(r € oTZ\.

Some New Records for Nova Scotia. — Among a small lot of bird skins
sent to me from Sable Island, Nova Scotia, by Mr. Jas. McL. Boutcher,
I find no less than five species that are new to the Province and two
others whose presence is purely accidental although previously recorded.
Almost without exception the birds are young of the year, which goes to
prove that young birds are most frequently lost, and as all of them were
captured in the fall, it is extremely probable that they were carried along
far out of their bearings by autumnal storms. It is well established that
most accidental visitors in the East are taken in the fall, and the move-
ment of storm centres in a northeasterly track east of the Mississippi
undoubtedly has a close bearing upon such captures,

Geothlypis formosa. Kentucky Warbler. — A young male taken
September i, 1902, is in first winter plumage as determined by softening
the skin and examining the bones. The nearest point at which the species
regularly breeds is New Jersey.

A ^ ' f vit'K C

Au.

a, P-

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; Kentucky Warbler, ( Opororni* f/nnosu.) | Ma ' y 19th

■n*ttct l>y x*<e. tlu. /U-ctsUn*. l^nZet.

TStJvct ihCt ‘U Icoe-c " *

O.&o. X. Jan. 1885. p. It.

.Z/uven&u rjj V'cmroTCt',

The Kentucky Warbler in Vermont. — A specimen of the Kentucky
Warbler ( Oporornis formosa), was taken May 30, 1905, at Lunenburg, Vt.,
by Mr. W. E. Balch and identified at the Biological Survey. The specimen
is now in the Fairbanks Museum at St. Johnsbury.

This is probably the first authentic record for the State. — Wells W.
Cooke, Biological Survey, Washington, D. C.

Auk 2t>. July -1908 p. 320 .

A Kentucky Warbler near Boston, Massachusetts.— At Wellesley Hills,
in the forenoon of May 14, 1907, having just left the electric car and passed
in the rear of the stores and dwellings which front on the little village
square, I came to a swampy hollow with some depth of standing water
almost surrounded by large willows and with small willow's and other
brush growth rising out of the w'ater. Here clearly distinguished from
familiar warbler songs which at once reached my ear from Parula, Myrtle
and Yellow' Warblers, Redstart and Northern Water-Thrush was heard a
clear, bright, rather loud song in dissyllabic rhythm which I had never
heard before. Before coming in sight of the bird which gave it, it w'as my
happy experience to realize that I was looking upon and hearing the song
of a Kentucky Warbler ( Oporornis forrnosa). The song was many times
given at intervals during the half-hour which I remained. There were
generally five repetitions of the dissyllable without notes of introduction
or finish. It might be put into the word, wheeter-wheeter-wheeter-whceler
wheeter, as Mr. Allison suggests in Mr. Chapman’s ‘Warblers of North
America,’ or other dissyllables such as others suggest therein, or into the
words, cherry-cherry-cherry-cherry-cherry, rapidly repeated, as it came to
my ear. The fulness and brightness of tone were like the Mourning
Warbler’s cheery song, which, however, is given with more fulness and
deliberation and with three repetitions of cheery only. Under my observa-
tion the Kentucky Warbler moved back and forth in a quite limited area,
often about the roots and sterns of the bushes just above the water, a
very beautifully plumaged bird. Mr. Bradford Torrey’s expressions of
admiration for the simplicity and richness and good taste of its costume
seemed none too enthusiastic.

Passing on from this point the first Blackburnian and Black-throated
Blue Warblers of the season were noted, the first Yellow-throated, Blue-
headed and Red-eyed Vireos were seen, and the Prairie and Golden-winged
Warblers were found in their breeding haunts. The morning of May 14
had opened with light southwest winds and a temperature of 56°, which
had been carried in the middle of the forenoon to 78°. It was under
these conditions that, I found the Kentucky Warbler active and freely
singing. Presently a sudden change was inaugurated in five minutes’
time, the wind came fresh from the east, and the temperature dropped 20°.
This had a quieting effect upon all of the birds, and when I passed on the-
Kentucky was no longer singing. At four o'clock in the afternoon I
returned to this same spot and could not see or hear anything of him. So
it was again the next forenoon when I sought him. The other birds of
the day before were there, but he was not.

Messrs. Howe and Allen in ‘The Birds of Massachusetts,’ 1901, do not
include the Kentucky Warbler in their list, but in a note make reference
to a bird of this species being included in Dr. Holder's ‘List, of the Birds of
Lynn,’ 18-16, as then in the collection of the Lynn Natural History Society,
adding, “as we have been unable to see this specimen we make but this
mention of it.” Dr. Charles W. Townsend in ‘The Birds of Essex County,’
1905, does not include this species in his list, remarking, “Dr. Holder in-
cludes this bird in his Lynn list, 1846, stating that there is a specimen in the

collection of the Lynn Natural History Society. As there is no other
record of this bird for the State, and as I was unable to find this specimen
in a recent examination of the battered remains of this collection, I have
omitted the bird from the list.”

This Kentucky Warbler at Wellesley Hills would seem, therefore, to
be the first authentic record of the species within the State.

In ‘A Review of the Birds of Connecticut ’ by Mr. C. Hart Merriam, 1877,
two records of Kentucky Warbler within that State are given, namely:
“Mr. Erwin I. Shores obtained a male of this species at Suffield, Conn.,
Aug. 16, 1876, thus adding another bird, not only to the Avifauna of
Connecticut, but also to New England”; and “I learn from Mr. J. G. Ely
of Lyme, Conn., that ho has shot one Kentucky Warbler.” Dr. Jonathan
Dwight, Jr., in ‘The Auk,’ Vol. XX, October, 1903, under the heading,
‘Some New Records for Nova Scotia,’ based on a small lot of bird skins
sent to him from Sable Island by Mr. Jas. McL. Boutcher, furnishes this
note on Kentucky Warbler: “A young male taken September 1, 1902,
is in first winter plumage as determined by softening the skin and exami-
ning the bones. The nearest point at which the species regularly breeds
is New Jersey.” — Horace W. Wright, Boston, Mass.

Auk, 24, July, 190 Tv

Kentucky Warbler in Massachusetts. — On June 22, 1913, while
walking in the Arnold Arboretum, at Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, the
writer heard the call note of a warbler followed almost immediately by a
song very much different from that of the regular local members of the
family. The bird was finally placed in a low moist spot which was covered
with rather a heavy growth of high bushes near some oak trees and a spring.

I was very much surprised when it proved to be a finely plumaged male
Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus). The bright yellow underparts
and the black stripe running down the side of the throat were quite conspic-
uous. The black crown was not so plain, although the yellow about the
eye was easily seen. There was not any white evident in the plumage.

The warbler was observed from about 12.30 to 1.15 e. m. and was in song
most all of the time. The notes seemed to the writer to be rather like
two of those of the Ruby-crowned Kinglet ( Regulus calendula calendula),
also recalled the Carolina Wren (Thryolhorus ludovicianus ludovicianus).

The song was a loud clear whistle of three or four double notes. While
under observation the bird did not at any time perch above twenty feet
from the ground nor did it fly over a rod from the place where it was first
seen. Once I approached to within six feet of it.

Supposing at the time that this was the first record of an Oporornis
formosus for Massachusetts and desiring corroboration I telephoned to Mr.
Richard M. Marble of Brookline, who, with Mr. Joseph Kittredge, Jr.,
also of Brookline, met me in the Arboretum, that same afternoon. The
bird was soon found and both Mr. Marble and Mr. Kittredge identified
it as a male Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosus). The late date, June
22, led me to look for some signs of breeding, but although I searched for
several days afterwards I was unable to find even the bird.

This appears to be the second record for Massachusetts, as Mr. Horace
W. Wright reports one at Wellesley on May 14, 1907 (Auk, July, 1907). —
Hakold L. Barrett, Jamaica Plain, Mass. . O r.. IQi 9, {&!>

G-eneral Notes

Occurrence and Breeding of the Kentucky Warbler in Connecticut. —

On July 10, 1892, while passing through a piece of swampy woods in
Greenwich, Fairfield Co., Conn., my ear was caught by an unfamiliar
bird note in the underbrush near the path. A short search revealed a
bird which I soon saw to be the Kentucky Warbler. Not having a gun at
hand, 1 watched her for some time, suspecting from her manifest alarm
that young were near at hand. Such proved to be the case, as a few min-
utes later I saw her feeding a well-fledged nestling, perched near by.

Returning at dusk, I was fortunate enough to find, a few hundred feet
from the former locality, one of the parents, which I secured. It proved
to be the male. The female and the young I was unable to find on either
this or the several succeeding occasions on which I looked for them. This
is, I think, the first record of its breeding in Connecticut. — Clark G.

Voorhees, Nevj Tork City.

Auk X,J*n. 1893. P. 30.

On May 30, 1888, 1 shot a fine g Kentucky Warble r.
I have never known of one being taken in this locality,
and consider it a rarity. W. H. Lucas, West Stratford,
Conn.

O .&O. XIV. Apr. 1889 p.82

The Kentucky Warbler ( Oporornis formosus) at Sing Sing, N. Y.

— At this place, in June, 1875, I found the nest, containing three fresh
eggs, and secured the two old birds of this species.f The woods where
they were found is a long belt, which lies on both sides of a stream which
originally must have been much larger. It lias worn away ravines some
thirty or forty feet deep ; in other places it has expanded into shallow
flats. The length of the stream is about three miles, and it runs in a ra-
vine through the very heart of our village, and empties into the Hudson.
The stream now is quite small, and the level places along the banks of the
upper portion are covered by weeds, ferns, and scanty undergrowth. The
woods which overhang the stream along its course, only broken now and
then by a field or pasture, are composed of large hemlock, oak, and chest-
nut trees, under which there is little undergrowth, and the rays of the sun
hardly penetrate their thick foliage, making a cool and shady retreat.
Here, this spring and summer, seemed the very paradise for the Kentucky
Warbler. While collecting, May 21, I saw four flitting here and there
among the small plants, and secured two ; May 22 I collected four more ;
the 24th, four were seen, and I shot three ; the 27th, I saw two ; on the 29th,
a mile up the stream, I saw another, and my friend, Mr. George Hyles,
shot one still higher up. June 1 and 4 I saw a pair near where the first
ones were seen, and on the 20th of June found their nest containing five
young, which left it June 29. June 9, in a woods some miles distant, I
saw a male. June 26 I saw still another, and from its actions it must have
had a nest or young near, but from want of time I did not look for it.
July 5 a male came under my window, and, perching on a shrub, warbled
out his short but lovely song. The same day Mr. Hyles saw a male four
miles south of this place. Allowing the same ones were sometimes seen
twice, there have been at least sixteen individuals here, and undoubtedly
four nests. — A. K. Fishes, Sing Sing, N. Y.

+ Am. Nat., Vol. IX, No. 10 , October, 1875 , p. 573 .

Bull N. 0.0. 3, Oct., 1878, p. /?/ -/?«*•

Bird Note a from Long Island, N.Y.

William Dutcher.

16. Geothlypis formosa. Kentucky Warbler. — Mr. Giraud says:
“The specimen in my possession was shot in the woods at Raynor South,
— and a few others have been procured in the same section. On no other
part of the Island have I observed it, and I consider it with us a very
scarce species.”* In the Lawrence collection in the American Museum,
there is one specimen, a male, labelled, “Raynor South, May iS, 1S34.”
Since the lists of Giraud and Lawrence were published no other record
has been made; therefore, it gives me pleasure to record a specimen, a
male, which was sent to me by Mr. Skipworth from Fire Island Light,
where it struck during the night of August 19, 1S88; wind west, squally,
with rain and fog.

" T

*Birds of Long Island, p. 50. j

Attk, VI. April, 1889. p. f3*f .

Ofoneral Notes

Geothlypis formosa. — This bird, which I have previously recorded as a
rare summer resident, I found to be fairly abundant, in suitable situations,
throughout the season of 1891, as well as during the week from June 13 to
18, 1892, inclusive, which I spent there, so that it seems not improbable
that it was overlooked in previous seasons. Towards the close of May,
1891, I discovered a nest, containing one egg, but it was soon afterward
invaded by a Cowbird, and deserted. Young out of the nest weie found
during my visit in 1892. , LjJr

Auk X, April. 1893. p.209.

h. y

Dutcher, Bare Long Island Birds.

Geothlypis formosa. Kentucky Warbler. — This specimen was shot
by Col. Pike in Lotts Woods, Flatlands, in May. He considers them
rare on Long Island, and has not seen a specimen for some years.

Auk X. July, 1893 p 277.

^ ^ CLA.

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P. /? /ZStJL^££.

Oporornis formosus. Kentucky Warblek. — Have taken but one
specimen in the vicinity, an adnlt male on May 30, 1875. Mr. J. Wal-
lace informs me that this species occurs during the breeding-season, at Fort
Lee, N. J., and that some years since a nest and five eggs with the female
bird was taken at that locality. Has been found breeding at Sing Sing,
by Mr. A. K. Fisher, N. Y* '

* Am. Nat., Vol. IX, p. 573.

Bull. N.O.O. 3, July, 1878, vJSO .

Descriptions of First PI" magre of Cer-
tain Noi .^ Am,, fibs. Wm. Brewster.

36. Oporornis formosa.

“ First plumage. Remiges, reetrices, primary coverts, and alulae as in the
adult. Pileum and back dull raw-umber-brown, tinged with rusty on the
back and scapulars; throat, jugulum, breast, and sides pale grayish-fulvous,
the abdomen and crissum paler, and slightly tinged with yellow. No
markings of any sort about the head. My collection, Mt. Carmel, 111.,
July 27, 1875.” — R. R.

Bull. N.O.O, 3i April, 1878. p. (r>()

Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler in
Chester and Delaware Coun-
ties, Penn.

Having been quite fortunate in finding nests
of this Warbler ( Oeothlypia formosa) during
the past season I thought that my experiences
might be of interest to the. readers of the
O. & O.

Another year’s collecting leads me to think
that my assertion, that the Kentucky War-
bler probably bred more commonly in these
two counties than anywhere else, was correct.

To a practised person the nest of this bird is
not very difficult to find, unless it should be
placed on a hillside.

They begin to breed often about the 18th of
May. Some nests found by me this year must
have had their full complement of eggs by the
20th of May. Then on the Other hand my last
set was taken on the 18th of June, and my
brother took a set of four fresh eggs on the
25th of June, and a nest was found on the 15th
of July with young birds, so there is often a
difference of a month between the incubation
of different pairs.

On the 21st of May I found my first nest this
year. It was just finished, and 1 secured a
fine set of five eggs exactly one week later
(the 28th) from it.

It was placed at the bottom and between
the forks of a spicewood bush and was a very
bulky nest. The 9 was not on the nest, and
I presume had just laid one of the eggs tiiat
morning. It was not more than ten yards
from the edge of the woods. When I was
packing up the eggs and nest there was no
sign of the birds around, but when I again
passed the spot about fifteen minutes later
both birds were making a great noise.

Tlie second nest was found on the 25th of
May, and contained two eggs of the warbler
and one of that pest, the Cowbird. I had been

328. Kentucky Warbler.

J-. Qp Short note on its-<nest and egg

310. Kentucky Warbler [1
By F. T. Jencks. Ibid . , VI, p

looking for this nest for about two or three
hours before I succeeded in finding it. The
birds had been making a great deal of noise,
and had been jumping up every few minutes
from a clump of swamp cabbage. As there
was a great deal of this plant in the woods
and the wood was a large one, it can easily
be seen that it was no easy matter to find
that nest. At last I happened to glance down
at a certain clump which contained the nest,
but was somewhat disgusted to find it only had
two eggs and one Cowbird. However, I
secured four eggs of the warbler and the Cow-
bird’s egg from it on the 28th. The 9 flushed
very close and did not go more than ten feet
from the nest while 1 was packing it up.

The third nest was also found on the 28th of
May and contained four fresh eggs. This was
also near the edge oi a wood, not being more
than six feet from the fence. This one, like
nearly all the others, was at the foot and be-
tween the forks of a spicewood bush. A
peculiarity about this nest was that it was
lined with white horse-hair, instead of the
black rootlets and horse-hair one almost in-
variably finds in nests of this species. This
last nest was the third I had found that day
and in a joking sort of way I said to my
brother, “ I am going out now to make it
four.”

1 I walked to the nearest woods and had
hardly gotten inside of it when I found another
nest, this time with five eggs, which were
incubated a few days. This one was situated
in about the last place I ever expected to find
a Kentucky Warbler’s nest. It was not more
than twenty-five yards from a public road
where there is a great deal of travel, and it
was not nearly as well hidden as usual, as you
could almost see the nest from the road.

On the 30th of May my father, my brother
and myself started out for a day’s trip. My
brother found a fine set of five, but unfortu-
nately they were nearly hatched and it was
impossible to prepare them. This nest was
situated right on the edge of -a road with
woods on each side of it, and my brother,
flushed the female.

My fifth set was taken on the first of June
and consisted of four eggs. It was situated
like all the others, and I flushed the 9-

The sixth sot was taken on tli e 3d of June, '
and contained four eggs of the warbler and
one of the Cowbird. This nest was not more
than fiftefen feet from a large field on the edge
of a wood. Bird flushed.

I did not take any more sets until the 18tli
of June when I took my seventh and last set
of four eggs, although I found three more nests
containing young birds and two which appar-
ently the birds bad deserted.

My brother, Henry Nonas, took a set of four
eggs on the 25th of June. The nest was not
move than six feet from a public road where
at least a hundred wagons go past every day,
and the wood was very small.

Result of season’s collecting: Myself, five
sets of four, two sets of five, five nests not
yielding any sets, three with young birds and
two deserted, My brother found one set of
four, one of five (too much incubated to pre-
pare), and four nests with young birds. Total,
eight sets, seven nests with young birds and
two deserted. Not a bad season’s work, and X
hope to do better next year.

J. P. Norris, Jr.

Philadelphia, Pa.

O.&O, 13. 0 gt.i 890 . p. iyj 7 /y 6 .

Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler in
Chester and Delaware Coun-
ties, Penn.

Having been quite fortunate in finding nests
of this Warbler (Geothlypin formosa) during
the past season I thought that my experiences
might be of interest to the readers of the
O. & O.

Another year’s collecting leads me to think
that my assertion, that the Kentucky War-
bler probably bred more commonly in these
two counties than anywhere else, was correct.

To a practised person the nest of this bird is
not very difficult to find, unless it should be
placed on a hillside.

