Boddaert). State records.—The prothonotary warbler, known often as the golden swamp warbler, is a fairly common summer resi- dent throughout the State. It is recorded as common at Leighton and at Greensboro; it breeds at both these places and also at Mobile, Seale, Tuscaloosa, Squaw Shoals, Ardell, Guntersville, Castleberry, and Abbeville. The bird was com- mon in the overflowed bottoms at Jacksen Lake, April 19, 1912, and probably breeds there. First arrivals in spring were noted at Coosada, April 12 (1877) ; Greensboro, April 13 (1889); and Scottsboro, April 18 (1914). Incubated eggs were taken by Golsan at Autauga- ville, June 16. General habits——The favorite haunts of this brilliant war- bler are wet river bottoms or wooded swamps (PI. VI, fig. 1). It remains close to the ground, feeding much of the time in low bushes over the water, where its brilliant colors are dis- played to best advantage. It is a very active bird, almost constantly in motion, and in the breeding season a frequent singer as it flits from bush to bush. The song is quite loud and penetrating, sounding like the syllables peet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, all on the same tone. The nest is placed in a hollow stub or the deserted nest of a chickadee or downy woodpecker, usually over water, and from 4 to 15 feet above the surface. Food habits.—The food habits of the prothonotary warbler are not well known, but probably the bird feeds mainly on insects; J. Percy Moore states that it catches various flies, beetles, and caterpillars and Audubon says he found small snails in its stomach. Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, p. 192, 1907. WARBLERS 283 y WN N NN SY eR tg . Bo pCour mm = Orange Beach PETE Bors DAUPHIN 1D. Fig. 22.—Breeding area of the Black and White Warbler (Mniotilta varia) in Alabama. 284 BIRDS OF ALABAMA SWAINSON WARBLER: Limnothlypis swainsonti (Audubon) .* State records.—The Swainson warbler was first recorded from Alabama by Nathan Clifford Brown, who, in 1878, dis- covered three singing birds in the vicinity of Coosada.t Dr. Avery observed the species only once at Greensboro, Septem- ber 6, 1890, when he collected a young female specimen. In the big river swamps above Mobile, in May, 1911 and 1914, and July, 1913, I heard at different points at least 9 singing birds of this species, but on account of the impenetra- ble character of the vegetation was not able to collect any. In Catoma Swamp, near Teasley Mill, Montgomery County, I heard the song of this bird several times on April 1, 1914, and again in May. Specimens were taken at Tuscaloosa, June 2, 1913; on Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May 1, 1914; at Prattville Junction, May 9, 1914; and in Bear Swamp near Autaugaville, May 24, 1913. The bird was frequently heard in Bear Swamp and in other swamps near Autaugaville, and has also been noted on the upper Choctawhatchee, near Edwin (June), and at Muscle Shoals, on the Tennessee River (April 24). On an island in the Tennessee River near Florence, in May, 1912, I found 2 nests and saw 3 or 4 of the warblers. Both nests were in rather open canebrakes in heavy timber, on dry ground, but close to the border of a small slough. They were loosely fastened in the upper branches of cane stems, about 4 feet above the ground. One nest, found May 5, contained 2 eggs; May 8 it held 3 eggs and the female parent was in- cubating; she allowed me to approach within 4 feet of her be- fore she flew off and quickly disappeared. The other nest was found the same day but was empty, though apparently just completed. The eggs are pure white, unspotted. General habits.—This is one of the least known of the war- blers, being confined in the breeding season to the deep swamps-and river-bottom woods where canebrakes are found. Though by no means generally distributed, in many localities *Helinaia swainsoni of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name eee The Auk, vol. 87, p. 444, 1920. {Brown, N. C., Ball. Nuttall Ornith. Club, vol. 3, pp. 172-178, 1878. WARBLERS 285 it is not rare. Its secretive habits effectively conceal it from all but the most persistent observers. Perched motionless in some thick tangle of vines in the depths of the swamp, it pours forth its rich, though simple, song for many minutes at a time, but its dull-brown coloration harmonizes so well with its sur- roundings that it is one of the most difficult of all birds to locate. The song resembles in tone quality and form that of the Louisiana water-thrush, but is shorter and less vigorous. It opens with three slurred phrases on the same pitch, and closes with two shorter notes on a slightly lower pitch. It also closely resembles certain songs of the hooded warbler, which fact makes it doubly difficult to identify with certainty. Food habits —Four stomachs of this bird from Alabama contained remains of caterpillars, spiders, and Hymenoptera (ants, bees, etc.). WORM-EATING WARBLER: dHelmitheros vermivorus (Gmelin). State records.—The worm-eating warbler occurs as a com- mon migrant, apparently more abundant in fall, and as a rare and local breeder in the northern part of the State. It has been observed at Shelby, May 27 and 31, 1898; Ardell, June 25, 1913; Sipsey Fork near Mellville, May 1, 1914; and Nat- ural Bridge, July 19, 1913, at all which places it probably breeds. Golsan took a specimen at Autaugaville, September 18, 1915, and Dr. Avery took several at Greensboro in August and September. Migrants from the south were noted at Hollins, April 21 (1908); Leighton, April 22 (1914); Oakchia, April 23 (1912) ; and Barachias, April 24 (1912) and May 1 (1913). McCormack found the species rather common in fall migra- tion at Leighton, frequenting swamps. The first migrant (in 1889) was noted July 19; the next on August 5, after which they increased in numbers till the 15th, then decreased until September 9.* Dr. Avery observed the bird at Greens- boro only during the autumn migrations, between August 9 and September 19. The only breeding record for the State is *McCormack, F. W., Ornith. and Ool., vol. 15, p. 125, 1890. 286 BIRDS OF ALABAMA furnished by McCormack, who collected a set of 5 fresh eggs on Lagrange Mountain near Leighton, April 29, 1890. General habits —The worm-eater is a characteristic bird of heavy, moist, deciduous woodland, usually choosing a hillside near a stream. It is a very inconspicuous bird, deliberate in its movements, and with a weak song, so that it is rarely noticed except by those who are looking for it. It feeds mtich on the ground and on fallen logs, but ascends to a moderate height to deliver its song, often remaining motionless on its perch for a considerable time. The song is a short, simple trill, very much like that of the chipping sparrow, but less vigorous in its delivery. The nest is placed on the ground in heavy, deciduous woodland, generally on a hillside. It is com- posed of dry leaves and lined with stalks of hair moss or with fine grass or horsehair. Food habits.—Little is known of the food of this species, but it seems doubtful whether it lives up to its name of “worm- eater.” Two stomachs of this bird from Alabama contained remains of weevils, beetles, bugs, caterpillars, and Hymenop- tera. BACHMAN WARBLER: Vermivora bachmanti (Audubon). State records——The Bachman warbler is one of the rarest and least known of the warblers. It is perhaps most common in summer in the Sunken Lands of Missouri and Arkansas, where it lives in the extensive wet swamps of the region. The few records of its occurrence in Alabama indicate that it breeds sparingly at several widely separated localities. A. A. Saunders took a single male specimen at Woodbine, March 20, 1908, the first record from the State.t In a small swamp near Autaugaville, April 16, 1912, I secured a singing male which was probably breeding in the vicinity, but his mate was not discovered.t Two years later, on May 10, 1914, in Bear Swamp, not far from the spot where I secured the first specimen, J. L. Peters collected another male in full song and undoubtedly breeding. On Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May 2 and 8, 1914, we secured two more males, possibly migrants. +Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908. Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 281, 1914. WARBLERS 287 and on the Tensaw River, a short distance below Mount Ver- non, Peters collected another, May 27, 1914, this being the sixth specimen taken in the State. This bird was probably breeding, but no female was seen. L. S. Golsan reports see- ing an immature individual of this species near Autaugaville, August 26, 1912, and a female which seemed to be nesting near Prattville, May 21, 1916. He also heard one singing at Long- view, April 7, 1917. In Bear Swamp, near Autaugaville, May 25, 1919, E. G. Holt discovered a nest and 4 fresh eggs of this warbler—the first ever found in the State.* General habits.—This warbler is a lover of timbered swamps, but is sometimes found in dry, upland situations. It is not a conspicuous bird, and by reason of this and its fond- ness for almost inaccessible swamps it is often overlooked and may be more widely distributed than is supposed. It lives chiefly in the “lower stories” of the woods and is usually not at all suspicious of man. A male observed near Autaugaville in April, sat quietly on a limb of a tree and sang with great regularity for 15 or 20 minutes while I was vainly trying to locate him. Finally I discovered him almost above me, about 15 feet above the water. The song is a short, simple, buzzing trill, rapidly repeated on one tone. It resembles the song of the worm-eating warbler in form, but has more the quality of that of the parula warbler. On Sipsey Fork, in the hill country of Winston County, we found two individuals in a region quite different from the usual habitat of the species. The first was shot from a little clump of willows bordering a field on the river bank, and the second was found in heavy timber a few hundred yards down- stream, at a point where the hills rise abruptly from the water’s edge, the region being practically devoid of the swamps usually favored by this warbler. This bird was ex- tremely tame and at times came within 15 feet of the observer. Both this and the one observed by Peters in Bear Swamp had the habit of singing on the wing, the song being delivered just before the bird alighted on a perch after a short flight. The flight on such occasions strongly resembles that of the Acadian flycatcher (Empidonax virescens). *Holt, E. G., The Auk, vol. 37, pp. 103-104, 1920. 288 BIRDS OF ALABAMA The nest is placed in blackberry briers, low bushes, or canes. 1 to 3 feet above the ground; the eggs, 3 or 4 in number, are pure white, rarely with a few minute dots of brownish. The nest found by Holt in Bear Swamp was— “a bulky structure of dead leaves of white or red bay (Magnolia or Persea), some of which were skeletonized by insects, and herbaceous plant stems * * * supported one foot above the ground by the stems of five blackberry briers, three of which were dead. This loose outer nest, 6x7.5 inches by 4 inches deep, was lined with a closely woven cup of fine rootlets and the black skeletons of dead Spanish moss (Tillandsia usneoides), 1.75 inches deep by 2 inches in diameter.” Food habits.—Five stomachs of this species from Alabama contained remains of caterpillars and a few fragments of Hymenoptera, probably ants. BLUE-WINGED WARBLER: Vermivora pinus (Linnaeus). State records.—The blue-winged warbler occurs not uncom- monly as a migrant and locally as a summer resident in the northern half of the State. At Woodbine, Saunders reports it “abundant throughout the breeding season,’’* and at Autauga- ville, Golsan mentions a pair observed throughout the early summer of 1912. Graves reports a pair breeding on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter in the summer of 1913. Holt ob- served 3 and collected one at Natural Bridge, July 21, 1913. McCormack has found it at Leighton late in summer (July 22, August 8, 23, 25) and not common. A specimen (probably a migrant) killed at Point Clear is in the collection of James K. Glennon. Migrants from the south are reported as arriving at Wood- bine, March 27 (1908); Shelby, April 4 (1898); Tidewater (Tuscaloosa County), April 8 (1912) ; Autaugaville, April 16 (1912) ; Sand Mountain (Jackson County), April 18 (1914); and Leighton, April 22 (1914). Migrant individuals were observed also at Jasper, April 28 and 29 (1914); on Sipsey +Holt, E. G., The Auk, vol. 87, pp. 103-104, 1920. *Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p, 421, 1908. tGolsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 281, 1914. WARBLERS 289 Fork, near Mellville, May 1-4 (1914); and on Ryan Creek, near Ardell, May 4 (1914). General habits —This warbler frequents clearings in de- ciduous woodland, shrubby second growths, and sometimes swampy thickets. It is a rather retiring bird, deliberate in its movements, and has a weak, insectlike song which, how- ever, is very characteristic. The nest is placed on the ground or just above it in a clump of grass or some herbaceous plant or at the foot of a small sapling or rosebush; it is rather deep and bulky, composed of coarse grass, dead leaves, etc., lined with grapevine bark, fine grass stems, or horsehair. Although nesting on the ground, the birds are most often seen in the tall bushes and lower limbs of the trees, and the males seek a rather elevated perch from which to deliver their song. This is described by Burns as “a drowsy, locust-like swe-e-e-e-e-ze- e-e-e-e, the first apparently inhaled and the last exhaled.”’+ Food habits.—Dr. B. H. Warren says of this bird: When the apple and pear trees are in blossom, these yellow- vested insect hunters, singly, or in pairs, frequently visit orchards and gardens, but at other times they rarely, accord- ing to my observation, are seen about the habitations of man. * * * this species subsists, to a considerable extent, on spiders, larvae and beetles.** GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER: Vermivora chrysoptera (Linnaeus). State records.—The golden-winged warbler occurs in Ala- bama not uncommonly in migration. I secured a specimen at Barachias, April 22, 1912, and observed another there the following day; one was taken near Muscle Shoals, April 22, and another was heard singing there, April 24, 1914. Saun- ders found the bird rather common at Hollins from April 21 to May 7, 1908. McCormack took a single specimen at Leigh- ton, August 23, 1893, and Avery found the species rather com- mon at Greensboro in fall migration and took specimens August 11 and 21, September 11 and 16, and October 4. General habits —In its summer home in the Northern States, this warbler inhabits deciduous woodland, preferring . F. L., in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, p. 70, 1907, TAWanten: B. H, Birds of Pennsylvania, 2d ed., p. 276, 1890. 10—B 290 BIRDS OF ALABAMA brushy pastures and dry hillsides covered with a mixed second growth of hardwood trees. NASHVILLE WARBLER: Vermivora ruficapilla ruficapilla (Wilson). State records—The Nashville warbler migrates chiefly through the Mississippi Valley, and is very rare in the South- eastern States. There is but one record from Alabama—a specimen collected by A. A. Saunders, at Hollins, April 18, 1908.* Mr. Saunders wrote me (April, 1916) that this speci- men, being badly mutilated, was not preserved and that he has since felt some doubt as to the correctness of his identifica- tion. ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER: Vermivora celata celata (Say). State records.—The orange-crowned warbler occurs rarely in Alabama as a migrant and winter visitant. Its usual mi- gration route in spring is through the Mississippi Valley. Brown records two seen at Coosada in 1878—February 12 and April 15+; Saunders saw one at Woodbine, March 27, 1908; I secured one at Orange Beach, January 28, 1912, and one at Ashford, November 29, 1916. General habits.—Allison, writing of its habits: as observed in Mississippi in winter, says: Its favorite haunts are usually wooded yards or parks, where the evergreen live oak and magnolia can be found; but I have seen it most commonly among the small trees on the border of rich mixed woods, above an undergrowth of switch cane. Conif- erous trees it seems not to care for, though I have seen it in the cypress swamps. * * * The only note heard is a sharp, per- sistent chipping, many times repeated, as the bird moves about the tree, often moving its wings restlessly, like a kinglet.