They begin to breed often about the 18th of
May. Some nests found by me this year must
have had their full complement of eggs by the
20th of May. Then on the other hand my last
set was taken on the 18th of June, and my
brother took a set of four fresh eggs on the
25th of June, and a nest was found on the 15th
of July with young birds, so there is often a
difference of a month between the incubation
of different pairs.

On the 21st of May I found my first nest this
year. It was just finished, and I secured a
fine set of five eggs exactly one week later
(the 28th) from it.

It. was placed at the bottom and between
the forks of a spicewood hush and was a very
bulky nest. The $> was not on the nest, and
I presume had just laid one of the eggs that
morning. It was not more than ten yards
from the edge of the woods. When I was
packing up the eggs and nest there was no
sign of the birds around, but when I again j
passed the spot about fifteen minutes later
both birds were making a great noise.

The second nest was found on the 25th of 1
May, and contained two eggs of the warbler j
and one of that pest, the Cowbird. I had been

looking for this nest for about two or three
hours before I succeeded in finding it. The
birds had been making a great deal of noise,
and had been jumping up every few minutes
from a clump of swamp cabbage. As there
was a great deal of this plant in the woods
and the wood was a large one, it can easily
he seen that it was no easy matter to find
that nest. At last I happened to glance down

328. Kentucky Warbler ■ By Edgar A. Small. Ibid., VI, p. 64.

Q t Qt> Short note, on itMiest and eggs.

310. Kentucky Warbler [ Oforornis formosa']. Its Nesting Habits.
By F. T. Jencks. Ibid., VI, p. 49.

ORNITHOLOGIST

-AND-

OOLOGIST.

$1.00 per

Annum.

PUBLISHED BY THE FRANK BLAKE WEBSTER COMPANY.
Established, March, 1875.

Single Copy
10 cents.

Vol. XVII.

HYDE PARK, MASS., JANUARY, 1892.

No. 1.

A Series of Eggs of the Kentucky
Warbler.

The eggs of the Kentucky Warbler ( Geo -
thlypis formo&a) exhibit great variation in size,
shape, and coloration, and while the series
now before me does not exhibit all their types
it is sufficiently complete to warrant desription.

Set I. June 1, 1890. Chester County, Penn.
Collected by J. P. Norris, Jr. Nest on ground,
in woods, at foot of small bush, not more than
ten feet from a fence. Made of leaves, lined
with rootlets. 9 Hushed. Pour eggs, incu-
bation commenced. White, speckled with
hazel and lavender-gray. Three of the eggs
have the markings nearly all at the larger ends
in the shape of indistinct wreaths, but the
fourth one is much more pointed than the
others, and has a wreath around the smaller
end: .79x.59; .78x.58; .76 x.59; .70X.59.

Set II, May 28, 1890. Chester County,
Penn. Collected by J. P. Norris, Jr. Nest at
foot of spicewood bush, on ground, in low
woods. Made of leaves, dried grass, etc.,
lined with fine black rootlets anil white horse-
hair. Bird seen. Four eggs, fresh. White,
speckled and spotted, principally at the larger
ends, with fawn color: .71x.56; ,72x.55;
.74 x .56: .7 1 x .55.

Set III. June 19, 1885. Delaware County,
Penn. Collected by J. Hoopes Matlack. Nest
of dried grasses and beech leaves, on the
ground, in thicket of young underwood. Four
eggs, fresh. White, spotted and speckled with
chestnutand lavender-gray: .77x.50: ,79x.57;
.78 x .56; .75 x .56.

Set IV. May 28, 1890. Chester County,
Penn. Collected by J. P. Norris, Jr. Nest
between leaves of “Skunk Cabbage.” on
ground, in woods. Made of leaves, dried
grass, etc., lined with black rootlets. J
flushed. Four eggs, fresh, and one Cowbird’s
egg. Light creamy white, speckled and

spotted with chestnut and lavender-gray. The
markings are heavier near the larger ends,
where they form indistinct wreaths: ,74x.60;
.72 x .60; .72 x .00; .71 x.60.

Set V. June 7, 1889. Chester County, Penn.
Collected by J. P. Norris, Jr. Nest between
three forks at foot of small bush. Made of
leaves and grass, lined with horse-hair and
black rootlets. Bird seen. Five eggs, fresh.
Light creamy white, speckled and spotted
with hazel and lavender-gray. At the larger
ends the markings are heavier, and form
indistinct wreaths: ,78x .00; .81 x .61; .Slx.OO;
.78x .61 ; .79 x.60.

Set VI. June 9, 1885. Collected by J.
IToopes Matlack. Nest on ground, in thicket
of young underwood. Composed of dry grass
and beech leaves. Four eggs, fresh. Glossy,
light creamy white. Heavily spotted, espec-
ially at the larger ends, with chestnut and
lavender-gray: ,79x.59; ,77x.59; .77x.58;

.78 x .56.

Set VII. June 18, 1890. Chester County,
Penn. Collected by J. P. Norris, Jr. Nest on
ground, at foot of weed, in woods, near a
fence and a dried up stream. Made of leaves,
etc., lined witli black rootlets and horse-hair.
White, spotted and speckled more heavily at
the larger ends, with hazel and lavender-gray:
.82 x .57; .79x.57; ,80x.56; .83x.50.

Set VIII. June 3, 1890. Chester County,
Penn. Collected by J. P. Norris, Jr. Nest at
foot of spicewood bush, In woods, twenty-five
feet from their edge. Made of leaves, dried
grass, etc., lined with black rootlets. 9
flushed. Four eggs, incubation commenced.
(This set also contained a Cowbird’s egg.)
White, spotted all over, but more heavily at
the larger ends, with chestnut and lavender-
gray: .74x,56; .71x.55; ,70x.54; ,71x.54.

Set IX. May 28, 1888. Chester County,
Penn. Collected by Samuel B. Ladd. Nest
on the ground. Made of leaves, with line

Copyright, 18D2, by Frank B. Webster.

The Kentucky Warbler.

(Opororuk fonnona,) ( Wilson,) Baird.

BY D. E. L-, MANHATTAN, KANSAS.

The Kentucky Warbler is a common Summer
resident of the limbered portion of Kansas, being
more abundant in the south-eastern part. Man-
hattan is near the western boundary ot the range
assigned to it by ornithologists, it having been
taken at Fort Riley, a point about twenty miles
west. But it is so common a bird at Manhattan
that I doubt not that it is a regular visitor west of
Fort Riley, wherever the growth of timber and

OLOGIST. 19

underbrush is sufficient to afford it its favorite
shelter for a Summer home.

Although the habits of the Kentucky Warbler
are well known, and excellent, descriptions of its
nests and eggs are published, it is so retiring in
the breeding season that its eggs have found a way
to comparatively few oological collections. My
experience is that the nest is difficult to find. I
have spent hours in watching the birds^Hpl
searching for the nest without success. The few
nests that I have found have been the result of ac-
cident rather than the reward of my diligence.

At this place they arrive from the south about
May 1. My earliest record is April 110; my latest
is May 3. They soon pair and begin to look
about for a building' site, at. this time the male is a
diligent and rather loud singer, and keeps the
woods ringing with his “tweedlr, timfltr, dweedh."
If disturbed, both birds resent any approach by
their usual sharp “ tship” repeated at intervals as
’ as one continues moving about in their vicin-
ity; but should one conceal himself and remain
quiet, they disappear noiselessly in the thickets
and the song of the male js soon again heard. I
presume that the female could be just as musical
were she so disposed,' but that the cares ol house
building occupy most of the time at her disposal.

Many a pair of these Warblers have I watched,
and although I was certain that the nest was in
the near vicinity, I have almost uniformly failed
to discover it. Once, after visiting a locality at
odd times for several weeks, I really found the
nest ; but the young had just deserted it. In fact,
I started the last one away. This was on June
26, 1883. The nest was almost under the top of
a fallen tree. It was built in plain view at the
foot of a small shrub. Although I must have
passed a dozen times within a few feet, I had failed
to discover it. It was on the ground in a mass of
dry leaves. The chief material was leaves, but
the lining was of grass and long horse-hair. It
the most neatly built nest of the species I
have yet seen.

My first nest of this Warbler was found on May
26, 1883, I was passing along an unused wood-
road in a low, damp forest, intent upon finding a
Poor-will which had alighted in the vicinity,
when I, was startled by the flutter ot wings at my
feet,. On looking down, I saw within a foot of
me the nest for which I had often looked. The
female Warbler had perched upon a low branch
about two rods distant and was tilting and bal-
ancing like a Water-thrush, while it uttered its
sharp note of alarm. The nest contained two
eggs of the Warbler and one of the Cow-bird.
Although incubation had begun, I left the nest
two days hoping to be rewarded with a larger

20

ORNITH

set, but was disappointed. The nest was on the
ground at the foot of a bunch of tali weeds. It
was composed outside of leaves and within of
rootlets, grass, and horse-hair. The eggs were
white and sprinkled about the larger end with fine
reddish-brown dots.

On May 31, 1884, when collecting about twelve
miles from Manhattan on Deep Creek a tributary
of the Kansas river, I found a nest of this War-
bler. This nest was also upon the ground, or
rather upon a large mass of decayed leaves. The
nest was protected by a bunch of low shrubbery
and the leaning tops of a small sapling. It was
composed of a rude foundation oi the leaves, and
lined with a thin layer of line grass (ttgrotu) and
liorse-hair. It was very carelessly built, hardly
deserving the name of nest. It contained three
eggs, one of the Warbler and two of the Cow-bird.
Another Warbler’s egg was on the ground at a lit-
tle distance from the nest. This had evidently
been removed by the Cow-bird to make room for
its own. Incubation had begun in the other eggs.
I have always found the Cow-bird eggs to ac-
company those of this species. On June 18, I
met a family of these birds consisting of the
parent birds, two young Warblers and a young
Cow-bird. The parents were equally solicitous
for all the young, and fed them industriously, not-
withstanding I was quite near to them.

Eggs of the Kentucky Warbler average about,
.73 by .56 of an inch. The birds leave for the south
early in September. „ . ,

O.&o. p. If

Florida Bird Life.

PAUT II.

BY E. >1. IIASBliOUCK.

In my former communication (O. & O., X, p. 4),
I stated that I should try and make the rest of my
articles more interesting, and this I hope to do. I
find that I am not far enough south for the Ibises,
Spoonbills &c., &c., but intend going where they
are to be found in the Spring. At present I must
stay where chance has placed me. Let me com-
mence with : —

Oct. 20. Virginia Qnajiy (■ OrlyA virginianus).
These birds are very nurtierous.here, and may be
found in coveys of from ten to twenty within a
ten minutes walk in fmy direction.

Oct. 20. Mockingbirds, (Minim poiffgbttu.it,) are
as numerous here as Robins at the North, and
much tamer ; their song seems to be made up of
the songs of all the other birds put together.

Oct. 22, Red-bellied Woodpecker, ( Genturm
carolinu/) are very common in the pine lands and
swamps. They may he recognized by their harsh,
rasping, guttural “chip.”

LOGIST.

43

Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler.

BV THOMAS A. .JACKSON, WEST CHESTER, l’A,

The Kentucky Warbler ( Oporornis formoscis )
in this part of Pennsylvania is a frequent sum-
mer resident, and indeed in some localities, may
almost be considered a common bird. Its ar-
rival early in May is at once announced bj r the
clear musical notes of the male, heard in the
dense, swampy thickets or low lying marshy
pieces of woodland which it delights to affect.

The birds at this time are not shy and suspi-
cious like most of our warblers, but the males
will sing, oblivious of your presence, until you

can approach within easy view of his golden
breast.

To find the nest and eggs of this beautiful
bird has always been an object of great ambi-
tion to me, and though a number of them have
been taken in this vicinity from time to time,
never until the season ol' 188t> lias it been rny
good fortune to discover them myself.

On the bright spring-like afternoon of June
1st, 1886, I left the train at Glen Mills, a little
station in Delaware County, and plunged into
the heavy timber growth, that covers the north
side of a steep, long hill that rises rapidly from
Chester Ci'eek to its summit, several huudi-ed
yards in extent, and from the top of which
spreads out one of the finest views of hill and
valley in this beautiful county.

From amid tile rich black loam and beds of
"'bhered leaves numerous springs arise, and
kle down among the dense masses of fern
and moss, and other vegetable growths that are
more often found in swamps than on high
woodlands; and in places immense rocks are
piled up, giving an air of wildness to the spot.

I had advanced but a few paces iu my laborious
search up the steep hill side, when 1 heard the
musical note of a Kentucky Warbler some dis-
tance ahead, and inspired by the welcome sound,

I proceeded toward the spot from whence it
came.

Meanwhile the bird had become silent, but
after a few minutes of careful seared), inspect-
ing every foot of ground as I proceeded, a bird
llew almost from my feet, alighting on a bush
some twenty feet away, uttering its sharp im-
patient, chirp, — unmistakably a female Ken-
tucky Warbler. Looking towards the ground,
there, without concealment of any kind, more
than that afforded by a few weeds and saplings,
lay my long coveted prize — six eggs in a bulky
' , — elevated somewhat from the ground by
mass of dried leaves at its base. It was not
even defiled by an egg of that skulking impos-
tor, the Cow-bird.

Securing the nest and the eggs, in which in-
cubation was a few days advanced, 1 considered
myself well repaid, although later in the day,
on tlie same day, I found a nest and six eggs of
tlie Worm-eating Warbler ( Iletminthotherus
vermivorus ) , though so nearly hatched that
they were hardly capable of preservation.

There are some peculiarities about this set of
eggs of the Kentucky Warbler, that render them
quite different from any I have seen. In shape
they are long, and they taper to a comparative-
ly sharp point; the greatest diameter being
quite near the larger end. As will be seen by

44

ORJSTITB

the measurements they vary much in size, l’o]
give an accurate description of the coloration
would be a difficult task. The ground color is
of a dull white, wreathed and sprinkled, more
abundantly around the greater end, with spots
of light purple running into dark brown, seem-
ingly beneath the surface of the shell. Ovei
these markings, and scattered over the entin
shell, are points, blotches and streaks of a riel
brown shade. The general appearance is plain
notably free from any of the bold markings
common in this species. They measure, .S0>
.63; .78 x .55) ; .78x.60; .75x.59; .76x.58; am
.75 x.59.

A description of the nest can be given witl
more accuracy than of the eggs. The eutin
body or bulk of it was composed of dead leave:
of the white oak put together in a loose mass
that stood above the ground six inches or more
The lining of the nest was made of the tine ten
drils and stems of some creeping plant, witl
which I am not familiar, together with a smal
quantity of horse hair imbeded in the bottom
but altogether so thin and flimsy that the leave,
showed through. The nest is quite a large one
measuring two inches in depth (inside) by tlirei
inches across the top.

O.& O. XII. Mar 1887. P Y

Some Birds of Heron Lake, Minn.

by .1. W. l’KESTOX, BAXTElt, IOw/.

Of all the localities which it has beeti my priv-
ilege to visit, Heron I -eke stands at;' the head O;
the list, To any one interested iu the study o,
bird life' who may have it in his /o weir to spent
a season there, 1 can assure an abundance o.
valuable material. From earliest migrant t
late summer-resident the region abounds in spi
cies.

The locality ’is a well-known rendezvous fo
sportsmen, for < spring and fall Shooting
Among other game-birds are found vast mini
hers of Canvas-back and Red-head Ducks
Both these species 'he main to breed, thougl
not so plentifully fis formerly. Here also ms;
be found White Pelican, Rouble-crested Cor
morants, an occasional 'pair of Ring-billei
Gulls, besides very many \species of ducks
-mostly remaining to breed, T^nd so abundan
are many kpeeies that he u divas of nests uni )
easily be found. A few pair of kfln-tail Duck
remain during the summer and th\ nests ma;
be expected in grassy places baok\from th
lakesf. \

O-lie pair at least, of Merganser (Menfns me i
gabser) had hidden their treasures near the lak

Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler ( Oporornis formosa) in
Ohio. — Although the Kentucky Warbler has long been a well-known
summer resident of Southwestern Ohio, its nest and eggs have hitherto
eluded the vigilant search of our local ornithologists, and have, in con-
sequence, been classed among their especial desiderata. As the nesting
habits of this species have been recorded in but a few instances, and only
once in Ohio,* a notice of a nest and eggs recently taken near Madisonville
may be of interest to readers of the Bulletin.

The locality chosen for this nest was a gentle slope, well wooded and
covered with undergrowth, situated within a short distance of a small
woodland stream on the border of an open glade. The nest, which was
placed on the ground at the root of a small elm sapling, was concealed by
a sparse growth of weeds, and consisted of two distinct portions. The
foundation was a saucer-shaped mass of beech and maple leaves loosely
interwoven with a few weed stems, and retained its shape sufficiently well
to permit careful handling without injury ; surmounting this basal portion
was the nest proper, a rather bulky and inelegant structure, elliptical in
shape, composed of dark-brown rootlets and weed stems, with which were
interwoven a few dried leaves. There was also a trace of an effort at
horse-hair lining, a half-dozen hairs perhaps being disposed around its
interior. Its measurements are as follows: — Internal long diameter, 2j,
inches; internal short diameter, 2 inches; depth of cavity, \\ inches;
average thickness of nest proper, about £ inch ; ditto of foundation, about
1 inch. The eggs, which are four in number (exclusive of the Cowbird’s
egg which accompanies them), are oblong-oval in shape, spotted and
speckled everywhere with reddish-brown and lilac on a glossy white
ground, the markings on two specimens being massed at the larger end,
while those on the other two form a distinct “ wreath ” around the rather
blunt apex. They were far advanced in incubation (May 28th), and
measure, respectively, .72 X .54, .73 X .56, .75 X .56, .73 X .55. Their
identification was perfectly satisfactory, the female being secured instantly
after being driven from the nest. — Frank W. Langdon, Madisonville,
Hamilton Co., Ohio.

By Dr. J. P. Kirtland. I am unable to refer to the original record at
present ; it is mentioned incidentally, however, by Dr. Brewer, in Hist. N. Am.
Birds, Yol. I, p. 293.

Bull, N.O.Q. 4, Oct., 1879, p. JJC-237

Obs. on Summer Birds of Mountain
Bora. Pickuas Oo, #.C. L. M, Loomis,

6i. Geothlypis formosa. Kentucky WarulisR.— Indifferent to eleva-
tion, these Warblers are everywhere abundant in the wooded hollows,
coves, and ravines; these shady retreats constituting their true haunts,
though during the cooler hours of the day individuals stray from the near
proximity of the water courses to the sunny slopes of the adjacent hill-
sides. During the height of the season they have few rivals in persistency
of song, but as June advances, and the young begin to be abroad, they
sing with rather less frequency, though not with less force and spirit.
Besides their loud chant, so commonly uttered, I think they have a second
and more pleasing song, but of this I cannot speak with certainty, as I
never succeeded in detecting one in the act of singing, for the song was
repeated only at rare intervals, and always in the seclusion of the rhodo-
dendrons, but each attempt to discover the author invariably developed a
Kentucky Warbler in the spot whence the sound had issued. When
their haunts are invaded, they resent intrusion with loud querulous
chirps -which are as distinctive as their song notes. Though of retiring
disposition, especially early in the season, when their young are hatched
they often challenge observation by exhibiting themselves with boldness.
The first bird of the year was shot June 20 .

Auk, VII. April, 1800. p. 129.

July, 1889.] AND OO

Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler
in Chester County, Penn.

Messrs. Samuel B. Ladd, Thomas H. .Jack-
son, and Hoopes Matlack have all found the
nest of the Kentucky Warbler (Oporomin for-
mom) quite frequently in both Chester and
Delaware Counties. It probably breeds more
abundantly in these two counties than any-
where else in its entire habitat.

On June 25, 1888, I found my first nest of
this Warbler. I was walking through a large,
swampy woods, when I noticed a Kentucky
Warbler acting as if it had a nest. This I
soon found, and just as I was going to look in
it the young birds fluttered out. The nest
was placed on the ground at the foot of a
small bush, in a little glen or hollow well
sheltered by trees, about twenty or more feet
above a stream of running water. Altogether,
it was about as pretty and cosy a situation as
one could well imagine.

Tlie nest was a beautiful - structure, large,
and composed externally of dead beech and
other leaves, and prettily lined with fine black
rootlets.

I determined to go back to this woods this
year, and in accordance with this determina-
tion, on the 21st of May, 1S89, I went there
and looked through part of the woods without
success. On the 25th of the same month I
returned there, and this time was more suc-
cessful, for before I had been in the woods ten
minutes a Kentucky Warbler flew out of a
clump of “Skunk Cabbage,” about fifteen
feet from where I was. After a short search
I found the nest. It was placed between the
forks and at the foot of a “Spicewood” bush,
and among the “Skunk Cabbage.” It con-
tained one egg of the Warbler and two Cow-
bird’s eggs.

Owing to the presence of the Cowbird’s
eggs in the nest 1 was afraid the female would
not lay a full set, and 1 very foolishly took the
two eggs of the Cowbird out of tlie nest. Al-
most as soon as I had done this 1 regretted it,
and the result showed my mistake, for when,
on the 30th of May, I returned my worst ex-
pectations were realized. The bird had not
only deserted the nest but had broken the egg
also!

Thinking that the bird might have begun to
build another nest in the same woods I looked
about, and after awhile I found another which
I at first supposed was the second nest of the
pair whose nest was deserted, but I found
afterwards that I was mistaken. Although I
was very careful not to touch this nest it was
deserted also.

On the 2d of June, in another woods I found
my fourth nest. It contained one egg. This
nest was placed on the ground between the
forks of a small bush, like the others, but it
was on a hillside about thirty feet above a
stream.

I thought that I would certainly get a set
from this nest, but another disappointment
was in store for me, for on returning on the
6tli of June I found the nest deserted and the
egg broken.

Going on from this woods to the other where
I had found nests Nos. 1, 2, and 3, I found
that as I mentioned before the birds had de-
serted nest No. 3 also. By this time I was
beginning to get disgusted as I had found
three nests, and all of them had been deserted.

1 was looking through the woods for the
last time before going home, when suddenly a
Kentucky Warbler got up almost under my
feet and ran rapidly along the ground. Looking
down I soon saw the nest and was delighted
to find it contained five beautiful eggs which
were perfectly fresh. It was evidently the
second nest of the pair that built nest No. 2,
as the egg in that nest was exactly similar to
the five I had now found.

On June 7th, I went to another woods and
after looking around for over two hours with-
out success I began to get tired and sat down
for a few minutes. Suddenly a Kentucky
Warbler got up some distance from me (about
fifteen or twenty feet, I should say). I soon
found the nest. It was placed in a similar
position to the others, and contained five
slightly incubated eggs. The bird, while I
was packing up the nest and eggs, flew from
• twig to twig uttering cries of distress. This
nest was on a slight hillside.

LOGrIST.

105

About ten minutes afterwards in tlic same
woods another Kentucky Warbler got up very
near me. I found its nest in a few minutes.
It contained five young birds. The female
ran rapidly along the ground, trying to induce
me to follow it and leave the nest unmolested.
Ne: The male was also near by.

This nest was placed, like all the others, at
the foot of a small bush. It was on a piece of
yj level ground between two dried-up streams,
son and was smaller than the other nests, though
nest similar in construction.

mow On June btli, I found another nest of this
Dela Warbler. I was walking through the same
alnu w0 °ds where I found nest No. 4, when a Ken-
w ] 10 tucky Warbler got up close to me. The nest
0] was easily found. It contained four fresh
this 11 was plficert like all the others at the

swa - foot of a small bush, and was on a hillside.
War This nest was somewhat different from the
soot others being more slightly put together and
1 1 having in addition to some dead leaves, some
was green ones. The lining was the same as the
sma others,

shel 1 f lhl not And any more nests until the 21st
a p, 0 . of June, when I found two which were both in
it w the same woods where I found my first set of
ond * 1 egg*- The young birds bad left both these
rjv nests, one could easily see by their condition,
andi 0 lle °t the nests, however, contained one
otlu rotten egg. They were both placed oil the
root ground between the forks of small bushes, in
I swampy parts of the woods, and were about
y ea . an eighth of a mile apart,
tion On the next day (the 22d), I found a nest
and (which was just finished) in the woods where
guc , I found my second set. I left this until the
retl 20tli, when I returned and flushed tlie bird,
cess Tl le nest then contained three eggs of the
mir Warbler and one of the Cowbird, in which
0 l u j incubation had begun.

This nest had evidently been built by the
j f (! same pair of birds that I took a set of five
f ov j from on the 7th of June, as the two nests
j were not more than fifty yards apart. It was
ta j r placed on the ground between two small
bushes in a rather open, level spot in the
woods and was about twenty yards from a !
stream of water.

I Apparently the nests do not differ materially
except in size. Sometimes the lining consists
also .of liorse-hair in addition to the black
rootlets. The number of eggs in a set is from
three to six, though usually four or five. Mr.
Ladd has found two sets of three, while Mr.
Jackson twice found sots of six. The eggs,
like nearly all of those of the Warblers, are sub-

106 ORNITHC

ject to great variation in size, shape, markings,
etc., and it would take a large series to show
all their variations. Cowbird’ s eggs are found
sometimes in the nests.

I think that a Kentucky Warbler prefers a
swampy woods for its nesting place, though
they often build on a hillside some distance
from a swamp.

The time to look for the eggs is from May
25th to June 10th.

Tiic four sots of eggs may he thus described :

Juno G, 1889, Chester County, Penn. Five
eggs, fresh; light, creamy white, heavily
spotted with hazel and lilac-gray. On three
of the eggs the markings are principally con-
fined to the larger ends, where they form in-
distinct wreaths, but the other two eggs are
wreathed around the smaller ends: ,75x.59;
.71 x .00; .71 x .58; .71x.60; .71x.60.

June 7, 1889. Chester County, Penn. Five
eggs, incubation slight; white, speckled and
spotted with vinaceous, and a few spots of
lilac-gray. The markings are principally con-
fined to tlie larger ends, where they form
indistinct wreaths : ,79x.G0; .80x01; .77x.OO;
.79 x .00; .81 xOO.

June 9, 1889. Chester County, Penn. Four
eggs, fresh; wiiite, speckled and spotted with
vinaceous-rufous and a few markings of lilac-
gray. The markings are much heavier near
tlie larger ends, where they form indistinct
wreaths: ,76x.59; .71x52; .72x.59; .07x.56.

June 29, 1889. Chester County, Penn. Three
eggs, incubation begun, (contained also one
egg of the Cowbird); light creamy Wiiite,
speckled and spotted, chiefly at tlie larger
ends, with cinnamon-rufous: ,87x.58; .84 x

.58; .82JC.57. J. P. Norris Jr.

XIV. July. 1889 P.104-10C

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(t

is the second season that I have searched the Fresh Pond

>4 $ ^-.swamps ^ >or Connecticut Warblers-in vain, I do not believe they can
have been there in any numbers. On two successive days I met a
young collector (Brown I believe) there hunting them. He told me
that he had considerable experience collecting them in these swamp
but could find none now. Last autumn he was not here. He promised
to send me word if he found any subsequently but I have not yet

n

heard from him.

Walter Faxon in letter

20

On September 15, 1S83, there flew into a store in this city a Connecticut
Warbler, which was, as far as I then knew, the first Canadian specimen.
In December of the same year, a consultation with Mr. Mclwraith disclosed
the fact that he had some specimens of the same species, which had never
been satisfactorily separated from the Mourning Warbler. These have
been in his possession for years. Again in May, 1884, attracted by a new
note, after spending some time in a swampy thicket, I succeeded in captur-
ing another of this species near London; and since knowing their note
have found them tolerably common, but quite shy here as swamp birds,
and.quite common at Point Pelee, for a few days in June, as ground feeders
in dry places, where, on the above trip, several were procured. — W. E.
Saunders, London , Ont. ,&ak, 2, July, 1886. p. 3 0*8

Birds of Toronto, Canada,
by James H. Fleming,

Part II, Land Birds,

Auk, XXIV, Jan., 1907, t>.35.

263. Geothlypis agilis. Connecticut Warbler. — Regular migrant,,
not common, May 23 to 30, and August 26 to September 12. This was
considered one of our rarest warblers till about 1896 when Mr. J. Hughes
Samuel found them not uncommon in May at Island Park.

Maine Notes. — Oporornis agilis ( Wils .) Baird. Connecticut
Warbler. — Mr. Nathan Clifford Brown, in a paper read before the
Portland Society of Natural History April 3, 1882, gives this bird for the
first time a place in the Maine fauna. He met with it Aug. 30, 1878, on
Cape Elizabeth. I would record a specimen which I took in August.
!879, at Ebeme Lake. This makes the second record for this State.

Bull. 17.0.0. 7 , July, 1882, p, /?<?.

Connecticut Warbler — A Correction. — In the ‘Bulletin of the Nuttall
Ornithological Club’ for July, 1882 (Vol. VII, p. 190), I recorded the cap-
ture of a Connecticut Warbler at Ebeme Lake, Maine, in August, 1879,
which made the second record for the species in the State.

To make certain of its identity I sent the skin to Dr. T. M. Brewer,
who wrote me (Oct. 26, 1879) that as well as he could make out the speci-
men was the Connecticut Warbler, but that he would get some one more
an fait in plumage than he was to confirm or reverse his opinion.

Following this he returned the skin and wrote (Oct. 30): “I have
shown the inclosed to Mr. Allen and have his confirmation of my own
impressions. The agilis is rather an interesting specimen.”

Lately the question of its correct identity was again raised, and to make
assurance doubly sure I sent the skin to Mr. William Brewster for ex-
amination, giving its history. Mr. Brewster wrote me (March 28, 1886) :
“The case is of such importance, I have compared it carefully with large
series of both Oporornis agilis and G. 'Philadelphia. There can not be
the slightest doubt as to its identity. It is a perfectly typical Geothlypis
Philadelphia in autumnal plumage.” From Mr. Brewster’s careful exam-
ination he is undoubtedly correct, and 1 would correct the record already
made.— Harry Merrill, Bangor. Iff-Ank, 3, July, 1880. ; y/J

Additional Occurrences of the Connecticut Warbler in Maine. — On

seeing Mr. Merrill’s note in the July number of ‘The Auk’ (Vol. Ill, p. 413)
last summer, on the status of the Connecticut Warbler in Maine, I was
reminded of a bird which I had taken in September, 1SS5, at Saco, which
I had supposed to be of this species. At the time of reading the note I
was away from Cambridge, and, being unwilling to send any communica-
tion regarding my bird until I had examined it again, was obliged to
wait until October. Before that time, however. I had the pleasure of
taking two more specimens at Saco. The first was taken September S,
in a maple swamp, not more than twenty yards from where the specimen
of the previous year was secured. The other was shot September 13,
in a dry blueberry heath, on a pine tree, where it seemed to be feeding.
To make certain in regard to their identity I have just shown the three
skins to Mr. Brewster, who pronounces them undoubted Oporornis agilis.
— Joseph L. Goodale. Cambridge , Mass.

Auk, 4, J»n. f 1887 . p . J J , .

%

2 2.

Connecticut Warbler in Maine.— September 16, 1906, in the woods
of Cape Elizabeth, I saw a warbler which I could not fully identify at
the t! “ e ’ but which answered the description of a Connecticut Warbler,
the white eye-ring being particularly prominent. The following day’
September 17, 1906, a cat brought to a cottage, about 200 yards from
the spot where I saw the above mentioned bird, a young male Connecti-
cut Warbler. The specimen was taken to Mr. Arthur H. Norton, curator
o the 1 ortland Society of Natural History, and was verified by him.
Ihe skin is now in the collection of the Society. This, I believe, is the
seventh record of this warbler in southwestern Maine. The previous six
records are as follows: Brown, Cape Elizabeth, Aug. 30, 1878, Abstract

0 T- 0 f°' rtla , nd So °' Nat ' Hist -’ 1882 >' Goodale, Saco, Sept. 1885, Sept.
8, 1886, and Sept. 15, 1886, Goodale in Auk, Vol IV p 77- Norton
Westbrook, Sept. 20, 1896, Bull. Univ. of Maine, No. Ill,’ p.'ll 9 ; Norton’
Westbrook, Sept. 5, 1901, Journal Maine Ornith. Soc., Vol VI p 47 —
W. H. Brownson, Portland, Me.

Aaie, X • ■ V. Jah., 19 Q7, f-foy.

Another Connecticut Warbler from Maine. — The publication by Mr.
W. H. Brownson in the last number of ‘The Auk’ (p. 105) of seven records
of the Connecticut Warbler from Maine leads me to record another speci-
men of this bird which I shot in Eliot, York Co., Maine, on September
12, 1894. This specimen, which was a bird of the year, is now in my
collection.— Amgagg I ^^pr L . L ,’ X*?,’

Oporonis agilis and palfmmrm palm a ru m at Shelburne, near

Gorham, New Hampshire.— On September 14, 1884, while collecting near
the ‘Dryad Camp’ on the side of Mt. Baldcap (altitude approximately 800
feet), I secured a female Connecticut Warbler. When seen it was hopping
about in a tangle of hobble bushes and low alders, which covered a small
piece of swampy ground in high open woods. No others were seen
although I looked carefully for them, and went to the same place several
times hoping to find more. This adds the Connecticut Warbler to the
birds of New Hampshire.

Auk, 2, Jan., 1885. p. /o*f-

Busuner Birds of PreaidentialRange,
White Mte, A. P. Ohadbournt,

[36. Geothlypis agilis, or G. Philadelphia. On July 7, 1886, I saw a
bird in a damp thicket, by the side of the carriage road, at an elevation
of 2640 feet, that was undoubtedly either a Connecticut or a Mourning
Warbler. In its slow, listless motions and peculiar way of flirting its tail,
it reminded me most of the former as seen in Massachusetts in autumn >
hut the latter would seem to he far more likely to occur.]

Attk, 4, April 1087. p. 10 :

The Connecticut Warbler in Vermont. — On September 20, 1S88, I took
a male Connecticut. Warbler (Geotklypis agilis) in the Green Mountains,
two miles north of Pittsford, Vermont. This is, I believe, the first record
of the species in Vermont. — Frank H. Hitchcock. So?nerville , Massa-
chusetts. Auk, VI. April, 1889. p. ( 93 .

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Brief Notes.

Connecticut Warbler . Is it a settled fact that Oporo-
nis agilis is as rare as it is said to be by many ornithologists
of Massachusetts? Last spring I collected two and on the
17th (Saturday last) got two, the 19th one, and yesterday
one. I found them all near one locality, and amongst a
mixture of scrub oak and birches, in bottom land nearly
surrounded by marsh. Those collected last spring were in
ground of the same character. IF. IF. Castle, Ashland,
Mass., May 23. O.&O. IX, Jun. 18 .i-'. p. ft"

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Brief Notes.

Connecticut Wabbles . Is it a settled fact that Oporo-
nis agilis is as rare as it is said to be by many ornithologists
of Massachusetts? Last spring I collected two and on the
17th (Saturday last) got two, the 19th one, and yesterday
one. I found them all near one locality, and amongst a
mixture of scrub oak and birches, in bottom land nearly
surrounded by marsh. Those collected last spring were in
ground of the same character. If. If. Castle, Ashland ,
Mass., May 23. o.&o. IX. Jun.iS 84 .p, Ytr

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Connec ticut Warbler ( Oporornis agilis ). 1
took this specimen September 9, 1885," and one
more September 18. 188fi.

Q i-r-ltftt 36* E. Mass. 1885.

1450 . Occurrence of the Connecticut Warbler ( Oporornis agilis ) in
Massachusetts in Sfring. By C. J. Maynard. Ibid ., pp. 43-44-

|$uar. Jour, 3 q«, Zool. Boo. JI

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5. Oporornis agilis. Connecticut Warbler.— Late in the afternoon
of September 27, 1907, a mild, cloudy day, one of these birds flew against
a window of the hotel and was killed. It was preserved and is in my
possession.— Richard Merrill Marble, Brookline, Mass.

A«k a«, oct-ieot.p. e<37.

2 ?

3L0GIST.

43

The Connecticut Warbler.

( Oporornis agillis).

BY C. M. JONES, EASTFOED, CONN.

I made my first acquaintance with this bird in
the autumn of 1880. It was on the 30th day of
September that I was making my way through a
large boggy meadow where the grass had not been
cut and stood fully two feet high, hoping every
moment to start up something that might be an
addition to my collection. I was just approach-
ing the edge where the ground began to rise
slightly and a different kind of grass grew, when
up started a bird from the ground and flew a few
rods into a growth of bushes and small trees. I
saw her light in one of the trees, where she ran
along on the nearly horizontal branch very much
as I have seen the Golden-crowned Thrush do. I
supposed it was that species and thought I would
save the specimen for the autumnal plumage, so
advancing a few paces within reach I fired. But
on picking up the bird I saw that it was quite
another species, and took it to be a Mourning-
Warbler until I noticed the white ring around
the eye.