** *Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, 421, 1908. Brown, N. C., Buil. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 8, p. 173, 1878. tSaunders, A. "A. The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908. ** Allison, A., in Chapman, ‘Warblers of North Amer. + Pp. 88, 89, 1907, WARBLERS 291 TENNESSEE WARBLER: Vermivora peregrina (Wilson). State records——The Tennessee warbler occurs regularly in moderate numbers as a migrant in spring and fall. McCor- mack records it as a fall migrant at Leighton, occurring in limited numbers in September. Specimens were taken by him September 17 and 23, 1889, and September 25, 1890. Avery collected only two specimens at Greensboro—October 4, 1890, and October 18, 1893. Golsan took one at Autaugaville, Octo- ber 17, 1915, and Saunders mentions seeing one at Woodbine, May 9, 1908.* Holt collected a single specimen at York, April 30, 1912, and at our camp on Sipsey Fork, near Mell- ville, the bird was noted by Peters and myself on May 1, 2, and 8, 1914, singing frequently high up in the tall trees. General habits.—During its migrations this little warbler remains well concealed in the thicker parts of the tall trees, and but for its striking song would easily be overlooked. It is an active bird and sings with great frequency a rather loud, harsh, unmusical, sputtering song, which seems to stick a little in its throat. Mrs. Farwell describes it as “a very loud song, beginning with a sawing two-noted trill, rather harsh and very staccato, but hesitating in character, increasing to a rapid trill, almost exactly like a chipping sparrow’s.”+ PARULA WARBLER: Compsothlypis americana americana (Linnaeus). State records.—The parula warbler is a common summer resident over the greater part of the State, but is rare and local in the northern counties. It breeds rather commonly at Castleberry, Abbeville, and Dothan; less commonly at Squaw Shoals, Woodbine, Autaugaville, Barachias, Tuscaloosa, Gun- tersville, Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), and Erin. It probably breeds at Leighton, having been seen there on July 15. Breeding specimens have been examined from Elkmont, Guntersville, Ardell, Natural Bridge, Hayneville, Seale, Cas- tleberry, and Gravine Island, Mobile Bay, and a migrant in- dividual from Scottsboro (September 2, 1908). *Saun , A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 421, 1908. al i J. ¥,, fa Chapman, Warblers of North Amer., pp. 85-86, 1907, 292 BIRDS OF ALABAMA The first migrants in spring were observed in numbers at Mobile, March 18 (1912), on which date 4 males of this race were collected. Other specimens were taken near Hurricane, March 20; Jackson Lake, Elmore County, March 27 and April 19; Teasley Mill (Montgomery County), March 31; Tusca- loosa, April 6; and Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 14. Avery noted the first arrivals at Greensboro, March 26 (1892) and March 27 (1891). The first were seen at Bara- chias, March 20 (1913); Woodbine, March 21 (1908); and Leighton, April 2 (1890). In autumn the last one was noted at Leighton, September 2 (1889); Greensboro, September 19 (1890) ; and Autaugaville, October 1 (1915). Dr. Avery ob- served a parula warbler building a nest, on April 9, 1893, at Greensboro and on April 23 he found eggs in the nest. General habits.—This dainty little warbler, formerly called the blue yellow-back, is found chiefly in swamps and heavily timbered bottoms where there is an abundance of Spanish “moss” on the trees. In the northern part of the State, where the moss is absent, the bird apparently does not breed in any numbers, though it occurs locally. Living chiefly in the upper parts of the trees, it is rather hard to observe. Its notes, however, are characteristic and aid in its identification. It has at least two distinct songs; the commonest, perhaps, is a simple, buzzing trill on an ascending scale ending with an abrupt zip. The other, Chapman describes as a “gurgling sizzle, chip-er, chip-er, chip-er, chee-ee-ee-ee.” In the South, the nest of the parula warbler is usually con- structed in a bunch of Spanish “moss” and is thus almost per- fectly concealed. Allison states that in lower Louisiana the material commonly used for the nest is thistle down, but men- tions a nest found at Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, which was made of the blackish, inner fiber of Tillandsia.* Food habits——The parula warbler, like most of its family, is mainly insectivorous. It has been reported as feeding on spiders, caterpillars, small flies, beetles, plant lice, and the larvae of moths. *Allison, Andrew, in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, p, 104, 1907. WARBLERS 293 WESTERN PARULA WARBLER: Compsothlypis americana ramalinae Ridgway.+ State records.—The western race of the parula warbler occurs in the State, so far as known, only in the extreme south- western part. It breeds in the vicinity of Mobile, as shown by a typieal specimen taken at Spring Hill, May 11, 1911. Several singing males were noted on that date. CAPE MAY WARBLER: Dendroica tigrina (Gmelin). State records.—The Cape May warbler occurs irregularly in Alabama as a migrant, where it has been recorded by two local observers. Miss Carrie E. Parkhurst noted the species at Talladega, May 4, 1906, May 3, 1909, and May 1, 1910; and R. H. Dean reports it from Anniston, April 16 to May 7, 1916, during which period it was the most numerous of the war- blers, seen on brushy hillsides and about ravines. General habits.—Butler, writing of the bird in Indiana, says: Some years with us they are found upon the drier uplands, among the oak woods, where they usually keep among the lower branches or upon the high bushes and smaller trees. They are not very active, but keep persistently hunting insects. At other times, we find them among our orchards, even coming into towns, where they occupy themselves catching insects among the foliage and about the blossoms of all kinds of shade and fruit trees. Chapman states that in early May in Florida he las seen the species “actually common, feeding in weedy patches among a rank growth of pokeberries.”** The bird’s song is described as being of “a thin and pene- . trating tone, much like the black and white warbler’s.”*+ YELLOW WARBLER: Dendroica aestiva aestiva (Gmelin). State records.—The yellow warbler occurs in migration and breeds rarely in the northern part of the State. Dr. Avery records it as an uncommon spring and autumn migrant at Described in Bull. 50, U. S. Nat. Mus., Part 2, p. 486, 1902. i . , A. W., Birds of Indiana, p. 1044, 1898. techeneians F. M., Warblers of North es p. 130, 1907. *;Thayer, G. H., in Chapman, op. cit., p. 13: 294 BIRDS OF ALABAMA Greensboro; his collection contains specimens taken August 10, 1887, and August 11, 1890, and his notes state that he collected the species in July also. Brimley observed it there August 30 and September 5, 1890. At Guntersville, June 13, 19138, I collected a single breeding male, the only one observed, and Holt took one at Attalla, June 12, 1913, also doubtless breeding. Golsan has found the nest of this species once near Autaugaville (about June 20, 1903),* and Dean reports the bird as a breeder at Anniston. Several were seen at Florence, May 4, 1912, and at Leighton, April 21 to 25, 1914, but the species is not known to breed at those localities. The earliest record of the bird’s arrival in spring is at Leighton, April 6 (1893), but usually it does not arrive before the middle of the month. It was first noted at Greensboro, April 12 (1890) and April 14 (1888); Sylacauga, April 18 (1908) ; Barachias, April 15 (1909); Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 12 (1914), and Anniston, April 14 (1916). Fall migration begins very early, even by the last of July. General habits.