Again on the morning of October 5th, I went
out for a short ramble, and while walking along
by the edge of a swampy thicket I saw a bird rise
from the ground and dart into the bushes. I was
quite near and could see as she paused for a mo-
ment, that it was the same species as that which I
had captured a few days before. I was too near
to fire, and while backing off she disappeared and
no amount of searching enabled me to discover
her again. Going on further to a little swamp of
about a couple of acres where mosses and skunk
cabbage and various kinds of reeds grew I waded
through it near one side and back again near the
other without starting anything till I stepped out
onto dry ground, a bay field, when I saw another
bird rise from the grass and burry into a clump of
low bushes. Such movements were becoming fa-
miliar. I waited a long time, and could see the
bushes move as the bird kept bopping about
among them, but not a glimpse of the bird her-
self, though I felt sure that she kept an eye on me
all the time. At length all motion ceased and I
finally beat the bushes through, but she had evi-
dently retreated to a safer place. Somewhat dis-
appointed I started for home, but concluded to
take in, on my way, the place where I liad seen
the other bird. As I came near she started up
again and was in the bushes in a twinkling. As
she paused for a moment on a branch, though very
near, I dropped my gun quite below the. mark

44

ORNITH

and fired. On taking lier in ray hand I found that
I held a somewhat mangled Connecticut Warbler.

These birds were both extremely fat, so that it
was difficult to skin them, and quite impossible to
make satisfactory specimens of them. The first
bird proved to be a female, the other was so in-
jured by shot that I could not determine the sex.
So short a study does not give one a very full
knowledge of their habits, but so much I learned,
that in autumn they seek for food on the ground,
in open land, but near some covert into which
they hasten when alarmed, that they are very
restless at such times, yet conceal themselves care-
fully and still manifest considerable curiosity
toward an intruder and are silent. In the spring
they may appear very differently.

O.&O. XI. Mar . 18 8 6. p. -/yj-Vy.

Last Dates of Migratory Birds Ob-
served in the Fall of 1885 , at Mon-
treal and Vicinity, Canada.

ERNEST D. WINTLE, MONTUF.AT,.

Ana

Sept.

i,

8 ,

9 ,

15,

16,
17 ,
22 ,

28,

29,

5,

12 ,

15,

17,

19,

26,

Oct. 10,

11 ,

18,.

Nov.

25,

31,

11 ,

Indigo Bird.

Chipping Sparrow.

Tyrant Flycatcher, Summer Warbler.

Catbird, Red-bellied Nuthatch, Barn
Swallow, White-bellied Swallow.

Purple Marlin.

Baltimore Oriole.

Red-eyed Vlrco,Bhtek-and- White Cheep-
er, and Sharp -shinned Hawk.

Niglithawk.

Redstart, and Olive-sided Flycatcher.

Chimney Swift, Black-hilled Cuckoo.

Golden-crowned Thrush, and Yellow-
bellied Woodpecker.

Wild Pigeon.

Cedar Bird, Golden-Winged Woodpeck-
er, Purple Grackle, and Broad-
winged Buzzard.

Wood Pewee, Pine-creeping Warbler.

Yellow-bellied Flycatchel and White,
throated Sparrow.

Wilson’s Thrush, Pigeon Hawk, Yel-
low-rumped Warbler, and Black-
throated Green Warbler.

Goldfinch, and Winter Wren.

Song Sparrow, Downy Woodpecker,
Black-capped Chickadee, \ Purple
Finch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Her-
mit Thrush, Blue Jay, White-bellied
Nuthatch, Great Horned Owl, Pine
Linnet, and Wilson’s Snipe.

Wilson’s Snowbird.

Robin, and Brown Creeper.

Hairy Woodpecker.

Capture of the Connecticut Warbler (Oporornis agilis ) in
Spring at New Haven, Conn. — On May 30, 1879, 1 secured a female
of this species, while collecting in a small tract of low second growth, not.
far from the city. They are very rarely taken in spring in this State, and
are rare at any time. — George Woolsf.y, New Haven, Conn.

Bull N, O.O, 5, April. 1880, p. // 7 .

The Connecticut Warbler. ( Oporornis agilis ) — a Correction.

In a small collection of birds kindly sent to me for examination, by Mr.
George Woolsev, is the specimen recorded as Oporornis agilis in Vol. V.
p. 1 17, of this Bulletin. The specimen proves to be a female Geothlypis
Philadelphia. The bird was taken May 12, 1880, and the correction of
the error becomes the more important from this fact, since it leaves Opo-
rornis agilis without a spring record for southern New England. — J. A.
Allen, Cambridge, Mass. Bull. N. 0.0. Q, April, 1S81, P, //V

The Connecticut Warbler in Conn.

BY IT. W. FLINT, NEW HAVEN, CONN.

The past season (fall 1887) has been excep-
tionally productive, having furnished me with
a species of Warbler “new” to iny collection,
viz : Oporornis agilis. I have secured two
specimens this fall and a friend of mine shot a
fine male while we were collecting on the after-
noon of Sept. 2G. Also had the pleasure of
taking on Sept. ‘24th an adult male Tennessee
Warbler. Have found this species but once
before (May 22nd, 1878) and my experience of
about fifteen years active collecting would jus-
tify the remark, “very rare” as applied to this
bird.

With the exception of the Cape May, I have
now collected all the Warblers that can be said
to occur regularly in Connecticut, including
two fine specimens of Hel. Leucobronchialis
taken several years ago, and hope to add the
missing one ere long. ,

b.&O. XII. Oct. 1887 P./7*

Occurrence of several rare Birds near Sing Sing, N. Y, —
The capture of the following birds is of some interest, as they are com-
paratively rare in this locality ; also the time of year in which some of
them were taken is unusual.

1. Oporornis agilis. Connecticut Warblf.r. — I shot a male Sep-
tember 19 , 1878, in a clump of bushes, while I was looking for a Myiodi-
octes mitralus , which I had seen a few minutes previous, and had failed to

A / /V. 7/.fy,

Bull, if, 0,0. 4, Jan, 2870, p 6/.

S f < f ('■ , Jr < , c l,^ ^

CP— UjX. / Z,,fo f t os

V V V

>V" ,VK/ YWixX “Ck.

*/l/

c:<f.

qo 2, p,9 9

Geothlypis agilis. The Connecticut Warbler was unusually abundant
during the latter part of September, 1900, in the vicinity of Jamaica South.

Ten specimens were taken by the writer and manv were seen. Geo. K.

Cherrie, Museum gge fooojfyu, N. Y

Ask, XIX, April., 1902, p-^'°

un ZL k t SULCX- C UfrC.

28. Geothlypis agilis. Connecticut Warbler. Not listed. A laie
fall migrant at Peterboro, according to Mr. Miller.

^ rl ■ Allk - xx > Jnl ^ 1003 < » • ^ u(a -

Notes from Western New York.
Maurice G .Blake, Hanover ,11. H.

Auk, 24, Apr. ,1907, p. Z-'Z.jr,

Geothlypis aqilis . — Mr. Antes had the good fortune to record a spring
migrant of this species at Canandaigua in the early morning of May 29,
1906. He followed up an unfamiliar warbler song to a dense but small
thicket. After patient waiting he obtained several very near and con-
vincing views of a male Connecticut Warbler as it sang. Careful searches
in the afternoon of the same day and the next morning failed to reveal
this warbler in the near vicinity. Early in the morning of May 31, Mr.
Antes and I came upon a Connecticut Warbler in an old, overgrown gar-
den about two-thirds of a mile west of the spot where Mr. Antes had
observed his bird two days before. Presumably the two observations
were of the same bird. While Mr. Antes returned for his gun, I had a
half hour in which to study the bird carefully. Its loud song had first
made us aware of its presence, and it proved a persistent singer. From
a small apple tree in the rear of the garden it flew to a clump of willows
standing by itself in an open pasture. I was able to come up to the clump,
and, looking within, see the warbler but a few yards from me. The white
eye ring was distinct and prominent, and the breast uniform bluish gray.
When a pair of Song Sparrows drove it from the clump, it flew to a bushy
fence border, and here I had even clearer views of it. Several times I
saw it in the act of singing. When Mr. Antes returned it was again back
in the thick clump. As it worked towards the edge, he shot. We spent
three-quarters of an hour in fruitless search among the close-growing
willows, and then gave it up. Though the record is unfortunately not
complete, it is none the less positive.

The Connecticut Warbler in Central Park, New York City — 1

was fortunate enough to find an individual of the Connecticut Warbler
( Oporornis agilis) in Central Park on May 16. The bird was a male in
curious plumage, as there was not the usual amount of slate-gray on the
breast. At first sight I thought it was a Nashville Warbler, but soon
noticed it walking on the ground, with its tail up in the air, and then ob-
tained a view of its breast. It was absurdly tame, and was within eight
feet of me, when first observed. During the day I showed it to about ten
bird students. Mr. W. deW. Miller, of the American Museum of Natural

History, came over in the afternoon, and four of us leaned in a row on a
fence, while the bird walked unconcernedly around catching flies, not more
than 15 feet from us. We were able to make out every detail, including
the elongated tail-coverts. Part of the time the bird was so close that I
was unable to focus on it with my binoculars. The Warbler remained in
the Park in the rhododendron bushes for six days, walking about fre-
quently in the open. This species is apparently a very rare spring
migrant along the Atlantic Coast. — Ludlow Gbiscom, New York City.

Nest and Habits of the Connecticut Warbler ( Otorornis amh\) —
A few miles south of Carberry, Manitoba, is a large spruce bush and in
the middle of it is a wide tamarack swamp. This latter is a gray mossy
bog, luxuriant only with pitcher plants and Droseraj, At regular distaii
ces as though planted by the hand of man, grow the slim straight tama-
racks, grizzled with moss, but not dense, nor at all crowded; their light
eafage casts no shade. They always look as though they were just
about to end, though the swamp really continues for miles— the same dank
gray waste.

At times the Great-crested Flycatcher was heard uttering his whistlitm
croak. Besides this the only noticeable sound was the clear song of a
Warbler. It may be suggested by the syllables, beecher-teecher-beecher-
beccker-beecker-beecher. It is like the song of the Golden-crowned
Tlnush, but differs in being in the same pitch throughout, instead of
beginning m a whisper and increasing the emphasis and strength with
each pair of notes to the last. Guided by the sound, I found the bird high
m the tamaracks. It was not shy like the Wood Warblers, so it was easily
secured. It proved to be a male Connecticut Warbler.

As I went on, a small bird suddenly sprang from one of the grave-like
moss-mounds. It seemed distressed, and ran along with its wings held
up, like a Plover just alighting. On seeing that I would not he decoyed
away, it ran around me in the same attitude. Recognizing that it was
the Connecticut Warbler, 1 took it, and then sought out the nest in the
moss. It was entirely composed of dry grass, and sunken level with the
surface Ihe eggs, four m number, measured .75 X .56 in. Before being
1 own they were of a delicate creamy white, with a few spots of lilac-pim-
ple, brown, and black, inclined to form a ring at the large end.

This nest was sent, with the parent birds, to the Smithsonian Institu-
tion; the indentification was confirmed, and the nest deposited in the
Museum. — Ernest E. T. Seton, Carberry, Manitoba.

Auk, I, April, 1884. p.

2f

ORNITHOLOGIST

—AND —

OOLOGIST.

$1.00 per

Annum.

PUBLISHED BY FRANK B. WEBSTER.

Established, March, 1875.

Single Copy
10 cents.

Vol. XIV.

BOSTON, MASS., APRIL, 1889.

No. 4.

Nesting of the Connecticut Warbler.

This handsome and active species (Oparornix
agilix ), though not abundant anywhere, is yet
pretty widely distributed over the Province of
Ontario during the summer months. At
least I have noticed it in the different sections
where I have resided, especially where it finds
the particular places that it loves to make its
summer home and nesting site.

This is generally on the margins of damp,
woody lands, or second growth timbered
tracts, where there is low, thick underwood,
raspberry vines, tangled brush, and fallen
trees. It also appears to have a partiality for
ravines, sides of small hills, and the margins
of creeks, where there is deep concealment.
Amidst the thick foliage of such places one
kind of the long notes of the male bird may
often he heard, while the little performer
itself is invisible. Atotliertimesliewill rise to
a considerable elevation, and after a pleasing-
musical serenade, in which lie appears to take
much pleasure and pride, he descends rapidly
into the leafy underwood near which it is
probable his partner has her nesting place.

Another peculiar haunt of this species is
partly cleared fields between woods, and
where roads are made through patches of
forest, hut it does not often appear in the open
field or near human habitations, nor is it found
deep in the woods either of hard or soft wood
lands, though as the forest is fast disappear-
ing, it will doubtless also change its abiding
places.

In the early settlement of Canada, the little
clearing in the backwoods surrounding the
pioneer’s shanty, where tall weeds, sprouts
and vines grew luxuriantly around the stumps,
and along the fences, this warbler found
many a congenial home and nesting place near
the cabin of the settler, or wigwam of the
Indian, but with the better cultivation of the
farm, and the more extensive destruction of

the original forest, all has become changed,
and with these changes the life-histories of
many of our wild birds, including the species
under review. And in this connection I would
remark that it and the Mourning Warbler
( Geotldypix Philadelphia) frequent much the
same localities, although in their nesting they
differ much.

In its general habits the Connecticut Warbler
is shy and retired, and but few of the species
are ever seen in company, and but seldom do
they leave the shelter of the woods for the
deep foliage of their haunts, although occas-
ionally the farmer, who has an eye and ear to
appreciate the sights and sounds of nature,
may, at any time of the day, see or hear an
individual on the margin of the woods, or
along the vine-clad fences, near where it makes
its summer home. Should the nesting place
be invaded the female gives vent to her dis-
pleasure in a series of sharply uttered notes,
which usually brings her mate upon the scene
to offer his sympathy and assistance, and the
scolding is kept up until the intruder leaves
the vicinity. Sometimes, however, the male
seems too distant, or otherwise engaged, to
pay any attention to the alarm notes of the
female, and she is left alone to battle as best
she can with the cause of her discomfort.
When, however, the young are in the nest, Gl-
are unable to seek their own safety by flight,
should one of them utter a note of distress,
the male as well as the mother are soon upon
tbo scene, mingling his notes witli hers, and
equally exercising his arts to drive or draw
away the disturber, and no creature can show
more affection to its young, or solicitude for
their safety than this species of the Warblers.

The scolding note of this bird more resem-
bles the word “vitcli” than the “chip ’’-like
note of the other species of warblers, and by
this means it may more readily be distin-
guished, though its person may be out of
view amid the deep foliage; while the song

Copyright, 1889, by Frank B. Webster.

50 ORNITHOLOGIST [Yol. 14-No. 4

notes of the male, uttered in a clear and pleas-
ing tone as he perches on some elevated branch,
seems to resemble the words “rush, l-usli,
rusli-o-worry,” and by this lie is easily distin-
guished from the Mourning Warbler, although
at even a short distance their plumage much
resembles each other. There is also this dis-
tinction between these warblers, that while
tiie male Connecticut often rises high to warble
his ditty, the Mourning coniines the display of
liis musical talents to positions nearer the
ground; and the peculiar long note that the
former emits, as he sometimes rises on flutter-
ing wings, bears some resemblance to the
charming song of the Winter Wren.

Since the early years of our pioneer life in
the backwoods of Peel, I have been more or
less familiar with the habits of this interesting
species, for it was almost the only member of
its family that seemed to make its summer home
among the fallen and tangled brushwood and
partially cleared patches along the banks of
the creek that intersected the homestead,
where I passed my boyhood days, and for
many years it was known to me as the Linnet,
because some of the older members of our
family stated that it resembled the bird known
by that name in our native land, and I must
more often have seen its nest and eggs than I
now can call to remembrance.

The first nest of this species that I now rec-
ollect to have seen was on the margin of a
wood, separated from the clearing by a brush
fence into which the bird darted, when an
elder brother and I flushed her from her nest-
This was placed in a small cavity in the side
of a little bank, much like where a Slate-
colored Junco (Junto hy emails) would choose
for her nesting place, and was composed of
similar materials to those which that species
uses. This contained six eggs. A year or
two after this a friend of ours who then owned
the neighboring farm, and who knew that I
was interested in birds, informed me that
when clearing some new land he had found
the nest of a very strange bird. Anxious to
see it, I went with him to the hush, and on
approaching the place, to my disappointment,
out flew the warbler. This nest contained but
three eggs, and was placed in a space among
the roots of a clump of swamp maples that
were growing by the side of an old moss-
■ covered log.

Years passed away, and coming to this sec-
tion of the country, and devoting more time
and attention to the life habits of our wild
birds, I noticed that this species was a com-

o.&o.

moil summer resident on the margins of most
of the low wooded lands in this vicinity, and
one day in the early part of June, about nine
years ago, when rambling in a piece of low
woods, I found the first nest of this species
that I had seen for many years. This was
sunk in the earth, near a turned-up root, but
without any particular shelter. It was com-
posed mostly of fine, dry grass, and contained
six eggs which I took, but ignorant of tlieir
value I gave them to other parties.

Another nest of this species that I found in
the same wood was taken on the eleventh of
June, 1886. I had, in company witli one of
my boys, flushed the bird, and her notes and
manner told me that her nest was near, but at
the time I failed to find it. Returning that
way some hours afterwards, I cautiously ap-
proached the place where I thought the nest
was concealed, and in passing the side of a
low cedar root, I again flushed the warbler.
A momentary search revealed the nest in a
crevice of the root. This was composed of
dry leaves, stalk of weeds, line grass, and
some line hair. Owing to its position, it was
more bulky, but rather loosely composed, than
the other nests of this species that I had ob-
served, and seemed to indicate that when this
warbler made her nest anywhere else than in
a hole in the ground, she does not make so
neat a job of it.

This nest contained five eggs about half
incubated. One was broken in preparing
them, but the other four are in my collection,
and in every particular they are almost identi-
cal with those of the Mourning Warbler (Geoth-
lypix Philadelphia). They have the same clear
whiteness of hue as those of the nuthatches
and chickadees, but the reddish-brown dotting
is more confined to a circle near the large end,
although there are more or less of these spots
scattered over the surface. Compared witli
those of the more familiar Black and White
Warbler (Midotilta varia), they are more glob-
ular, but not so oblong as those of the Can-
adian Warbler (Myiodioctes canadensis).

On May 21, 1888, 1 heard for the first time
tiie song notes of this bird, and soon after saw
the little musician perched towards the top of
a swamp elm, about fifty feet from the ground,
repeating with great animation his “rush,
rush-a- worry.” Next morning I was surprised
hut pleased to hear the notes of this species in
our garden, and upon a nearer approach found
it engaged in a tussle among some bushes
with a Bed-eyed Vii-eo (Vire.osybHa olmaeea).
From this contest it appeared to come off
second best, but rapidly repeated its song notes
as it took a, hasty departure. On May 24tli,
being out on a ramble I noticed tiie songs of :
these birds in various places, on the borders .
of low wood lands, and during the rest of the
season they appeared to be tolerably common,
but I failed to find any nests.

V. Apr. 1889 p, 49-51 William L. Kells.

Listowel, Ontario.

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Breezy Point, Warren, N.H.

1894. We were somewhat surprised to find a Mourning Warbler

June 27. singing in an opening by the roadside ’where we have passed a
number of times during our stay and within thirty yards of
where I spent the entire forenoon of the 25th. It is probable
that he is a roving bird which had come to the place since •
our last visit.

June 29. The clearing and the partially cleared sides of the road

(W. Faxon and I took a drive this morning ) supplied an ideal
nesting ground for Mourning Warblers and I have never seen
these birds more plentiful, even on Mt.Grayloch, while their
numbers exceeded anything that I have ever hitherto observed
in northern New England. There were indeed so many that it
was difficult to count them but as nearly as we could make
out we heard, in all, eleven different males. We spent an

hour or more searching for their nests but without success.

Birds of Upper St, John
Batcaeider,

26. Geothlypis Philadelphia ( Wilsij Bd. Mourning Warbler. —
Common in suitable places. It was almost sure to be found in “burnt
lots,” where the fallen trunks lay, half hidden by a luxuriant growth of
tall weeds, or thickly overrun with vines. Under the shelter thus afforded
they undoubtedly nested, safely screened from the most searching eyes.

Bull. N.O.Oj 7, April, 1882, p,110

Stmm^rBde. Reatigouch® Valley, N:B,

J 'ly, *88. J. Brittain and P.Cox, Jr.

Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler.— Not uncommon in
the upper part of the valley, but unobserved on the lower river.

Auk, VI. April, 1889 . p.lis

Dwight. Saumuer Birds of

Prince RsTward Island.

Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — Apparently rare,
though a few were found at Souris in the bushy edges of dry fields
adjoining the woods.

Auk X, Jan, 1893. p.lS '

\ t-AiA f 'd~G-£_

.Bummer Birds of Sudbury, Out.
A.BLAlberger,

679. Mourning Warbler. Common. Breeds.
Nest with full-fledged young July 8th.

XV. J0»6i 1800, P»88

X

V- i \ // A f

XV///,

Birds of Toronto, Canada,
by James K. Fleming,

Part II, Land Birds,

Auk , XX I V , Jan, , 1907, p . 85 .

264. Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — Regular mi-
grant, not uncommon, May 11 to 30, and August 15 to 26; rare summer
resident; breeds. Mr. C. W. Nash took a young bird from the nest, July
1, 1893; Mr. J. Hughes Samuel saw adults with young, July 30, 1895.
This is another species that was rare up to a few years ago.

. Profile House, N. H.Auqr. 1-12-1867. *

— J%^er< o>- <S *. oh .

■etf u~£-(L. Co /X-,

Bds. Obs. inFranconia, N.H. June 11-21
■86, and June4-Aug. 1,’87, W. Faxon

70. Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — -Two, one near
the Profile House, the other near the village.

Auk, V. April, 1888. p.153

/ v / r v

Breezy Point, Warren, N.H,

* 1894.

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* O.SsO. X. Jan. 1885. p. /<?-

Summer Bds.Mt. Mansfield, Vt.

68. Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — Quite com-
mon in the brushy clearings and thickets around the base of the moun-
tain. I shot one in the thick woods a short distance up the slope, but
nearly all that I noted were along the road leading through Smugglers’
Notch.

They are extremely shy, and only two or three times was I able to ob-
tain even a glimpse of them, although by approaching stealthily, X could
get fairly close. The song is characteristic, though it bears a strong
resemblance to that of the Kentucky Warbler.

by Arthur H. Howell. 4.uk, XVIII, Oct., 1801, p.344.

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Co. Mass. June 28 -July 10. W. Faxon

60. Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler. — Common.
Noted at altitudes from 1000 to 3500 feet, one pair at least being established
in the edge of the clearing on the summit of Gray lock. Especially abundant
where the forest has been cut on the south side of the ‘Bellows-Pipe’ in
Adams. Wherever the land has been recently cleared, but not appro-
priated for pasturage or tillage, the Mourning Warbler is found, the
most characteristic tenant of the dense ‘sprout growth’ that forms the
vanguard of the succeeding forest. By widening the domain of this
lovelv bird the wood-cutter atones, in a measure, for the destruction he
causes. The voice of the Mourning Warbler is full. The song that I
most often heard resembles the syllables thur-ree. thur-rce , thdr-ree (some-
times the repetition was four times instead ot three). A refrain consisting
of three notes, with the accent upon the last, or of two notes with a strong
accent on the first, the voice falling on the second, was sometimes ap-
pended. At other times the form of the song was quite different, con-
sisting of but five notes, the penultimate note strongly accented, the last
pitched on a lower key. The last two notes together are equal in time to
one of the first three. Something in the mode of delivery of the latter
song suggests the song of the Water-Thrush, as Mr. Maynard* has
observed. As far as I could determine, the same bird always followed
one score. The Mourning Warbler, like the Golden-crowned Thrush, or
its nearer relative, the Maryland Yellow-th roat, is much given to an
ecstatic aerial song that defies description. On the first ot July I dis-
covered a nest of this bird. It contained four young birds. On the
seventh the young had flown and the nest was secured. It was placed
about ten inches from the ground in a clump of young beech saplings.
The body of the nest is composed of strips of bark and dry leaves, with a
lining of fine black roots and horsehair. Many dead leaves are fastened
to the outside. But slightly attached to the saplings the nest rests upon
a loose platform of dry spruce twigs. The inside diameter is about two
inches. Of large size and slovenlv construction the nest is not a very
creditable specimen of Mniotiltine architecture.

* Proc. Boston Spc. Nat. Hist., XIV, 362.

Auk, VI. April, 188S. p. 103 - /£> V .

Rare Warblers in Massachusetts. — In the wonderful flight or
bird-wave, especially of the Mniotiltidae , that took place with us May 21
and 22 last, and for some species continued during a few succeeding days,
three Mourning Warblers, all males, were shot near Fresh pond, Cam-
bridge. These, in the flesh, were kindly shown me by Mr. C. J. Maynard.

At Framingham, f on the above-named dates, Mr. Browne and myself
identified twenty species of Warblers — among them specimens of the Cape
May, Tennessee, and Bay-breasted; of the last two several were obtained
in Eastern Massachusetts. Among New England Warblers, collectors
here consider Geothlypis Philadelphia to be the rarest, and Dendrceca tig -
rina next in scarcity. Helminth op hila peregrina and Dendreeca casta-
nea follow, though in the fall migrations this latter species occurs in mod-
erate numbers with more or less regularity. — II. A. Purdte, Newton,

Mass.

Bull N.O.O, 7,Oot.l682.P. J? 6' 3 .

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Geothlypis Philadelphia.— At Overlook Mountain I found Mourning
Warblers, adults and young, near the top of the steep upper slopes of the
mountain, in woods consisting mainly of scrub-oaks twenty or thirty feet
high, with a good deal of underbrush of oaks and other shrubs, and with
here and there a fallen tree. I mention this, as it seems contrary to the
usual habits of the species which is apt to frequent such places as Mr.
Bicknell found it in, — burnt land grown up with willow herb, wild red
cherry, etc. &Dk a TO. Jtily, 1890, p„ «f4T

Geothlypis Philadelphia. — At Overlook Mountain I found Mourning
Warblers, adults and young, near the top of the steep upper slopes of the
mountain, in woods consisting mainly of scrub-oaks twenty or thirty feet
high, witli a good deal of underbrush of oaks and other shrubs, and with
here and there a fallen tree. I mention this, as it seems contrary to the
usual habits of the species which is apt to frequent such places as Mr.
Bicknell found it in, — burnt land grown up with willow herb, wild red

cherry, etc. &D k» VII. July, 1890, p.

3 9 -> General Notes. [October

General notes,

Geothlypis Philadelphia Breeding in Western New York. — In mv list

of ‘Birds of Niagara County, N. Y.\ published in ‘Forestand Stream,’
Sept., 1889, I intimated that the Mourning Warbler bred in Niagara
County. On June 13 last my suspicions were confirmed by finding a
nest and eggs of this species. I was passing through a heavily timbered
wet wood, and about ten rods from the western border I came to a
small opening, three to four rods square, when, in about the centre of this
opening, a bird flew from under my feet into the adjoining thicket.
Glancing toward my feet I saw its nest and eggs, and on adjusting my
field glass I saw that the bird was a female G. 'Philadelphia and immedi-
ately shot it. The nest was placed in the centre of a clump of cowslips.
The nest is composed of coarse grass and leaves on the outside, with fine
grass inside and lined with hair. Measurement outside, 3 in. deep, 3.50
in. across; inside, 1.75 in. deep and x. 75 across. Eggs white, with a
wreath of reddish brown and lilac on the large end, and finely blotched
with brown over the whole surface. Measurements, .76 X .51, .77 X .50,
and .78 X .50. I have the nest and eggs, and the bird mounted, which,
with a fine adult male specimen received May 23, I consider a valuable
addition to my collection. These specimens were taken in the same
woods where I found Detidroica ceerulea breeding in 1888. — J. L.
Davison, Lockport, Niagara Co.,N. T. Auk, 8, Oct, 1891 , p, 3 fb

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Breeding of the Mourning Warbler in Ontario County, N. Y. — On
June 26, 1891, I was passing through a damp, low thicket when an outcry
from a small bird drew my attention to it, it proving to be a female
Mourning Warbler ( Geothlypis Philadelphia'). Her cries soon brought
the male with a beak full of small green worms, evidently collected for
the young, but on seeing me he quickly devoured them that he might
better join in the remonstrance against my presence. After a short
search I found two young birds, nearly grown and fully feathered, but
unable to fly. I caught one and held it for some time, thus bringing the
parents within a foot of my hand and permitting of the fullest identifica-
tion. I could have shot them but forbore to do so hoping that they
might breed there the coming season. This is the first time I have
known this species to breed in this vicinity. — B. S. Bowdish, Phelps ,
r - Auk, 8, Oct, 1891. p. 3%

Birds of the Adirondack Region.

C. H.Memain.

36. Geothlypis Philadelphia ( Wilson) Baird. Mourning War-
bler Common summer resident, breeding chiefly in the dense growth

of blackberry and raspberry bushes that spring up on nearly all the
burned districts.

BU&N.O.O. O.Oot, 1081, p. 228

Some Birds of Le-wis Co, N.T,
O.Hart Merriam

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Geothlypis Philadelphia,

— — — */ ^

Bull. N.O.C, 3, April, 1878. p. 53

Auk . TV7 ~w !!-;>». >.v 99 .

Notes on Two Rare Birds from Long Island, N. Y. — Mourning
Warbler ( Geothlypis Philadelphia).— Giraud, in writing of this
species in 1844 (Birds of Long Island, p. 65) says : “ A few years since, a
specimen was obtained by Mr. Bell on Long Island, the only one which I
have known to have been procured here.” So far as I am aware, there is
no other published record of the occurrence of this species on Long
Island, so I wish to place on record a specimen, now in the collection of
the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, taken at New Lots (now a
part of the city of Brooklyn), in June, 1862, by George B. Braineid.

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29. Geothlypis Philadelphia. Mourning Warbler riw
rather rare transient visitant. Occasionally seen duH™ th
According to Mr. Miller it breeds mtl r 7 , ° g the summe r-”

* ‘"S'> o„ the StockbS; E.. „T ? " *""*"* 1 “

mu*. -€LS~~s k • ^ta.yt'H £ . J; , p. ^ £ £

A DESCRIPTION OF UNUSUALLY DEVELOPED INDIVID-
UALS OF THREE SPECIES, AND REMARKS ON UNCOM-
MON PLUMAGES IN SEVERAL OTHERS, TAKEN NEAR
WEST POINT, N. Y.

BY EDGAR A. MEARNS.

1. Geothlypis Philadelphia, (Wilson) Baird. Mourning Warbler.
— A specimen of this species (No. 1000 (J, May 26, 1876, E. A. M.) is re-
markable for its high development. All of its markings are unusually
bright ; the chin, throat, and forepart of breast almost solid black ; the
feathers of the chin and upper part of the throat only exhibiting the
faintest margins of ash. Professor Baird * has remarked : “ It is quite
possible that in the full-plumaged male the entire throat may be black, as
there is a tendency to this in some specimens.”

* Birds of N. Am., by Baird, Cassin, and Lawrence (Vol. IX of Pacific Rail-
road Reports), p. 244, 1858.

Bull N.O.O. 3, April, J873, p, #7

Nesting of the Mourning Warbler.

About the year 1877, in the early days of
.June, as I was nest-hunting in a piece of
swampy woods near the railway track, about
a mile south of this town, and while I was cau-
tiously moving through a clump of low, second
growth underwood, chiefly composed of
swamp maple, my attention was arrested by
a series of sharp chipping bird notes, and,
gazing in the direction from whence the
sounds came, I saw that the author was a
small bird, whose plumage I then took to be of
a uniform dusty brown hue. A little more re-
search discovered that the cause of her solici-
tude was a partly composed nest, placed on the
horizontal branch of a small cedar, a little over
a foot off the ground. Her notes of displeasure
soon brought her mate on the scene, and lie,
flitting among the newly acquired foliage of
the shrubbery, added his notes in sympathy
with hers, but from the glimpses that I then
got of both birds, I did not discover any varia-
tion in their plumage.

Jan. 1889.]

AND OOLOGrIST.

I soon withdrew, leaving them to settle their
little business, but intending to return in the
course of a week or so, which I did, and on my
approach, saw the bird seated on her nest, from
which she flushed, and I found that it con-
tained four eggs. These, with the nest, I re-
moved, but on my way homeward threw the
latter away, not knowing the prize I had in
hand. These eggs have since remained
in my collection, and, until lately, were
labelled “Dusty Warbler.” Referring to some
notes, which I soon afterwards made, I
find the following regarding this species: Its
color is a dusty brown hue, with an olive tinge.
Its common notes are a simple “chip,” pecul-
iar, too, and varying hut little in the warblers.
Its habitat is the outskirts of soft-wood timber
lands, where there is low, thick underwood,
in some thicket of which, sometimes on the
branch of a small cedar or other evergreen,
the nest is placed. This complicated structure
is formed of dry stalks, line strips of bark, and
other woody matter, lined with fine hair. The
eggs (four to the set) are white, with a
sprinkling’of reddish spots towardsjthc large
end.

Tears passed away, ami 1 saw no more of
this species, or its nest; but during the season
of 1887 some more links were added to the
chain of nay knowledge regarding it, and
finally to its identity. On the 81st of May, of
that year, I noticed coming out from among
( the willows, and other soft underwood, that
grew on some low land adjoining my farm, the
peculiar song notes of some small bird, which
I did not remember to have previously heard.
Desirous of becoming more acquainted with
the little stranger, I approached in order to
have a nearer interview. But the active little
fellow, suspicions of my intentions, rapidly
flitted from bush to bush, keeping himself
well concealed among the loaves, near the tops
of the underwoods, all the while, however,
emitting his “Whit-a-dee, wliit-a-dee, whit-a-
dee” song. At length I got a good view of his
plumage, and especially noticed his brown
■coat, yellow vest, and black throat.

I hunted in the vicinity for some time, but
failed to discover any others of the species, or
any appearance of a nest, except an old one
that had been occupied the previous year, and
may have belonged to this species. Some days ;
afterwards I again searched the vicinity where
my new found friend was still warbling liis
ditty, but failed to discover any nest, and as
other work was pressing, i soon abandoned
nest-seeking for the season, but almost daily,

when near that vicinity, I heard the little song-
ster until the hay-making was in progress.

Oir the 4th of October, of tire same season,
when on my way to the Falls o:f Niagara, I
called on Mr. Thomas Mcllwraith, in tire city
of Hamilton, and among other specimens of
mounted warblers in that gentleman’s splendid
collection, I noticed one which he informed
mo was the Mourning Warbler ((leothlypis Phil-
adelphia). Afterwards referring to my notes,
and reading the description of this species in
his work, The Birds of Ontario, I became cer-
tain that the strange bird noted in the early
summer was the Mourning Warbler, and that
the nest above noted belonged to that species,
and this conclusion has been confirmed by my
observation of this species during the past sea-
son.

Now, viewing tlie set of eggs in my collec-
tion, I note that the ground color is a clearer
white, and that the dotting over the surface
and tiie coloration towards the larger end is
more of a brownish hue than the coloring of
the eggs of the more familiar Black and White
Warbler ( Mnintilta va Ha), but in size and form
there is scarcely any difference.

Early in May, of the past year, some pairs of
this species made their appearance in some
low places on “Wildwood,” and for some days
their pleasing songs, intermingled with those
of tlie Water Thrushes and other warblers, en-
livened the vicinity, but as June advanced
their shifting about from place to place showed
that they had not settled down to nesting,
and towards the middle of the month .‘hey
disappeared altogether.

William L. Kells.

Lis towel, Ontario. Q.& O. XIV. Jan. 1839 p. 4-5

Nesting of the Mourning Warbler.

On June 27, 1889, while watching a pair of
Mourning Warblers (Geolldypix Philadelphia)
feed their young, which had just left the nest,

I discovered that there was in the vicinity at
least one more pair of birds, and that their la-
bors were not as far advanced as the others was
apparent by the presence of the male only,
which showed conclusively to me that the fe-
male was at the time incubating a long sought
for clutch of eggs, and at no great distance
from me.

1 was in hopes that the male would soon find
some insect in his movements through the
bushes that would be choice enough for his
spouse, but my hopes were in vain. I watched
him for an hour and lie was not out of sight
more than an instant at a time, and during this
period lie acted as if lie wanted to decoy me
away from where I was so comfortably seated
on a log. So I finally yielded and lie led me off
some seven or eight rods into a thick patch of
undergrowth and briars and gave me the slip.

I passed on through the clump and returned
by a roundabout way to an old tree top which
f could conceal myself in, and which was
about three rods from my former position.

Prom here within less than fifteen minutes 1
had the satisfaction of seeing him alight on a
stump with an insect in his bill, and after
looking around for a minute drop into a little
bunch of hard maple hushes which were
about five feet from the stump, and in a short
I time I saw him return to the top of the stump
without the insect.