—The yellow warbler is a bird of the open, cultivated country and takes up its abode in orchards, small groves, and in shade trees along village streets; it is found also in swampy thickets and is especially partial to willows fringing the streams. A sociable, unsuspicious bird, it seems to enjoy the society of man. It feeds chiefly in the lower branches of trees and in shrubbery. The song is a loud and cheery whistle, resembling the syllables sweet, sweet, sweet, sweet, sweetie, delivered with considerable vigor. The nest is placed in bushes, saplings, or trees, usually from 3 to 8 feet above the ground but sometimes higher; it is a compact, well- built structure of grayish plant fibers, fine grasses, and plant down, lined with soft, cottony plant down, and feathers. This warbler is often imposed upon by the cowbird, and when this occurs the bird very often builds an addition to the nest, cover- ing the eggs of the cowbird, and lays another clutch of its own. Food habits.——Forbush states that the yellow warbler is almost entirely insectivorous; it feeds extensively on cater- pillars, including cankerworms and other measuring worms, and captures bark beetles, boring beetles, and weevils.+ *Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p, 231, 1914. Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and their Protection, pp. 195-196, 1907. WARBLERS 295 BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER: Dendroica caerulescens caerulescens (Gmelin). State records.—The black-throated blue warbler occurs as arare migrant. Brown noticed only one at Coosada, April 26, 1878 ;{ Saunders saw the bird at Hollins, April 19 and May 3, 1908 ;** and Miss Parkhurst reports it from Talladega. I observed. two (male and female) near Montgomery, May 7, 1911. These are the only records thus far obtained. General habits—This warbler inhabits the “lower stories” of the woods and has a decided preference for deep, moist tim- ber where there is considerable underbrush. It is an unsus- picious bird, easily observed and recognized by the squarish white patch in the wing or by its drowsy, drawled song—‘“an insect-like buzzing note repeated three or four times with a rising inflection. It sounds a little like the breath sucked through the teeth.’’}+ MYRTLE WARBLER: Dendroica coronata coronata (Linnaeus). State records.—The myrtle, or yellow-rumped, warbler is one of the most abundant species of its family and is also the hardiest. It winters in moderate numbers over most of the State, and in the pine flats and palmetto hammocks of the Coast Belt is at that season extremely abundant, being indeed the only really abundant bird of the region. At Orange Beach, in January, 1912, and at Spanish Fort, in December, 1915, we found it in large numbers, not only in the woods and clearings, but even on the marshes and sand dunes bordering the Gulf. During a heavy fog, several individuals were no- ticed feeding on the bare sand flats close to the surf, a situa- tion usually frequented only by sandpipers. On Petit Bois Island, in February, 1912, and November, 1915, the species was extremely abundant. It was common at Bayou Labatre in February, 1912, but conspicuously absent during February and March at Jackson, Auburn, and other points in the in- terior. It was likewise scarce at Ashford in November, 1916, but was fairly common at Woodville and Florence in March, +Brown, N. C., Bull. Nutt. Ornith. olub, yol at ? 178, 1878. + A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. tiPeddock, I. M., in Chapman, The "Warblers of North America, p. 138, 1907. 296 BIRDS OF ALABAMA and at Barachias in December, 1915. Brown recorded it very numerous at Coosada from January to the middle of April.* Migrants from the North reach the State early in October. Dean noted the first arrivals at Anniston, October 8 (1916). McCormack noted the first at Leighton about October 10 (1889), and Dr. Avery saw many at Greensboro, October 20 (1890). Northward migration begins in March and con- tinues until late in April or early in May. The last birds were seen at Oakchia, April 24 (1912); Sand Mountain, April 29 (1911) ; Jasper, April 29 (1914) ; Leighton, April 30 (1912); and Woodbine, May 2 (1908) (Saunders). General habits.—During its sojourn in the South this war- bler lives in thickets, hedges, and the lower parts of brushy woodland, while on the coast it frequents also the sand dunes and the brushy borders of the marshes. It is an unsuspicious bird, often feeding in dooryards or even about porches, and is easily recognized by its yellow rump patch and its charac- teristic tchip which is frequently uttered as it flits leisurely from one perch to another. Its song, which is occasionally heard during spring migration, is a simple and rather charac- terless warble. Thayer describes it as “a loud and silvery sleigh-bell trill.” Food habits.—This warbler gets its common name from its habit of feeding on the berries of the wax myrtle. These, with berries of the red cedar, furnish in some localities a large part of its winter food. Weed and Dearborn, who made a special study of the autumn food of this warbler, found that it ate bayberries, caddisflies, various insect larvae, beetles, plant lice and their eggs, house flies and other diptera, and a very few hymenopterous flies.+ Forbush says of this bird: As spring approaches the Myrtle Warbler feeds less on ber- ries and seed but eagerly hunts the early flies, moths and gnats that appear on warm days in sheltered swamps and along water courses. It now becomes of great service to orchard and wood- land, for large flights of these birds move slowly northward through the State [Massachusetts], feeding very largely on the tree pests that develop with the opening foliage.t *Brown, N. C., Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 8, p. 173, 1878. }Weed and Dearborn, New Hampshire Col. Agr. Exp. Sta., Tech. Bull. No. 3, Nov. {Forbush, E. H., Useful Birds and Their Protection, pp. 202-208, 1907. WARBLERS 297 The stomachs of 16 individuals taken in Alabama in winter and spring showed the food to consist mainly of flies, beetles, ants, and other Hymenoptera, caterpillars, aphids, and spiders; some of the birds taken on the coast had eaten wax myrtle berries. MAGNOLIA WARBLER: Dendroica magnolia (Wilson). State records.—The magnolia warbler occurs cemmonly as a migrant in spring and fall. McCormack found it in con- siderable numbers at Leighton between September 16 and October 5 and Avery observed it at Greensboro between September 9 and October 19. Golsan took specimens at Au- taugaville, October 16 and 21 (1915). I saw one at Auburn, October 2, and others at Castleberry, October 13 (1908). In spring it seems to be less common and neither Avery nor Mc- Cormack has reported it. I saw 2 individuals at Leighton, May 1, and 1 May 10 (1912); 2 at Florence, May 6 and 7 (1912), and several on Sipsey Fork and Ryan Creek, near Ardell, May 2 to 5 (1914). Golsan and Holt record the bird from Prattville in spring.* It was reported, also, from Shelby, May 4, 5, and 12 (1898), and from Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), April 27 (1914), and May 4 and 18 (1912). General habits—In its summer home in New England, this warbler is said to frequent second-growth spruce woods, but during its migrations it is found almost anywhere in decidu- ous woodland. It is quick and nervous in movement and fre- quently spreads its tail in such way as to display the large white patches on the outer feathers. Altogether it is one of the most attractive and graceful of the large family of war- blers. The song is described by Langille as “a loud, clear, whistle, which may be imitated by the syllables chee-to, chee- to, chee-tee-ee, uttered rapidly and ending in the falling in- flection.” + CERULEAN WARBLER: Dendroica cerulea (Wilson). State records.—The cerulean warbler is a moderately com- mon summer resident in the northern half of the State. The *Go d Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 231, 1914. teosniie a H. Our Birds in their Haunts, p. 328, 1884. 