I suspected something, but held to my place
of concealment until the act was repeated,
when i went to the spot and commenced
parting the bushes, whereupon .Mrs. Mourner
came out, and although she appealed quite
seriously injured l think she would have lived
had not 1 shot her a few minutes later. In the
centre of the bunch on the top of a little
stump about four inches across from where
these bushes grew was the nest, which con-
tained three eggs, which upon examination
proved to he about one third incubated. To
make the identity positive I collected both of

The nest, which is before me, was placed
about eight inches from the ground, and is
composed of weed stalks with layers of leaves
mixed in, and is lined with fine black rootlets,
which Was in fine contrast to the eggs which
were of a pinkish-cream ground color when
taken, but at present are as follows:

Egg No. 1. .71 x ,5fi. Ground color creamy-
white, marked with blotches of reddish-brown,
and witli lilac-gray shell markings. All of the
blotches or marking's with the exception of one i
(Which is on the side) are on the larger end, in
the form of a wreath.

Egg No. 2. .72 x.58. Ground color creamy-
white. All the markings are wreathed around
the large end in blotches and spots of light
reddish-brown, with lilac-gray shell markings.

Egg No. 3. .7 1 x .33. Ground color creamy-
white with blotches and spots of reddish-
brown about equally distributed over the
entire surface of the egg, and a wreath of
lilac-gray shell marking at the greater end.

E. G. Tabor.

Meridian, N. Y.

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<2

1890#

Mass

Oeothitrpis trichas #

June 28 Martha’s Vineyard# Exceedingly numerous throughout
the wooded portions of the island being found in about equal
numbers in the dense swampy thickets along the brooks in the
valleys and on the brush plains where the perfectly dry, sandy
soil was covered thickly with a low oak scrub#

The songs of most of the birds heard was more or less unlike
those of our Middlesex Co. birds. I noted che-wee . chee-wee .
chee-wee and che e -we e -ghe e . chee-wee-chee . chee-wee-chee the
latter not far from normal#

Geothlypis tr ichas

Whitef ield, N.H.

1897.

About three quarters of a mile up the Lancaster road, N.

July 19.
18.

of ovir house, is a large clearing where the trees have been

cut away, and bushes and weeds and grass have sprung up. This

morning I walked into the opening a short way, when a female

Maryland Yellowthroat flew up flew nw from under my feet with-
in a rod or two of the road. Looking down I found a nest

built about four inches above the ground between the stalks of

some Aster punieeus , which was abundant round about, and was

from two to three feet high. The nest contained three eggs.

July 19.

This morning I visited the Maryland Yellowthroat ' s nest

and found that two of the eggs had hatched. The young were

about as small as I can imagine a bird to be.

July 20.

This afternoon I again visited the Yellowthroat 1 s nest

and found the third egg hatched. The three young are all

right.

July 23.

This morning I looked at the Yellowthroat ' s nest and

found the three young ones all right and growing.

July 25.

j

This afternoon a visit to the Maryland Yellowthroat 1 s

nest found the young ones quite well feathered and nearly

filling the nest.

I stroked the head of one of them.

Whitef ield, H.H

Geothlypis triohas .

1097. I paid another visit to the Yellowthroat 1 s nest this af-

July- 36. ternoon. As I drew near, I saw the male "bird for the first

time. He had an insect in his bill and was hopping about anx-
iously. I found the three young still in the nest, but they
looked about old enough to leave it. They seemed pretty well
covered with feathers, and all had their eyes closed as if a-
sleep.I touched one of them with my finger and it immediately
opened its bill for the expected morsel of food. It got none
but opened its eyes and saw me, when it shot out of the nest
in a twinkle into the grass. I could not find it and so I
left it for the parents to look after. The other two remained
in the nest.

July 27. My afternoon walk took me again to the Yellowthroat ' s

nest. Approaching the spot I saw the old bird, the female,
with an insect in her bill, flitting from bush to bush ner-
vously. i looked into the nest and found that the young had

gone. Two of the birds cannot be more than nine days old at

one

the very widest limit, while^cannot be more than eight days
old. This supposes that two eggs hatched immediately after my
visit on the 18th, and the third immediately after my visit on
the 19th, and that the young did not leave the nest till j\ist
before I visited it to-day, the 27th. I do not know whether
the bird that flew from the nest on the 26th, returned again.

GeothlvPis trichas .

Peterborough, Hew Hampshire.

1390. Very common in moist thickets in fresh meadows and about

July 5 the shores of ponds and not at all uncommon among oushes oor-
to

Aug. 15. dering stone walls and roadsides on high and perfectly dry
ground. The singing record is as follows:- July 17*, lS^,
19|, 20| , 21) , 23*, 24 ^ 30.)., August 5*.

-Jirds of Upper Sfc. John.

Batohoider.

27. Geothlypis trichas (Linn.) Caban. Maryland Yellowthroat .

— Common.

BuU. N.O.O, 7 , April, 1882, p.110

Birde -within Ten Miles of Point
da Monts, Can, Comsau & Merri&ua

19 . Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. — Not common.
Saw two in the clearing about Mr. Allan Gilmour’s camp on the Godbout.

Bull N.O.O, 7, Oct, 1882, p , 234

Summer Birds of Bras D’Or Region
Cape Breton Id,, N.S. J. Dwight, Jr,

Auk, 4, Jau., 1887. p.16

Summer Bds. Restigouche Valley, N.B,
July, ’83. J.Brittai* and P.Cox, Jr.

Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. — Rare.

Amk, VI. April, 1889. p.119

Birds of Magdalen islands.

Dr. L.B.Binhop.

56 . Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellowthroat. — I hardly like
to include this species, as, although we found it fairly common in
Nova Scotia, and are both positive that we heard its song many times on
the Magdalen s, I was unable to obtain a single specimen.

Auk, VI. April, 1889. p. 149

Summer Birds of Sudbury, Out

A. H. Albergrer,

Birds of Toronto, Canada,
by James H. Fleming,

Part II, Land Birds,

681. Maryland Yellow- throat.
Broods.

Common.

JCS@ a 18S0, Pr 88

Auk, "v\I7, Jan. , IS07, ji.SB.

265. Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla. Northern Yellow-throat
— Regular migrant, common May 8 to 31, and August 31 to October 6
latest fall record October 19, 1904; rare summer resident (June 6, 1905).

64. Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla. Northern Yellow-throat.
— Once met with, July 19.

Birds of DeadRiver Region, He. F. H. 0.

81. Oeothlypis trichas, (Maryland Yellow-throat).
This species was observed near Farmington and a
collector in that town assured me that he annual-
ly secured its eggs. Did not observe it in the
mountain region.

O.&o. XI. Oct. 1886 . p. 145

SnrnmerResidents on Southwest
Coast of Maine. T.H, Montgomery. Jr.

681. Maryland Yellow-throat. Common at
Camden and Bootlibay.

O.aca©, 16a Nov, 1390, p.iaa

V

/7

yV

isC. c^ S

/ ^

Bds. Obs. at Franconia and Bethlehem
IS. H. July- August, 1874. J, A. Alien

4 1 ' Geothlypis trichas. Common.

Auk, Y. April, 1888. p.154

joircsubsvd. near Holdernes«? "NT tt

56. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. — Common.

Auk > V. April, 1888. p.161

Bds. Obs. in Franconia, N.H. June 11-21
*86, and June4-Aug. 1,’87, W. Faxon.

71. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland. Yellow-throat. — C ommon.

Auk, Y. April, 1888. p.153

Birds Oils, at Bridgewater, N.H.
July 12 -8 »pt. 4, 1883. F.H. Allen

Geothlypis trichas. — Quite common on side-hills.

Auk, VI. Jan., 1680. p. 77

Bir4» #b*. at Moulton boro, N.H.
J*ly2i-Aug. 11, 1883. F.H. Allen

Geothlypis trichas. — Quite common.

Auk, VI. Jan. , 1869. p. 78

£5

Breezy Point, Warren, N.H.

Breezy Point, "Warren, N.H.

1804 ,

-Uj

^ JYatlyLu^

#4 /&'* £/* «*i w

7n <0*^4, '■■

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£t c-/ o.V

374

(&^ ^ Mr.

69. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. — Observed a
few times in Stowe Valley; said to be not uncommon.

by Arthur H, Howell. Auk, XVIII, Oct., 1901, p.344.

/&X 1 /

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2-18.85

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/ Pr^6eto6iisyjjtland,Maga. Aug- 2

y VU^/L*-* . Cok^*.o~ - -

s E3. Maas. 1888.

^ .... . r .,.,.

. PigeooGove, Mass. July, 29-1888, * ,

42 . ^<--*2*/. ^o». . .. . . ^ Uv a-<

^ ^SX & 2iS^ a ! <i, t*" J W ,18 --r8&

, ( yy^y»y«y.m 5 ,-; 3-.

y ^ - almouth, ]&^ eB , 1889.

Afoss. {near Concord ).

CU^ ^ *? - $/&

1887

•^y f/x: . 1 0 *. ii - /£ £ j-jt xi - £ J

J<— *$*■ - ^ ~_ £ A 7 - _ /£-'_/ 7^4

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Y

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7T v*T ^ ^^^CiFC' dtr-^j’

4Ly ^u# ^'L-C^T'-A-^ t

W. Middlesex Qo. Mass,

June 25-30, 1889.

}w CisW ^ ftf /

/h 7

J— z y J . U*\ u*j

the lower levels m
ohe height of afoout

We st Town send , Ash by, Mt. Wa t at 1 c Abundant jt h rougho ut

this region, and found also on Mt. Wat at 1 c go
1000 feet- in full song during our stay.

Geothlypis trichas wintering in Eastern Massachusetts. — I have re-
cently examined a male Maryland Yellow-throat brought me by a neigh-
bor. which was caught by his cat in the latter part of January, 1884. He
was unable to give the exact date, but is positive it was later than the
middle of the month. The bird was in fine plumage and good condition,
evidently not prevented by disease or injury from accompanying its mates
southward at the usual season. As I can find no similar record, I thought
it might be well to make a note of the above. — F. C. Browne. Framing-
ham , Mas: s. Auk, I, Oot., 1884. p. ^ST<7

V<b

/ Prin^etofi&^utlaud.Ma^a. Aug. 2 - 18,85 ,

^ ' A,

S J3. Mass. 188,5 / . . .

■O. &*//./?/,., /Cf^. U #Y / -

/ PigeouCove, Mass. ^July, 29-1885. ^ '

y x/ZtoXZL, r - 0 #e**~*& flu<

/,; 1^4^^ a ! d '^'%' 18 ./ 8 t4

V **+**■$/>* 3 vMj -ii&

Mass. ( near Concord).

1887

fyk _ loijjijt £ /7^n'y tL3 £
z% . If -_ L'^T±_ /v!jt&

7 **. /*i./ 4 t

4^. I k%- . 7*<t . /o I* „ n\p* . IV. i

■v - K'U

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W. Middlesex Oo. Mass,

June 25 - 30 , 1889 .

7 ?^ ^ i 7b*.. .. /

mi

J.^zy 3 ’

r

,) .*

West Townsend

the lower levels in
che height or afoout 1000

Ashby, Mt. w a t at 1 c Abundant throughout

this region, and found also on Mt. ■ Watatic oo
full song during our stay.

region,
feet; in

Geothlypis trichas wintering in Eastern Massachusetts.— I have re-
cently examined a male Maryland Yellow-throat brought me by a neigh-
bor. which was caught by his cat in the latter part of January, 1884. He
was unable to give the exact date, but is positive it was later than the
middle of the month. The bird was in fine plumage and good condition,
evidently not prevented by disease or injury from accompanying its mates
southward at the usual season. As I can find no similar record, I thought
it might be well to make a note of the above. — F. C. Browne. Framing-
ham , Mass. Auk, I, Oot., 1884 . p. 3%£f .

Fall Migration, Bristal County, Mass.
1 885, Charles H. Andros.

Sept, 12 ; Maryland Yellow-throats seen to-day

O. &O. XI. Jan. 1886, p. Si

Birds Known to Pass Breeding Season
nr. Wmohendon, Mass. Wm. Brewster

69. Geothlypis trichas.

Auk, V, Oot,, 1888. p. 389

Birds of Bristol County, Mass,
F, W. Andros. ,

Geothlypis trichas (Linn.), Maryland Yellow-
throat. Summer resident, common. Breeds.

O.&O. XII, Sept. 1887 p.141

/tifjr

Juuty /$, //£ lol Zi'~ ZfZ^

Bds, Ohs. n»ar Sheffield, Berkshire
Oy, Mass. June 17-30, ’38. W. 'axon

64. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat. — Common.

Auk, VI. Jan. , 1860.P.4Q

Mr

i/Otc+Aj /0.

"/ A

// /3

Denton

7L

Bds. Otjs. near Graylock Mt,. Berkshire
Co. Mass. June 28- July 16. W.FaxoA,

61. Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat— Not rare but
not so abundant as G. Philadelphia. Found to some extent in the same
localities with the latter, but oftener at a lower level and in more cult,
vated country.

Auk, VI. April, 1889. p. 104

On January 31, 1S90, I shot a young male Maryland Yellowthroat
( Geothly pis trichas ') , in the Fresh Pond swamps, Cambridge. When
found he was in the company of White-throated, Swamp, Song, and Tree
Sparrows, sticking closely to the tall weeds and dense shrubbery, under
which he would run about on the ice, leaving the imprint of his delicate
little feet on the thin coat of snow. He was in beautiful plumage, and
plump, although the mercury within a week had fallen to 5 0 F. (prob-
ably lower in the swamp). Cf. Auk, I, 389. — /t'a.iXi*.

Jot, 1390, p, i09.

Connecticut. June. 1883,

■ t

£ww, •' j V *»

' " .T 3 6» 7t X*Ii>*h.II% M*y

*3 1 itf' f i^ii %m z^*-*

/? 4<3 3 j

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Ls*

Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla. A young male with the bill twisted
into much the shape of that of a crossbill — the maxilla bending over the
mandible to the right with a notch in the side worn by the latter — was
collected in East Haven on Oct. 4, 1905. It -was fat and otherwise m
good condition, and was feeding in the top of a small tree about twelve
feet from the ground like the tree-warblers.

•Birds of the Adirondack Region.

C.H.Merriajcn.

37. Geothlypis trichas (Linn.) Cabanis. Maryland Yellow-
throat. — Tolerably common summer resident.

Bull, N.o.o; B.Odt, 1881. P.228

Arrivals ofMig’y Birds, Spring-1880,
Central Park,N. Y. City. A. G. Paine, Jr.

May 9, Geothlypis trichas, (081. Maryland
ellow-throat.

Q.& O. XI, J uly. 1886, p. loo

Maryland Yellowthroat ( Geothlypis trichas). A fine male of this
species was noted and watched for some time on November 13, 1903.
His late stay was owing, no doubt, to the congenial surroundings, formed
by a thick growth of a species of wild honeysuckle, covering the ground
and low bushes in a sheltered spot, remaining green late in the winter,
and containing many warm and sunny sheltered nooks.

„ R. An ^ f { < ,

/ 1 OS . Ur\nA ,

■r

.^ 7 .

* . M aryland Yel-

kw-jbroat all arrived on April 1st, which bears out Prof.
Cooke’s observation that, the night before the maximum of
a warm wave biings most of the migrants, 1 he night of
April 1st waB the night of maximum heat, but the birds
must have come before then, as they were here on April 1st.
— II. II. and C. S. Brimley.

O.&O. X. May. 1885 . v.H

Changes in the Plumage of Geothlypis trichas. — In the interesting
review in the October ‘Auk’ (1885), of the tenth volume of the British
Museum Catalogue of Birds, Mr. Allen very appropriately takes occa-
sion to correct the gross error, into which most of the books have
fallen, in regard to the winter plumage of the males of so common
and extensively distributed a species as Geothlypis trichas. The error in
question is a statement to the effect that in winter the adult male loses
the conspicuous black and ashy markings about the head, and takes on
the uniform olivaceous and brownish colors of the upper parts of the
female. In making this correction, however, Mr. Allen, I believe, does
not go far enough, for according to my observations the males not only
never assume the plumage of the female after having once attained the
masculine livery, but young birds moult directly into a plumage approach-
ing that of the adult male (which will be indicated in detail farther on),
when they begin in August to shed the well-known fluffy ‘first plumage,’
with its greenish and ochreish tints, brownish wing-coverts, etc.

There are, Mr, Allen states, instances in which the young male has
been taken in winter in the female plumage, but these, I think, should be
regarded as exceptional. I have examined very carefully the two large
series of this bird (including Mr. Brewster’s Occident alis , which, for the
purpose we have in hand, maybe ‘lumped’ with trichas ) contained in the
collection of the National Museum, and in that of Mr. Henshaw, besides
ten or a dozen other specimens, amounting altogether to 144 individuals,
and have failed to find a single winter male without the adult black and
ashy markings. But I did find three spring males with these characters
so imperfectly developed as to indicate, probably, that the birds had passed
the preceding winter in the plumage of the female.

The changes in plumage when the young male begins his first moult,
which occurs in August, in the latitude of Washington, may be briefly
summarized as follows : — The feathers of the head and middle of the
throat appear to be the first that are lost. The latter are replaced by yel-
low ones (not so bright, however, as in the adult), which at first are to be
seen in linear blotches. Those of the head give place to a new set, of a
fine chocolate brown color, shading off into olivaceous towards the nape in
most birds, in some, however, extending over almost the whole of the
upper parts. Before these two changes are completed, the first black
feathers begin to show themselves in the maxillary region, and they grad-
ually spread into an irregularly shaped patch on the sides of the head and
neck. Nearly all of these black feathers are tipped with ash, the amount
of which appears to vary with the individual. At this stage the black is
quite similar to that which adorns the breast of G. Philadelphia ; and in
this plumage the bird is the one described bj- Audubon (Orn. Biog., I,
i 832, 124. pi. 24) as Sylvia roscoe , and is very common during the latter
part of August and in September. The next step in this somewhat pro-
tracted change begins in September, when the black feathers make their
appearance on the forehead at the base of the upper mandible, whence
they continue to extend until the area usually covered with black is at-
tained; and the border of hoary ash now appears sharply defined against
the black mask and the greenish olive and brown of the rest of the upper
parts. The ashy tips to the black feathers have now entirely disappeared.
A New Orleans specimen (No. 90,665) taken November 22, undoubtedly
a young bird of the year, illustrates this phase very perfectly. No. 2782,
(Coll. H. W. II.), collected November 1, shows a stage preceding the
last; the soft chocolate brown covers the whole back of the head, and the
ashy band, which seems to be a very variable character, is very much
restricted.

It may be well to state that of the 144 specimens examined of trichas
and occidentalism 24 of them were young August and autumnal males in
various transitional stages of plumage, and there are none of them taken
later than August 20 which do not show some traces of the changes above
indicated. There is another peculiarity of young fall birds, female as
well as male, which seems to be very constant, first pointed out. I be-
lieve, by Professor Baird (Rev. Am. Bds. 1864, 221), namely, the much
lighter color of the bill as compared with spring birds.

During the past summer and autumn, the writer enjoyed excellent facili-
ties for observing the Yellow-throat in his native haunts. A favorite col-
lecting ground was. an old forest-surrounded field, near Ellicott City.
Md., through the centre of which ran a brook of considerable size, whose
banks wire fringed with such a dense and luxuriant growth of bushes and
tangled vines as to meet over the middle of the stream, forming, as any
‘bird-man’ knows, a paradise for Yellow-throats, Chats, and other thicket-
loving species. On three or four different occasions during the latter part
of August I penetrated this tunnel of verdure, and by employing the well-
known ‘screeping’ device — making a noise-machine out of the back of the
hand and the lips — attracted the usual mob of curious, scolding, and
anxious little birds. The young Yellow-throats were particularly numer-
ous in these excited assemblages, and once I counted seven young males
with the incipient black masks, and two young females in sight at the
same time, the most distant of them not twenty feet from the spot where
I was sitting. During the following month (September), I found the
young males in the transitional plumage quite common in Kentucky,
where I collected a good deal.

There is one specimen in the National Museum collection that doubtless
deserves special mention in this connection. The label thereof reads as
follows :

“66,643. Geothlypis trichas $ ad. No. 104. Cleveland, Ohio, May it,
1874. J- S. Newberry, M. D. Large testicles stated to have been found.
Given to Smithsonian Institution by E. Coues.”

Taken by itself the label presents nothing remarkable, but tied to the
leg of this particular bird it affords us one of those by no means uncommon
ornithological puzzles, which, in the language of Dundreary, “no fellow
can find out.” The bird is in the full spring plumage of the female , with-
out a single trace of black or ash about the head. — Charles Wickliffe
Beckham, Washington, D. C. Auk, 3, April, 1886. p, X

o

IMl

Ir^clv c *-^6-^Csi^^

-<£ jbrt^L

77

M*j7

^ ~~&<lZ*-^ o-k- ^e^-<- **■ — at-££-

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o—^*l ^yyyyy' e ir ^ s^sc*

^ <- + *--*-'*» — —

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( Ua*jOC L^s-^-^tt-fA^ ^e^sT.*. dO^y^fv^-j' ~Z\ J^U.

The Singing of Birds. E.P.Bicknell.

Geothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-throat.

There is probably a dual season of song with this species,
which is obscured by variation in the singing-time with individ-
uals. Though it usually remains in song all through the sum-
mer, in the last w'eeks of July and the first of August singing is
less general and less spirited than either before or after. Often
after the middle of August songs w r ill be louder and more fre-
quent than for weeks previously. Singing may cease at any time
from about the middle of August to the end of the month, or first
part of September (August 12 and 19, to September 3, 4, 1 1 and
13) ; but September singing is unusual. The moult takes place
in August, and is completed in September, when the birds
become fat.

With this species the habit of song-flight is well developed.

The little black-masked bird seems to believe it necessary
that singing should continue through the whole course of the
flight, and as the ordinary song, with which it begins, comes
to an end while yet the bird is in the air, the time is filled
out by a disarranged medley of notes very different from its
usual utterance. I have not often seen these performances before
mid-summer, and the August songs of the species are most fre-
quently those which accompany these flights, which are oftenest
indulged in the late afternoon or towards evening. This species,
and the Oven-bird, and Yellow-breasted Chat appear to be the

only members of the family Mniotiltidas with which the song-
flight is a normal and regular habit.

Auk, I, July, 1884. p. X/6 - Z/6

Anfe, XV, Jan., 1898, p, t>'f.

The Aerial Song of the Maryland Yellow-throat. — The flight song of
the Maryland Yellow-throat ( Geothylfiis trichas') one finds stated in
many of the leading manuals as never heard until late July or August.
This miss-statement, known to be such by many ornithologists, I have
never seen questioned.

I have noted this flight song in Eastern Massachusetts as early as
May 16, only about a week after their arrival, and heard it off and on
throughout the rest of May, June, and July. — Reginald Heber Howe,
Jr., Long-wood, Mass.

7*f

Maryland Yellow-throat 0 9 TT^cJL^*, .

t&lri&gtrm , Mas s .

Yesterday P„M. I walked from Cambridge to Arlington by way of
the Fresh Pond swamps. Wear Little Pond I heard the chip of a
Warbler in the Cat-tails, but it was so dark that I could not make
him out. My curiosity was so excited, that this morning I went
there early ; with a gun, and by dint of squeaking, brought the bird
into view, — a (female) Maryland Yellow-throat. You remember that
I shot a $ juv. in these swamps once in January. I did not shoot
the bird this morning, as I want to see whether I can't follow her
up in January. It is curious that the winter note of this Gird,
is altogether different from its summer note, — -much less hard and
sharp .

Walter Faxon (letter December 4, 1891 )„

song among some bushes near by, into
1 full view and only a few yards off, and
then by his deep black face and other
markings, I identified the species as the
( Maryland Yellow-throat. The nest itself
I was deeply hid among a patch of dry
' swamp grass and so well concealed that
I if the bird had not flew out it would have
been passed by undiscovered. Its founda-
tion was rather suspended among the
! grass than placed on the ground, though
it was several inches deep by about two
inches across in the inside, and was com-
posed wholly of fine dry grasses. The
eggs were of a clear white color, with a
ring or wreath of reddish-brown spots
towards the larger end and a few dots of
the same hue on other parts of the surface.
Next day, when another egg had been de-
posited, I took the set.

On the 24th of the same month I found
another nest of the same species not far
from this, and placed in a tuft of dry
grass about a foot from the ground, com-
posed also of fine dry grass and contain-
ing two eggs of similar size, color, and
marking. After four days, as no more
eggs were added and no birds were seen,

I collected these, but I found the yolks so
hardened that they could not be extracted.

IV. L. Kells.

Listowel, Ontario, Canada.

O.& O Vol.17, Sept. 1892 p. 132-33

j Nest of the Maryland Yellow-throat.

On the 8th of June, 1892, I collected
for the first time a set of the eggs of this
species. It is only in comparatively re-
cent years that this bird has made its
advent in this locality, and only in one
vicinity have I as yet observed it, or heard
its song ; and not until this season was I
: certain of its identity, though I knew it, at
least the male, as a distinct species for
Several years past; and, having read that
i it was a bush building bird, had searched
| in vain for its nest.

On the day previous to taking this set
of its eggs, I was crossing the burnt
swamp on the back part of “ Wild Wood ”
when a small bird flushed out of a patch
of dry swamp grass a few feet ahead of
my path. Her actions indicated that she
j had left a nest, and after a little search on
| my part this was discovered, containing
three beautiful fresh eggs. I saw at a
glance that this nest and eggs were new
to me, but for a time I devoted my atten-
tion to the bird and her actions, in order
to identify her, as her appearance was
much like that of the female Mourning
and Yellow Warbler, but I thought from
the site of the nest that she was not that
species. In a few moments, however,
i her chip-like notes brought her mate,
j who had been warbling his vjhitidy - like

A Few Nests Collected at Cornwall, Yt.
Spring-1889. 0. H. Parkhill.

Maryland Yellow- throat ( Geothlypis triehas).
Collected June 4th. I discovered the nest on
May 26th, by watching the 9 carry materials
with which to build it. On May 80th the nest
was completed, and on June 2d it contained
three eggs, and on June 4th it contained a full
set of five eggs. It was not a difficult matter
to locate the nest by watching the old bird
when building it, but after she had her set
completed it was not so easy, as in going and
coming from her nest she threaded her way
through the tall grass, all the time keeping
well hidden.

0.& O. XIV. Oct. 1889 P 150

The Maryla nd Yellowlhroa t. that vivacious
little member of our avi-fauna, finds the black-
berry bushes a secure place to fix its nest in. A
walk through a patch of berry bushes in April,
May and June, before the berry pickers are
abroad, will certainly startle some from their
briery retreat. Make an opening in the side of
this dome-shaped berry bush from whence our
bird has flown, and there — surely, if that is not
a pretty nest, aud if our bird has no idea of
icstlictics, it is capable of accidentally arriving at
wonderful results in the harmonious arrangement
of forms and colors.

I found a nest of tile Marylan d Yellow Throat this sum-
mer, situated about three feet from the ground ; in a very
thick bush. It. contained one young Maryland Yellow
Throat, one egg and one Cowbird, the Cowbird was as large
as both the old Maryland Yellow Throats put together.
Have any of the readers of the O. & O. found a nest of this
bird in like situation?— IT. U,

^VirUsi jU/vvw Xtn ■

* O.&O. IX.Nov.1884. s

O.&O. X. Dec. 1885. p, }*)0 ~ l J/

&

found a Marylan d Y ellow -th roat’ s nest with three Cowbird’s
eggs in and none of its own, the eggs were all partly incn-
bated -

Maryland Yellow-throat, 6 ;

°-*°- VIU. Oct. 1838. p,^

O.&O. X. Apr. 18 S 5 . p . 6 ^

The Maryland Yellow-throat.

(Oeothlypis trichas.)

BY CHAS. 8. ANDROS, TAUNTON, MASS.

This beautiful little bird, also known as the
Black-masked Ground Warbler, is generally
ranked as common in this part of the State. It

abounds along the brooks and swampy lands, in-
habiting bushes on the edges of creeks and ponds.
The male cannot be mistaken after once being
seen. The black mask completely covering the
head, and handsome yellow throat are his most
prominent features. The female is of a much
duller hue, and her modest plumage is in great
contrast with that of her male. They arrive in
early May and may be easily approached, not
having that fear of man so often displayed by
others of the family. The female, I believe, is
rarely seen unless flushed from her nest. After
her treasures are removed, she takes a silent fare-
well and is-not seen about the locality again.
Walking along beside some swampy land, a male
will take alarm at the sound of your footsteps
and fly from some bunch of ferns near at hand,
quickly followed by another and another, until
half a dozen have flown from the spot, and it is a
mystery where they go. But if you proceed,
another flock will leave the next large clump of
ferns. Whether they believe in concealment or
what their motive is, is to be solved. I have
watched the ferns where they disappear, for
perhaps twenty minutes, and not a sign, but move
towards their place of concealment they immedi-
ately leave. Their nest is built in the latter part
of May. Earliest date for fresh set, .Tune 4. Latest
date, June 17. The latter nest taken during the
season of ’82, contained five eggs of pure white
ground and marked with scrawls and spots about
the crown, with one or two black spots resembling
a dot of “India ink.” The nest is placed on or
near the ground in some swampy land, composed
of loaves and grass and lined with fibres and grass,
arched over and with a small entrance. I have
remained in close proximity with one some time
before discovery. A nest found last season in a
very low bush contained four fresh eggs. The
bottom of the nest was thickly tenanted by black
ants, evidently not in a very peaceable frame of
mind, as my hand and arm testified on reaching
home. How the female could share her home
with such unwelcome guests, I cannot imagine.

O

h

©

*

£

CD

co

Oi

cn

Bird Caught by a Spider-:

You encourage correspondence, so I will venture to relate a
little incident of last Summer which may not be new to old
ornithologists, but was of interest to ine. While endeavor-
ing to add a few skins to my collection, I was attracted to
the border of an open wood, last June, by a great commo-
tion in a tree-top. Cautiously approaching. I found quite an
excited assembly of little birds regarding with great anxi-
ety a little yellow friend, who was fluttering and crying in
great distress. He seemed to me to be hanging in mid air,
but upon climbing the tree, I found that he was entangled
in a spider’s web, from which his most violent struggles as
I approached could not extricate him. The spider, one of
those large yellow-bellied fellows, was actively engaged in
winding him deeper and deeper in the meshes. The bird (a
Maryland Yellow-throat.) was caught by the legs, head and
one wing. 1 stayed near by until he was nearly done out,

then broke him loose with a branch, and had the satisfac-
tion of having him sit quite near to me and relieve himself
of the remains of the web, and also observed the discom-
flture of the spider. ££ * <y}***'.

O.&O. IX. Feb. 188 A. p. -tv

Nesting of the Maryland Yellow-
throat.

BY WILLARD L. MARIS, WEST CHESTER, PA.

.A very interesting and quite common little
bird of this locality, the Maryland Yellow-
throat, {Oeothlypis trichas ) has for some time
baffled my efforts to find its nest. However,
this spring, I found the long looked for treas-
ure, a beautiful set of five eggs.

This well-known bird arrives in this locality
about the tenth of May, and after a few days
spent in selecting a suitable nesting ground, at
once commences building. During the incubat-
ing period, the female is seldom seen, unless a
close approach to the nest, where almost her
whole time is occupied, is made ; and even then
as soon as the nest is touched she will vanish
in the woods. The males may be seen fre-
quently and quite often not in the locality of
the nest, which, together with the fact of its
being placed on the ground in the woods at the
foot of a bush, and being sometimes domed
over, renders it no easy matter to find it.

On the 28th of May, of the present year,
when on a collecting tour a few miles from
home, I chanced to see a male Yellow-throat
fly from the edge of a woods. It being a favor-
able place for this bird of course I immediately
began a search, but for fully fifteen minutes no
trace of a nest could be found, and I nearly
trod on it before the female flew away, thus
showing me her hiding place. The nest was
made chiefly of bark, and lined with a little
horse-hair, and located in the usual place
which this bird chooses, namely— on the
ground at the foot of a small bush. It was
rather bulky for so small a bird, and the black
lining well set off the five fresh, pinkish tinted
eggs. The brownish red spots were scattered
all over the eggs, although chiefly in a ring
around the larger end. On two there were a
few small blotches. In size they were some-
what smaller than eggs of this bird usually are,
measuring: .62x.47; .59x.48; .Glx.47; .59 x
.47 and .61 x48. 0.& O. XII. Oct. 1887 p.*e» /6i

16. Oeothlypis trichas. Maryland Yellow-
tliroat. A nest found in May contained one
Co wbird’ s egg.

Q.& O. XI VpSept. 1£89 p to .■

40

THE SCIENTIST.

■ THE SCI

The Maryland Yellow-Tliront.

Out of the host of warblers that yearly
visit us in the spring, en route for their
summer breeding-grounds, only a very
few make ibis the limit of their north-
ern flight, and condecend to breed
among us.

Going into the woods in the latter
part of May, after the iminenes tidal-
wave of warblers has passed us by, we
may rest assured that the warbler-
voices we now may chance to hear,
are the voices of those warblers which
will remain with us for the season.

Prominent among the utteaances of
these resident warblers, as one enters
the woods in the last days of May is
the simple, pleasing ditty of the Yel-
low Warbler, the more elaberate music
of the Chesnut-side, the drowsy buzz-
uzz-uzz of the Golden-winged War-
bler, and strikingly in contrast to this
last, the loud lackle-me, tackle-me lack-
le-me of the Maryland Yellow-throat.

These two last mentioned Warblers
are most at home in low aud swampy
regions, and here their respective songs,
so strikingly in contrast to each other,
and so in keeping with the swampy
surroundings, may be heard thoughout
the day :-the Golden-wing's so full of
drowsiness as to indicate that the sing-
er is just on the verge of falling to
sleep, and the Yellow-throat’s so loud
and full of spirit and activity as
though the singer had but one end to ac-
complish. and that to keep the Golden-
wing awake.

Particularly is the swamp and the
marsh the home of the Maryland Yel-
low-throat, you scarcely And him else-
where. Lot him And a swampy,
boggy, peat-bed, abounding in stag-
nant pools and moquiLoes, and ho is in

his element.

I was wandering about ju>t such a
marshy region as this one morning at
five o'clock in search for nests of any
kind, wheu I found my first nest of
Olevthlypis. It was in the lasl week
of May aud 1 had come out from town
at 4.30 A. M. on my bicycle, to see
what the recesses of this swamp aud
adjacent woods might reveal.

Water was on every hand and 1
chose the higher, grassy elevations
along which to pursue my way.

1 had just leaped over a fence, and
landed, both feet in a ditch of water
up to my hips, filling my rubber boots
to the overflow point; and chiding my
luck, I was turning my water-soaked
footsteps toward the highway, when,
aba, a tiny, pink-footed creature, slip-
ped out from a tussock of grass at the
base of a little bush, a tew yards
from me. and flitted into the adjacent
shrubbery.

Now, contrary to the custom in
vogue among most '-ollectors writ-
ing about their adventures I am not
going to relate how *‘I flew to the
spot” and ‘-examined every inch of
ground” “in every direction" and
‘•finally found the nest” which con-
tained five of “the most beautiful eggs
of this species that I had ever seen. ’
No, nothing of the kiud. 1 merely
found the nest;whether it were an
easy or a difficult task it matters not.-
and in the nest were five eggs of the
Maryland Yellow-throat (for such the
nest proved to be), and although the
eggs are perfect gems of beauty, I
have not the slightest doubt that there
are hundreds of sets of eggs of this
species in other collections just as
pretty, and doubtless, some more so,
than this.

t now have in my collection, a nest

eggs, and female bird, a prettv com-
bination surely, but some way the
nest arid eggs do not look nearly so
well as when lucked away in that tus-
sock of grass nt the foot of that little
bush, shielded above by overhanging
grasses, and dampened and cooled be-
neath by tiie nearness of the water,
which had fairly soaked the nest.
And someway the form of the mother,
bird is not, by far, so pert, nor does
1 he golden tinting of tier glittering
throat, glow with half the warmth it
did when its possessor was flittingner-
vously about tier boggy home to see
why come f there.

And where is he, her partner? Per-
haps. e'en now, 'mid the bogs and
quagmires of some, southern clime, he
is mourning the fate of his sweet
young bride, his mask of black most
appropriate- to his mourning morning.

But never mind, my sorrowing mi-
grant, be aware of this much, thy
pretty bride and treasures five have
not fallen into unsyrapathyzing and
thoughtless hands. No, never, e’en
while I took them, I felt the meaning
of it all. And know, ye this, that by
the takingof them, the captor has been
taught much of Dame Nature that he
did uot know before; and who knows,
but in learning more of Nature. ho has
been drawn nearer Nature's God.