298 BIRDS OF ALABAMA earliest record of its arrival in spring is on March 26, 1890, at Greensboro, Dr. Avery having taken a specimen on that date. Others were taken there May 10, 1887 and August 14, 1890. McCormack found the bird in small flocks at Leighton be- tween August 8 and September 9, 1889 and Saunders found it locally common at Woodbine between April 10 and June 3, 1908. Graves reports it as a rare migrant on Sand Moun- tain, seen April 22,1911. I found it common in migration at Lock 14, Warrior River, April 6; Squaw Shoals, April 11 and 12 (1912); Muscle Shoals, April 22 to 25 (1914); and on Sipsey Fork, near Mellville, May 1 to 5 (1914) ; several were heard at Florence, May 5 (1912). In the breeding season I have observed it at Erin, Monte Sano, Guntersville, Squaw Shoals, Tuscaloosa, and Autauga- ville. At Guntersville it was common in heavy deciduous tim- ber along Short Creek, but at the other localities was rather rare. Holt took an immature bird and heard several songs of this species at Ardell, June 27, 1913, and Peters noted a few in the same locality in June, 1914. So far as known, the nest of this warbler has never been found in Alabama. General habits —This handsome little sky-blue warbler is a lover of heavily timbered river bottoms and moist mountain slopes, and, as it spends most of its time in the very tops of the tallest trees, it is rarely seen unless the observer is par- ticularly looking for it. In migration, however, it often descends to the lower branches. It has a cheerful, melodious song, which greatly resembles one of the songs of the parula warbler. Langille renders it: “rheet, rheet, rheet, rheet, ridi, idi-e-e-e-e-ee,” beginning with several soft, warbling notes, and ending in a rather prolonged but quite musical squeak. The nest is described as “saddled on a horizontal limb of considerable size, some distance from the tree, and some forty or fifty feet from the ground.”* Food habits.—Examination of 4 stomachs of this species taken in Alabama showed the food to consist of Hymenoptera, beetles, weevils, and caterpillars. tSaunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908, *Langille, J. H., Op. cit., p. 326, 1884, WARBLERS 299 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER: Dendroica pensylvanica (Linnaeus). State records.—The chestnut-sided warbler is a common migrant both in spring and fall, apparently more abundant during the latter season. It passes north in spring from the middle of April to the middle of May and in autumn is seen from the last of August to the middle of October. Saunders found it uncommon at Hollins between April 25 and May 3 (1908) ; Avery observed it at Greensboro, May 4 (1890) and April 27 (1891) ; Dean noted it at Anniston, April 16 and 23 (1916); and Graves saw one on Sand Mountain, May 2 (1914). I collected one at Barachias, April 23, 1912, and the next day saw another. Holt observed the species there April 29 and 30, 1913, and took a specimen at York, May 2, 1912. I saw several at Florence, May 4 and 7 (1912), and one at Muscle Shoals, April 24 (1914). In the fall migration Avery noted the bird at Greensboro, August 29 to October 14, 1890; and August 25 and September 5 and 25, 1891. I collected an immature bird at Scottsboro, September 2, and another at Huntsville, September 7 (1908). Golsan took specimens at Autaugaville, October 1 and 2 (1915). At Orange Beach, September 20 (1911), Gutsell found the species abundant in a dense thicket bordering a swamp. General habits.—This species dwells in scrubby pastures and second growth woodland and is believed to have increased in numbers since the days of Wilson and Audubon. Brewster says of the birds as observed in eastern Massachusetts: “They nest chiefly on the edges of upland woods, in neglected fields and pastures, along the courses of brooks, and on country roadsides. In general terms they may be said to occupy most of the country which the yellow warblers avoid, but in a few localities the two species breed together in the same thickets.”’+ The song bears considerable resemblance to that of the yellow warbler; it is described by Langille as “a warble in a some- what whistling tone, the notes resembling the syllables, +Brewster, Wm., Birds of the Cambridge Region of Massachusetts, p. 337, 1906. 300 BIRDS OF ALABAMA wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, wee-chee, accent on the first syllable of each repetition, increasing to the last.” Food habits—Forbush speaks of this bird as being “very destructive to many injurious beetles and caterpillars” and an “active consumer of leaf-eating insects.” He mentions also, bark beetles, plant bugs, leaf hoppers, ants, and aphids as a part of the bird’s fare.* BAY-BREASTED WARBLER: Dendroica castanea (Wilson). State records.—The bay-breasted warbler occurs as a regu- lar, though rather uncommon spring migrant but it has not been seen in the fall. Its main migration route seems to be through the Mississippi Valley and across the Gulf of Mexico. Dr. Avery took a single specimen at Greensboro, May 3, 1893; Holt secured one at York, May 2, 1912, and I collected one at Muscle Shoals, April 25, 1914. I saw two birds at Florence, May 4 and 7, 1912, and another near Ardell, May 4, 1914. Graves reports the species from Sand Mountain, May 9 and 11, 1912, and April 20, 1914, and Miss Parkhurst reports it from Talladega, April 30, 1906, May 12, 1907, and May 5, 1909. A specimen taken in spring at Point Clear is in the mounted collection of James K. Glennon. The only fall record is that of two birds which I shot in pines on the slopes of Choccolocco Mountain near Piedmont, October 20, 1916. General habits.—This rather large warbler is quite leisure- ly in movements and during migration is most frequently found in upland, deciduous timber tracts. In its summer home in the North it is said to frequent the tops of tall trees; nests have been found in hemlocks 15 and 20 feet above the ground. Langille describes its song as “a very soft warble, somewhat resembling the syllables tse-chee, tse-chee, tse-chee,. tse-chee, tse-chee, but far too liquid to admit of exact spell- ing.”} tLangille, J. H., Our Birds in Their Haunts, p. 388, 1884. *Forbush, E, H., Useful Birds and Their Protection, p. 194, 1907. fLangille, J. H., Our Birds in Their Haunts, p. 328, 1884, WARBLERS 308 BLACK-POLL WARBLER: Dendroica striata (J. R. Forster). State records.—The black-poll warbler is one of the greatest travelers of any of our small land birds. Its summer home is mainly in Canada and Alaska as far as the limit of trees and its winter home in northern South America. Says Professor Cooke: ‘The shortest journey that any black-poll performs is 3,500 miles, while those that nest in Alaska have 7,000 miles to travel to their probable home in Brazil.’ Passing northward from South America by way of the Lesser Antilles, the Bahamas, and Florida, the black-polls avoid the Gulf coast almost entirely and most of them pass to the east- ward of Alabama or fly directly over the State. The bird is. occasionally seen in spring in the northern half of the State, but there is no record of its occurrence in autumn. It is one of the iatest migrants to arrive, and is rarely seen before the last of April. Dr. Avery records one seen at Greensboro, April 23 (1893), and another May 5 (1889). At Shelby, the first was neted April 27 and the last May 12 (1898). In the region about Mount Weogufka, Saunders found it uncommon, first seen April 28 and last seen May 14 (1908).* Holt observed one at Barachias, April 22 (1913). On Sand Mountain, Graves reports it arriving April 27 (1913 and 1914) and common May 9 (1913). At Muscle Shoals, we observed single birds April 22, 23 and 24 and several April 25, 1914. General habits.—This warbler is very leisurely in its move- ments and its song is one of the faintest and least musical of any of its tribe. The bird is, however, not shy and its notes are characteristic, so it is easily recognized. The song is a monotonous series of faint, lisping, staccato notes of equal length, resembling the syllables tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit-tsit, usually rendered with a crescendo and diminuendo effect. In its summer home in the North the black-poll is a dweller in stunted spruce woods, but in migration it frequents all kinds of woodland as well as orchards and city parks, and ac- cording to Brewster is “often seen flitting along fences and Cooke, W. W., in Chapman, Warblers of North Amer., p. 15, 1907. seanaare, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908. : : 302 BIRDS OF ALABAMA stone walls that traverse open country or feeding on the ground, in company with various species of sparrows, in grain stubbles and weed-infested fields.’’+ Food habits.—Barrows says of the food of this species: The food consists mainly of insects and the bird eats immense numbers of span-worms and plant-lice at all times of year. In the fall they also eat some seeds and berries, but they are mainly insectivorous and are expert fly catchers, taking much of their food on the wing. Forbes found that two-thirds of the food of those taken in an orchard overrun with cankerworms con- sisted of those worms, while 19 per cent consisted of beetles, 4 per cent of ants, and 5 per cent of gnats. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER: Dendroica fusca (Muller). State records.—The Blackburnian warbler is a regular but rather uncommon migrant, occurring chiefly in spring from the first week in April to the second week in May. Saunders says of it: “Not common. Noted at intervals from April 4 to May 10, both at Woodbine and Hollins.”* Graves reports it rare on Sand Mountain, noted April 25 (1912) ; April 22 and 30 (1914) ; May 7 (1911), and May 9 (1912). It was observed at Shelby, May 9 and 11 (1898). Avery collected only one specimen at Greensboro, May 3 (1893). Holt saw 3 at Jack- son, April 5, and I saw 4 at Florence, May 4 (1912). Single birds were noted, also, at Autaugaville, April 16 and May 12 (1912), and at Muscle Shoals, April 22 and 23 (1914). A male in spring dress taken at Point Clear is in the mounted collec- tion of James K. Glennon. The only autumn record is that of a specimen which I collected at Huntsville, September 7, 1908. General habits.—In its summer home in the North this war- bler inhabits chiefly the tops of tall hemlocks, white pines, or other conifers and builds its nest from 20 to 80 feet above the ground. In migration it is often seen near the ground in low deciduous growth, where its brilliant coloration always arrests attention. It is usually found singly or in pairs. +Brewster, W., Birds of the Cambridge Region of Massachusetts, p. 340, 1906. {Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 612, 1912. *Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 26, p, 422, 1908. WARBLERS 303 YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER: Dendroica dominica dominica (Linnaeus). State records.—The yellow-throated warbler is a common summer resident over the greater part of the State. It has been seen in the breeding season at Florence, Leighton, Sand Mountain (Jackson County), Ardell, Auburn, Anniston, Au- taugaville, Woodbine, Squaw Shoals (Jefferson County), Jas- per, Tuscaloosa, Natural Bridge, Seale, Coosada, and Castle- berry. On Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, it was fairly com- mon late in June and at Squaw Shoals it was the commonest warbler on the pine-covered hills. It was numerous also along the route from Jasper to Ardell, April 30 to May 5, 1914. Migrants from the south appear about the middle of March, having been noted at Greensboro, March 10, (1893) ; Coosada, March 13 (1878) ; Woodbine, March 16 (1908) ; Autaugaville, March 17 (1913) ; Mobile, March 18 (1912) ; and Sand Moun- tain (near Carpenter), April 1 (1917). General habits.—This warbler lives in open tracts of pine or mixed timber, particularly about the borders of swamps, and frequents mainly the upper branches of tall trees. It is a vigorous singer, and its song, though rather simple in char- acter, is loud and ringing, somewhat suggesting the song of the Louisiana water-thrush. The nest may be placed either in pines or deciduous trees and where Spanish “moss” is found, it is usually concealed in a bunch of this lichen. Of 6 nests found by Dr. Avery, at Greensboro, 4 were placed in sweet gums, 1 in a pine, and I in an-oak. The height of the nest above the ground varied from 15 to 55 feet. All were concealed in the hanging ‘moss.’ The birds began to build about the first of April and eggs were found in the nests on April 18 and 24. Food habits.—Examination of 9 stomachs of this bird from Alabama showed its food to be mainly flies, beetles, ants and other Hymenoptera, and spiders. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER: Dendroica virens virens (Gmelin). State records.—The black-throated green warbler occurs not uncommonly as a spring and fall migrant, and breeds Birps oF ALABAMA. PLATE VI. Fig. 1—Bear Swamp, near Autaugaville. Typical habitat of the Bachman Warbler (Vermivora bachmani) and prothonotary Warbler (Protonotaria citrea). Fig. 2.—Cane brake on Catoma Creek. Typical habitat of the Swainson Warbler (Helinaia swainsoni), WARBLERS 305 in the breeding season to coniferous timber, we have found singing males in two instances in June in dry oak woods. The nest has never been found in Alabama, but in the North it is usually placed in evergreen trees—pines, hemlocks, or cedars. Verdi Burch has found 20 or more nests at Branch- port, N. Y., and all were in hemlocks, from 10 to 40 feet from the ground.f The song of this warbler is a characteristic little ditty of four or five notes, which Langille describes thus: “Wee-wee- su-see, each syllable uttered slowly and well drawn out; that before the last in a lower tone than the two former and the last syllable noticeably on the upward slide; the whole being a sort of insect tone, altogether peculiar, and by no means unpleas- “ing.” t Food habits.—Professor Barrows, writing of the food habits of this bird, says: ‘Both spring and fall it may be found gorging itself with plant lice and searching the twigs and leaves for span-worms, leaf-rollers, and harmful insects of every kind. It eats berries, also, and possibly a few seeds, being particularly fond of the berries of the poison ivy and to a less extent of those of junipers.”’* KIRTLAND WARBLER: Dendroica kirtlandii (Baird). State record.—The breeding range of the Kirtland, rarest of the American warblers, is restricted, so far as known, to a comparatively small area in north-central Michigan. The only record of the bird from Alabama is that of A. A. Saun- ders, who says: “I met with an individual of this species at Woodbine, May 10 [1908], a Sunday afternoon, when I unfor- tunately had no gun. I watched the bird closely for some 10 or 15 minutes. Its actions resembled those of the pine warbler, but its song was rather like that of the black-throated green.’’** General habits.—This rather large warbler is described as a graceful walker, “equally at home on trees or on the ground, where the habit of bobbing its tail is very characteristic.” It +Burch, V., in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, p. 161, 1907. tLangille, J. H., Our Birds in Their Haunts, p. 272, 1884. *Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 618, 1912. **Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908. 306 BIRDS OF ALABAMA is said to have several distinct songs, “all of which belong to the whistling type and have the clear ringing quality of the oriole’s.”’t PINE WARBLER: Dendroica pinus pinus (Wilson) .** State records.—-The pine warbler is a common resident of all sections of the State where pine timber occurs. It is one of the few warblers that do not leave the United States in winter. At that season the northern-breeding birds of the species move southward and occupy the Gulf States in com- pany with the breeding birds of the same region. The bird has been seen in the breeding season at Jasper, Guntersville, Talladega Mountains, Tuscaloosa, Greensboro, York, Seale, Dothan, Castleberry, Mobile, Bayou Labatre, and Dauphin Island. Nests with eggs have been found at Autaugaville, April 3, 1911 (Golsan) ; Barachias, April 30, 1909 (Holt) ; and on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter, April 26, 1914 (Graves). General habits.——Although never found far from pine tim- ber, this bird occasionally descends to the ground and in win- ter may frequently be seen feeding in cultivated fields. In the forest it has much the habits of a creeper, and seeks its food almost exclusively on the trunks and branches of the pines. Nathan Clifford Brown, writing from Coosada, says: For the first three or four weeks of my stay I found them exclusively in the fields, forming large flocks with Bluebirds and several kinds of Sparrows; and it was not until the latter part of February that they frequented the woods commonly. The females deposited their eggs about the last of March, judg- ing from the appearance of specimens dissected at that time. Young were flying generally by April 27. Throughout the six weeks of winter which I spent at Coosada the Pine Warblers were uninterruptedly tuneful. No other winter birds sang so continuously * * *.} The song of this warbler is a soft, melodious trill, somewhat like that of the chipping sparrow, but more musical, and easily distinguished from that of any other bird. }Wood, N. A., in Chapman, The Warblers of North America, pp. 207-208, 1907. **Dendroica vigorsii of the A. O. U. Check-list; for change of name see The Auk, vol. 38, p. 280, 1921. yBrown, N. C., Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. 3, pp. 173-174, 1878. WARBLERS 307 The nest is placed in a pine tree, 12-to 80 feet above the ground, usually on a horizontal limb or sometimes in the ter- minal twigs of a nearly upright branch; it is rather bulky and solidly constructed of weed stems, the stems of dry leaves, grapevine bark, horse-hair, etc., and plentifully lined with feathers. Food habits.—C. S. Brimley, writing of the food habits of the pine warbler (in North Carolina) says: This species feeds on insects and their larvae but like all our resident species consumes a large amount of vegetable food during the winter, e. g., the seeds of the short-leaved and lob- lolly pines (Pinus mitis and P. taeda) as well as the berries of dogwood (Cornus florida) and Sumac (Rhus copallina). During the spring and summer this species feeds mostly in the pine trees; during autumn and winter it also feeds on the ground to a great extent and may then be found almost anywhere.* PALM WARBLER: Dendroica palmarum palmarum (Gmelin). State records.—The palm, or red-poll, warbler is a common spring and fall migrant throughout the State and a rare win- ter resident near the coast. Fall migration takes place chief- ly during October. Dean saw a number of the birds at Annis- ton, October 8 (1916). Avery noted them at Greensboro on October 12, 21 and 25; McCormack observed the first at Leighton on October 24 (1891); and Golsan saw two at Au- taugaville, October 16 (1915). In the pine flats of the coast region in February I saw only a few individuals of this sub- species. One specimen was taken near Mobile, February 5, and one or two were seen at Bayou Labatre, February 9, 1912; Holt saw a few at Jackson, February 19-26, 1912. Spring migration begins the last of March or first of April and continues till early in May. I took specimens at Jackson Lake (Elmore County), March 27; Squaw Shoals (Jefferson County), April 12; and Autaugaville, April 16; and noted the bird, also, at Tuscaloosa, April 6 and 7 (1915), and on Sand Mountain, April 11 and 15 (1914). MHolt collected one at Myrtlewood, April 19 (1912). Dr. Avery found this bird *Brimley, C. S., The Auk, vol. 8, p. 199, 1891. 308 BIRDS OF ALABAMA common at Greensboro between April 6 and May 6 and his collection contains numerous specimens taken between April 12 and 30. Saunders records it fairly common at Woodbine, April 3-27. At Barachias, April 21-25 (1912), and at Muscle Shoals, April 22-25 (1914), I found it numerous and singing. General habits —This warbler differs from most of the other members of the genus in being largely terrestrial in habits. In the South it frequents cultivated fields, gardens, pastures, marshes, and open, brushy timber tracts, and is cften found in loose flocks numbering sometimes 40 or 50 birds. It has a characteristic habit of drooping its tail as it sits in a bush or on a weed stalk or a fence, and its sharp chipping note, though not loud, serves to call attention to the bird’s presence. Food habits —Examination of 15 stomachs of this species from Alabama showed the food to consist of insects, with a few spiders. The insect remains included weevils and other beetles, ants and other Hymenoptera, small bugs, caterpillars, grasshoppers, and ephemerids. W. D. Doan reports finding red ants and house flies in stomachs of this species,* and R. W. Williams, Jr., states that on October 16, 1904, near Talla- hassee, Florida, he observed large numbers of the birds feed- ing on cotton worms. YELLOW PALM WARBLER: Dendroica palmarum hypochrysea Ridgway. State records.—The yellow palm warbler, characterized by the greater amount of yellow on the underparts, is a common winter resident in the southern parts of the Gulf States. Writing of the migrations of the two races, Prof. Cooke says: “In central Alabama, palmarum appears as a fall migrant and passes on to the southeast, its place being taken by hypochry- sea aS a common winter resident. Early in the spring hypochrysea leaves for the northeast and later palmarum passes through toward the Mississippi Valley.t In the pine flats of the Coast Plain the yellow palm (hypochrysea) is the prevailing form in winter. Specimens *West Virginia Exp. Sta., Bull 3, p. 82, 1888. tCooke, W. W., Biol. Surv. Bull. 18, p. 96, 1904. WARBLERS 309 were taken at Orange Beach, January 24 and 30 and at Whistler February 5, 1912. At the latter place the bird was numerous. It was common, also, at Bayou Labatre, in Febru- ary, 1912, and December, 1916; and at Ashford, in November, 1916. Saunders observed only a few individuals of this form at Woodbine (March 16 and 17, 1908). Brown took speci- mens at Coosada in winter and early spring, and I took one on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, April 12, 1914. Avery noted the subspecies cnly once at Greensboro—April 21, 1890. Dean records palm warblers to the number of 75 at Annis- ton, December 25, 1916,t but from what we know of the win- ter distribution of the two races doubtless most of the birds seen there were of the present form. PRAIRIE. WARBLER: Dendroica discolor (Vieillot). State records.—The prairie warbler is a common summer resident in nearly all parts of the State; it is known to breed at Florence, Stevenson, Sand Mountain, Squaw Shoals, Gun- tersville, Anniston, Ardell, Erin (Clay County), Greensboro, Autaugaville, Seale, and Abbeville. The first migrants in spring were noted at Woodbine, March 26 (1908) ; Coosada, March 27 (1878); Autaugaville, March 30 (1913); Sand Mountain, April 3 (1913); Tuscaloosa, April 4 (1914); and Greensboro, April 6 (1890). Fall migration takes place dur- ing September and October; one bird was seen by R. H. Dean at Annisten, October 15 (1916). Nests with eggs have been found at Florence, May 9; Woodbine, May 15; Greensboro, June 1; and Autaugaville, May 12 and June 18. General habits.—This warbler might more appropriately be called the “bush warbler,” for it lives in bushy pastures and in second-growth sprout lands rather than on prairies. It seems to prefer rather barren, sandy regions and always avoids dense forests. It feeds in the bushes and the lower branches of the trees and is a rather expert flycatcher. It is a retiring bird, attracting little attention either by its habits or by its song, which is a characteristic and rather pleasing little ditty, consisting of a series of drawled, shrilling notes $Dean, R. H., Bird-Lore, vol. 19, p. 29, 1917. 310 BIRDS OF ALABAMA on an ascending chromatic scale, uttered rather rapidly, sug- gesting the syllables, zee-zee-zee-zee-zee-zee. The nest is placed in a bush or sapling, from 2 to 5 feet above the ground; oak, hickory, dogwood, sweet gum, elm, or other deciduous trees are most often selected, but in some localities pines or cedars seem to be preferred. Food habits.—Six stomachs of the prairie warbler from Ala- bama contained finely ground remains of beetles, bugs, and Hymenoptera, probably wasps or bees. The bird is known to feed also on ants, caterpillars, and spiders. OVEN-BIRD: Seiurus aurocapillus aurocapillus (Linnaeus). State records.—The oven-bird occurs as a rather uncommon migrant, chiefly in autumn, and as a summer resident in the hills and mountains of the northern counties (fig. 23). It breeds commonly on Sand Mountain and on Monte Sano, near Huntsville; also in the wooded hills about Florence, and rarely at Anniston, where I took a singing male, June 7, 19138. In spring migration the oven-bird occurs rarely in the northern part of the State, but has never been taken at that season south of Montgomery County. It arrived on Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), where it breeds, April 16, 1911; April 8, 1912, April 17, 1914, and April 18, 1917. Single birds were taken at Barachias, April 24, 1912, and May 1, 1913, and 5 were noted between Jasper and Ardell, May 1 to 5, 1914. In fall the bird has been noted at Leighton between August 10 and October 16; at Greensboro, between August 21 and Octo- ber 19; and at Castleberry, October 13 (1908). A nest with five eggs was found at Florence, May 7, 1912. General habits —This warbler, formerly known as the golden-crowned thrush, is terrestrial in habit, and a dweller in rich, deciduous woodland, almost always in dry hilly regions and never in wet bottom lands. It is a dainty walker and re- sembles in appearance and habits the true thrushes. Its song, a vigorous and characteristic utterance, is rendered from a fallen log or a low limb of a tree. Burroughs has translated it as teach-er, teach-er, teach-er, teach-er, and has dubbed the bird the “teacher bird,” but the accent is usually placed on the WARBLERS 311 2 = as 2 A ES IF TT ST A a TS A | Gu te TV OF PR a deat rw EE t Ps BE ae ail? dena” a 1000~<—_T- Set x A . % A0 a Ge a a g ZON ri 7. &. © Cully a iF ." 3 wt | LT. x ~ , z Birminghart | guaw Shoals, Pe ian ry P Refo ie we va) co idewatet wf , it I STuscaloosg ‘ ~ f | Se OS YY °Gréenstoro, Ra 4 gO iontown Autaugeville & pads 7 York i) e 2 = elre > MONTGOMERY | Dakchia ) : ©Barachies ¢ we a f Bon Gotour ——— Orange Beach PETTY Be DAUPHIN. 1D. Fic, 23.—Breeding area of the Ovenbird (Seiurus awrocapillus) in Alabama. 312 BIRDS OF ALABAMA second syllable. In the South, the oven-bird seems to clip the first syllable, thus giving the song a quite different character from that of the northern birds. Here, as elsewhere, the song grows louder with each note and has somewhat of a ventrilo- quial character. The nest, made of dry leaves and grasses, is placed on the ground in the woods and is domed over in the form of a Dutch oven, hence the popular name of the bird. Food habits.—Dr. Warren says that the oven-bird “subsists chiefly on various forms of insect life, such as beetles, earth- worms, crickets, flies, spiders, and larvae; it also sometimes feeds on small seeds.’’* To this list may be added, from the records of the Biological Survey, grasshoppers, weevils, ants, caterpillars, butterflies, moths, millipeds and snails. WATER-THRUSH: Seturus noveboracensis noveboracensis (Gmelin). State records.—Both the eastern and western forms of the water-thrush occur in the State in migration, but as there are few definite records based on specimens it is impossible to say which is the more common. The Avery collection contains one specimen of noveboracensis taken at Greensboro, Septem- ber 19, 1890, and Holt took one at York, April 30, 1912. I saw one bird at Leighton, May 1, and several at Florence, May 4, 5 and 6, 1912. Holt observed one at Barachias, April 22, and another April 30, 1913. General habits—Although resembling the true thrushes in coloration, the water-thrush is a terrestrial warbler related to the oven-bird. It frequents small streams and sloughs in the woods and may be easily recognized by its habit of tilting the body as it walks. When frightened it flies up from the ground to a low perch, uttering its characteristic sharp, metallic chip. Its song, which is occasionally heard during the spring migra- tion, is described by Gerald Thayer as a “ringing, bubbling warble, swift and emphatic, made up of two parts, barely divided, the second lower-toned and diminuendo.’’+ Food habits—Apparently the food of this bird has not as yet been carefully studied. Coues states that it consists of *Warren, B. H., Birds of Pennslvania, 2d ed., p. 294, 1890. {Chapman, F. M., The Warblers of North America, p. 238, 1907, WARBLERS 313 aquatic insects, worms, and tiny mollusks and crustaceans ;t Warren says it is largely made up of beetles, small worms, larvae, and smal] shells.** GRINNELL WATER-THRUSH: Seiurus noveboracensis notabilis Ridgway. State records.—The Grinnell water-thrush—a western race —seems to be fully as common in Alabama as the eastern form. Avery took two specimens at Greensboro, September 3, 1892, and August 25, 1893. Saunders collected one at Hol- lins, April 25, 1908, and noted others of the species there between April 22 and May 3 and at Sylacauga, April 16.* I secured a single specimen at Brewton, October 8, 1908. LOUISIANA WATER-THRUSH: Seturus motacilla (Vieillot) . State records.—The Louisiana, or large-billed, water-thrush (fig. 24), is a rather uncommon summer resident over the greater part of the State excepting the Coast Belt. It is known to occur in the breeding season at Florence, Stevenson, Sand Mountain (near Carpenter), Guntersville, Woodbine, Greensboro, Barachias, Natural Bridge, Tuscaloosa, Anniston, Seale, Castleberry, and Abbeville. At the two last-mentioned localities it is rare, but the capture of a specimen at Abbeville, June 9, 1911, and observation of several others the same month, both there and at Castleberry, leaves no doubt of its breeding in that region. A bird seen in a swamp near Mobile, July 11, 1918, may have been a migrant. The species is an early migrant, arriving usually in March. A very early date is furnished by Saunders, who noted the bird at Woodbine, March 9, 1908. Other dates of arrival are March 13 (1878), at Coosada; March 29 (1891), at Greens- boro; March 30 (1918), at Autaugaville; April 4 (1890), at Leighton; and April 4 (1914), at Tuscaloosa. McCormack records the last one seen in fall at Leighton on October 12 tCoues, E., Chicago Field, vol. 8, p. 396, 1877. **Warren, B. H., Birds of Pennsylvania, p. 295, 1890. *Saunders, A. A., The Auk, vol. 25, p. 422, 1908. 314 BIRDS OF ALABAMA (1889). A nest with eggs was found by Holt at Attalla, June 12, 19138. General habits.—The Louisiana water-thrush is found along wooded ravines in the hills and to some extent in river-bottom swamps. The birds feed almost exclusively in or near the beds of small streams or around pools in the bottoms. They are dainty and graceful walkers, and are easily recognized by the habit of continually tilting their body up and down. They are very shy, and on the slightest alarm fly off with a dashing flight and a loud chip. The song is rich and resonant, some- what resembling that of the indigo bird, but more musical. The nest is placed in the side of a bank in a wooded ravine usually only a few feet from a stream, or sometimes among the upturned roots of a fallen tree. Food habits.—Barrows says that the food of this bird “con- sists mainly of aquatic insect larvae, but insects and spiders of various kinds are eaten, as well as worms, crustaceans, snails, and other mollusks, and to a lesser extent various seeds and small fruits.”’* KENTUCKY WARBLER: Ovorornis formosus (Wilson). State records.—The Kentucky warbler is an abundant sum- mer resident in nearly all parts of Alabama. It is recorded in the breeding season at Leighton, Elkmont, Huntsville, Sand Mountain, Fort Payne, Natural Bridge, Autaugaville, Tusca- loosa, Seale, Dothan, Abbeville, Castleberry, and Mobile. It is common as far south as Castleberry, but is rare in the Coast Beit south of there. The first migrants in spring were noted at Teasley Mill (Montgomery County), March 30 (1914); Greensboro, April 5 (1888); Woodbine, April’ 7 (1908); Coosada, April 9 (1878); Leighton, April 15 (1891); Anniston, April 16 (1916); and Shelby, April 18 (1898). The last bird in autumn was seen at Greensboro, September 12, and at Leigh- ton, September 13. Nest building must begin very soon after the birds reach the breeding grounds, for Holt found a com- plement of 4 eggs at Barachias on April 22, 1906. Eggs were *Barrows, W. B., Michigan Bird Life, p. 638, 1912. WARBLERS 315 RYAN HAN H)) INTE RN iy ya i if 7Y DAN ll ‘ NN ae tf} TR AE SRR RAL RRR SS 5 A, Tiff Ss SN SS Ce eee aby ae aor Ae yr bm Ft = an Pande ees Cn ee Cia Se wie) ieriet note ee ttee —— eye. oo Steen re 2 aa ee ae dey Ey reed