And so, cheered by these thoughts,
can you not, my golden-throat, find,
courage to sing with unfaltering lips
once more, that beautiful ditty of thine
and may not those northern wilds, now
desolate with winter’s frost, be enliv-
ened and inspired again in the spring
by thine - cncourageing weech a-tee ,
weech-a-tee, weech-a-tee ?

Njeii. Franklin Posson, Medina, N.Y.

7 $

Auk, XIV, Oct. ,1897. p;3-v«S-f.

Peculiar Nesting of the Maryland Yellow-throat. — While collecting
in a large slough in Jackson County, Minnesota, on June 9, 1S97, amid
the green rushes where Long- and Short-billed Marsh Wrens were breed-
ing, I ran across a pair of Yellow-throats ( Geothlypis trichas) in some
high rushes in about four feet of water, and upon investigating I found
the nest placed almost level with the water in a thick clump of cat-tails,
over fifty feet from shore, and right in the midst of a colony of Marsh

Wrens. The nest was constructed of the usual materials — leaves, bark,
and grasses — lined with grape-vine bark and hair, and contained two
fresh eggs. This is, I believe, the first recorded instance of the Yellow-
throat breeding over water, and is indeed surprising, as the nests are
usually to be found in dense woods far from water. — Walton I. White-
hill, St. Paul, Minn.

CORRESPONDENCE.

Auk, XV, Jan., 1898, p./X

Habits of the Maryland Yellow-throat.

Elitors of ‘The Auk’: —

Dear Sirs: — If the correspondence pages of ‘The Auk’ are open to
minor matters of this kind, I should like to ask if the note on 1 Peculiar
Nesting of the Maryland Yellow-throat’ by Mr. Walton I. Whitehill 1 in
the October issue of 1897 makes a correct statement in regard to the
Maryland Yellow-throats of Minnesota when it says “the nests are usually
to be found in dense woods far front water.” This is certainly diametri-
cally opposite to the habits of this bird in the eastern part of its range,
for here in New England I am sure that all observers will bear me out in
saying that Geothlypis trichas is very rarely and perhaps never found
breeding at any distance from w'ater.

Yours very truly,

Francis H. Allen.

W r est R ox bury, Mass.

Odd Nesting of Maryland Yellow-throat. — On June 15 of the
present year a friend of mine sent for me to come to his house and
look at a nest which was built in a shoe, and also to identify the birds.
Upon arriving there I was surprised to see Geothlypis trichas nesting
in a shoe. The locality chosen was near a back entrance to a house
situated on the main street of our town. A pair of shoes, which were
the property of my friend, were placed outside of the door on the under
pinning which projected out from the side of the house about two feet.

One day he had occasion to wear them and went out and brought
them into the house; as he was about to put them on, he discovered
something in one of them, and upon examination found it to be a nest.

The other shoe contained a few dry grasses and other fine material,
but for some reason the bird gave up the idea of building in that, and
took up housekeeping in shoe No. 2. My friend immediately put the
pair of shoes back, thinking that she would return, and upon glancing
into the shoe the next day was surprised to see that it contained an egg.

She continued laying until she had deposited five. The next day after

the fifth egg was laid a dog came around near the back door and caught
sight of the bird in the shoe and made a dash for her, the bird escap-
ing, but breaking three of the eggs.

The shoe, nest, and two eggs are in my collection. The nest was com-
posed of dry grasses and fine moss and lined with horse hair. — Arthur
William Brockway, Old Lyme, C 0 »»Auk, XVI, Oct., 1899, pjo . 36 />-/.

7 ^

Chapman on Geothlypis trichas ignota.

9

ficent system of trinomials” to an absurdity. It is much easier to
name a dozen new species or subspecies than to get rid of one,
though erected on a lalse basis. Let us then weave our
ornithological net so open-meshed that the undesirable small
fry of incipient local forms may readily pass through and escape till
further differentiation, in future ages, shall render them desirable
captures.*

ON THE EASTERN FORMS OF GEOTHLTPIS
TRICHAS .

BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.

Three years ago I obtained in Florida several Maryland Yellow-
throats which apparently differed from northern specimens of
this bird. During succeeding winters additional examples were
secured, but being unable to obtain summer specimens, which
without fear of error could be considered resident birds, I was
unwilling to call attention to what I supposed was an undescribed
form of this species resident in Florida. Thus the matter rested
until recently, when Mr. W. E. D. Scott very courteously placed
at my disposal his entire series of Florida specimens. In attempt-
ing now with the aid of this additional material to determine the
status of the Florida bird, I found it would also be necessary to
ascertain the relationships of the Mississippi Valley bird, to which
the Audubonian name roscoe has recently been applied. To this
end, therefore, through the kind offices of fellow naturalists, I have
accumulated a large amount of material, in all somewhat over
three hundred specimens.

The relationships of the Mississippi Valley bird. — From
this region I have a series of some sixty specimens, of which
thirty-eight are adult males in breeding plumage ; with these I
shall make my comparisons. Occupying an intermediate geograph-
ical position between the true patrice of both the eastern and the

* In this connection I would call attention to the sagacious note of warning sounded
by Dr. Coues in 1884, in the Preface to his ‘ Key to North American Birds' (p. xxvii,
second paragraph).

THE EASTERN FORMS OF GEOTHLYPIS TRICHAS.

BY FRANK M. CHAPMAN.

Seventeen years ago, under the above-given title, 1 I described
a Florida form of Geothlypis trichas as Geothlypis trichas ignota,
which was later shown by W. Palmer 2 to extend through the coast
region westward to Texas (Jackson County, Jan. 6) and northward
to the Dismal Swamp in Virginia.

At the same time Mr. Palmer restricted the name trichas of
Linnaeus to the Yellow-throat breeding from southern New England
southward through the Piedmont region into Georgia, while to the
Yellow-throat breeding from southern New England northward
he applied the name brachidactyla of Swainson.

This ruling was accepted as correct by the A. O. U. Committee
on Classification and Nomenclature, and we have had, therefore,
east of the Alleghanies, three forms of Yellow-throat, a southern,
a middle, and a northern. Many ornithologists, however, regarded
this view of the nomenklatura] status of these birds as far from
satisfactory. That there was a Southern Yellow-throat and a
Northern Yellow-throat was beyond doubt, but that an intervening
form was also deserving of recognition by name has been frequently
questioned. This opinion is voiced by Mr. Brewster 3 who says:
“The characters by which the two forms are said to be separable
seem to me trivial and I fear they are also inconstant ... . ”

1 Auk, VII, 1890, 11.

2 Ibid., XVII, 1900, 223.

3 Birds of the Cambridge Region, 1906, p. 354.

i j

tinues: “J. Petiver, in his Gazophylacium, plate VI. has given
the figure of a bird, which I believe to be the same with this; for
which reason I continue the name he has given it: all he says of
it is, ‘Avis Marylandica gutture luteo, the Maryland Yellow-Throat.
This the Rev. Mr. Ii. Jones sent me from Maryland.’ Petiver’s

1 Gleanings of Nat. Hist., 1758, I, p. 56, pi. 237.

2 Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1766, 293.

“IV] Chapman, The Eastern Forms of Geothlypis trichas. 31

In preparing the manuscript for a monograph of North American
Mniotiltidae it seemed desirable, therefore, to reconsider the rela-
tionships of these birds. To this end Mr. Ridgway has kindly
loaned me the pertinent specimens under his charge. I have also
had birds from Doctors Bishop and Dwight, and have examined
the collections of Mr. Brewster, of the Biological Survey, as well, of
course, as the specimens in the American Museum of Natural
History.

This material shows that the middle Yellow-throat, the so-called
trichas, averages smaller and paler than either of the forms south
( ignota ) or north ( brachidactyla ) of it. The differentiation is so
slight, however, and is so frequently bridged by variation as to
invalidate the claim for distinction by name of this central form.

This, it is true, is a matter of opinion, but in examining the
literature bearing on the question an interesting discovery was
made which places the whole matter in a new light.

In applying the name trichas to the Yellow-throat of the Middle
States Mr. Palmer accepted the prevailing opinion that the type
locality for this form is Maryland. It appears, however, that this
is not the case, the specimen which Edwards 1 figured and de-
scribed, and which is cited first by Linnaeus , 2 not having come
from Maryland but form Carolina! Edwards’s (/. r.) statement
of its origin is as follows: “This bird was the property of Mr.
Elliot, Merchant, in Broad Street, London, who received it, with
others, preserved in spirits, from Carolina, in North America; and
was so obliging as to lend them all to me, to take drawings of them”
(l. c.). The origin of the name “Maryland Yellow-throat,”
which Edwards gave to his Carolina bird, as well as the cause for
the erroneous belief that his type came from Maryland, is revealed
by the remarks which follow the quotation just given. He con-
tinues: “J. Petiver, in his Gazophylaciiun, plate VI. has given
the figure of a bird, which I believe to be the same with this; for
which reason I continue the name he has given it: all he says of
it is, ‘Avis Marylandica gutture luteo, the Maryland Yellow-Throat.
This the Rev. Mr. LI. Jones sent me from Maryland.’ Petiver’s

1 Gleanings of Nat. Hist., 1758, I, p. 56, pi. 237.

2 Syst. Nat., ed. 12, 1766, 293.

32

Chapman, The Eastern Forms of Geothlypis trichas. [jan)

figure is of the same size with mine, and hath such a black line
from the forehead drawn through the eye: it hath, I believe,
never till now been described, Petiver having given it only a name.

“P. S. Since the writing of the above, I have received the
Yellow-Throat, together with a drawing of it, very neatly and
exactly done, by Mr. William Bartram, of Pensylvania, who
hath enabled me to give a further account of this bird; for he says,
it frequents thickets and low bushes by runs (of water, I suppose,
he means) and low grounds; it leaves Pensylvania at the approach
of winter, and is supposed to go to a warmer climate.”

The “Carolina” of Edwards, who wrote in 1758, included the
North and South Carolina of to-day, his type, therefore, coming
from within the range of ignota. The question, however, may
properly be asked whether Edwards’s type was not a migrant
and hence, under the current status of this group, either trichas or
brachidactyla. But, assuming that Edwards’s type had, come
from Maryland, it might with equal pertinence be asked, how
should we know that it was not a migrant brachidactyla ?

Again it has been said that the present writer refused to accept
Audubon’s name roscoe for a Yellow-throat described from Mis-
sissippi as applicable to the form known as ignota on the ground
that Audubon’s type was doubtless a migrant from the north. (It
was shot in September). The name roscoe was not rejected pri-
marily for this reason, but because Audubon himself, presumably
on the basis of actual specimens, referred his roscoe to the bird
then known as trichas, and without positive evidence which would
prove him to have been in error we have absolutely no right to
reverse his determination.

On the basis, therefore, of locality alone, the name trichas is
applicable to the southern Yellow-throat heretofore known as
ignota ; but, as a matter of fact, we have something more than
mere locality on which to base an opinion, Edwards’s figure and
description being obviously more applicable to the southern than
to the northern bird, while, although this now has no nomencla-
tural bearing on the matter, Audubon’s figure of roscoe is quite as
certainly not based on the southern form.

What then, assuming that this view of the matter is correct,
becomes of the form lately known as trichas, the Maryland Yellow-
throat ?

V ° 1907' IV ] Chapman, The Eastern Forms of Geothlypis trichas. 33

Wilson used the Brissonian name marylandica as a pure synonym
of trichas, with which personatus of Swainson is also synonymous.
Fortunately, therefore, unless someone desires the questionable
distinction of standing as sponsor for the form lately known as
trichas, we shall not have to consider its claims to nomenclatural
standing but may apply Swainson’s name brachidactyla to all the
Yellow-throats north of the range of trichas ( =ignota Chapm.).
Thus we shall have in eastern North America:

Geothlypis trichas trichas (Linn.).

Southern Yellow-throat.

Turdus trichas Ljnneeus, Syst. Nat., Ed. 12, 1, 1766, 293. (Type local-
ity, Carolina.)

Range. — Florida, westward through the Gulf Coast region to
Texas; north through the Atlantic Coast region to Virginia (Dismal
Swamp); winters from South Carolina southward and also in
Cuba (c/. Ridgway).

Geothlypis trichas brachidactyla (Swains.).

Northern Yellow-throat.

Trichas brachidactylus Swainson, Anim. in Menag., 1838, 295. (Type
locality, “northern provinces of the United States”.)

Range. — North America from the “more western portion of
the Great Plains” (Ridgw.) eastward, north to Manitoba and
southern Labrador, south to the Austroriparian region; winters
from the Gulf States southward to the Bahamas, Greater Antilles,
Mexico, and Central America.

Origin of the Forms.

An interesting fact developed by Mr. Palmer ( l . c.) in his dis-
cussion of the relationships of these birds is that the central form
of the Yellow-throat, to which he restricted the name trichas,
averages smaller and paler than the form to the north and to the
south of it. The extreme northern form of Yellow-throat, therefore,
is, apparently, not connected with the southern Yellow-throat by,

34

Beebe, The Early Life of Loon Chicks.

r Auk
L Jan.

so to speak, a graduated scale of regularly arising, cumulative
differences, but at their points of contact they are more unlike than
at their geographical extremes.

We consequently are led to consider the possibility of the Yel-
low-throats having acquired their present range through some
such method of progress as the Grackles appear to have followed, 1
and an earlier stage of which the Loggerhead and Migrant Shrikes
exhibit. An apparently not dissimilar case is afforded by the Pa-
rula Warblers, in which the New England form is the same as that
found in the Mississippi Valley.

In other words, Yellow-throats may have advanced from Florida
northward, and also from the Mississippi Valley eastward and
northward; when, as has been said, the Northern Yellow-throat
is not a direct geographical offshoot of the southern bird, although
both doubtless had a common point of origin. Intergradation,
therefore, is not necessarily climatic but follows actual contact
occasioned by extension of range.

Auk, XXIV, 5 1907, p.

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Concord,
1398.
June 9.

Icteria vire ns.

Mass. My first record for Concord.

Spent the forenoon on the meadow shore opposite Ball's
Hill."”’" 1 1 heard the first Chat that I have ever met with in
Concord. It sang two or three times very near me in oak scrub
(sprout oaks of two years’ growth) near the roadway that comes
down to the meadow from the Kevins farm. I think the bird,
if established there, must be nesting on the other side of
the pasture where, along a rail fence, stretches a thicket of
green briar that would do credit to southern Connecticut or
the Middle States. Arnold says that he drove a cow into this
thicket last year and that she was absolutely unable to force

her way through it.

The Yellow-breasted Chat a»d Streamer Re db ird in Canada. — On the
16th of May, 1884. I found the dead body of an olive-backed bird lying on
the ground. The maggots fell from it as 1 took it up, but it was still in
condition to show that had I found it a few days sooner I would have
added to my collection a perfect specimen of the Yellow-breasted Chat
f Icteria Virens). The bird had evidently been killed bv flying against
the telegraph wires which pass near where it was found.

Ten days later, when visiting Mr. Dickson, station master of the Grand
Trunk Railway at Waterdown, he pointed out to me an old unused mill-
race, grown up with briars and brambles, where the day previous he had
seen a pair of Chats mated. Mr. Dickson was collecting at the time, and
was surprised at their suddenly appearing within ten feet of him, but on
his trying to get to a safer shooting distance they disappeared in the thicket
and did not again become visible, though they kept continually scolding
at him. These are the only records I have of this species being noticed
in Canada.

Auk, I, Oct., 1884. p. 39^ CO .

On June 6, when about a mile farther up the Point, the writer heard a
strange note, and at every search for the author found an Orchard Oriole,
and, not being very familiar with that bird, attributed the note to it.
Shortly afterward Mr. Bailey arrived at the same place, and called out,

“ Did you hear the Chat? ” Instantly every one was on the qni vive, and
after some time a glimpse of the bird was obtained, but not the bird itself
A hunt for it on the two following days was finally rewarded by the cap-
ture of a fine female Yellow-breasted Chat, with ovaries as large a sa pea.
Further search resulted in nothing more than this, the first capture in
Canada; and though we looked carefully, we did not even find the begin-
ning of a nest. Reference has already been made in ‘The Auk’ to the
remains of a specimen of this species that Mr. Thos. Mcllwraith picked
up at Hamilton, Ont. No doubt they are regular summer visitors at Pelee
Island, Point Pelee, and some places along the shore of Lake Erie.

. $’-CLovndesz-£ t

Auk, 2,. July, 1385. p.

Pocaj{ \hPft\A^cA f3/iA.&Ca,

27. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — Mr. John Boyd, of
Sarnia, has a specimen which he believes was taken at the Humber in 1889,
but he was never able to trace the bird back to the original collector.

General Notes.

The Yellow-breasted Chat in Maine.-In the autumn of 1893, -she
believes it was during the month of September, — Mrs. William Senter, of
Portland, found upon her lawn the mangled remains of a small bird It
had apparently been mouthed by a cat. Mrs. Senter cut off its head, legs,
wings and tail, and preserved them. A few days ago, the relics’ were’
shown me. They were those of a Yellow-breasted Chat ( Icteria virens )
in full autumn plumage. Thus is a bird added to the Maine list—
Nathan Clifford Brown, Portland, Maine.

Auk. XI. Oct. 1864 p. 331

Yellow-breasted Chat. June 29, 1883,
noticed a pair of Yellow-breasted Chats
feeding young about lialf-lledged, first I
ever saw breeding in this locality ; next day
found another Chat’s nest with four young.

o.ao.

Arlington Heights. Yellow-breasted Chat.
Arlington Heights. A specimen was taken June
6th. — [ W. P. Hadley.

Q,SfQ t 15. July. 1890. p, ✓/ /

772. Yellow-breasted Chat. By F. H. Carpenter. Ibid., p. 96.— Breed-
ing at Rehoboth, Mass. — 1 - A. A.

o, & o. /oi.vm

Yellow-breasted Chat. W. H. Wright
took a male Yellow-breastecLChat atFram-
ingham, Mass, May 18, 1883. ' ‘ • ‘ ' u?? . " 9 p 6tf

Birds of Bristol County, Mass.
F.W. Andros.

Icteria virens (Linn.), Yellow-breasted Chat.
Summer resident, very rare. Breeds.

O.&o. XII. Sept. 1887* P.T41

Notes on Birds of Winchendon, Mass. 1
William Brewster.

Icteria virens.— Mr. Bailey shot a male of this species May 30, 1888.

Auk, V, Oct., 1888. p.392

#

’ : As Known to Pass Breeding Season
-*t. Winchendon, Mass. Wm. Brewster

70. Icteria virens.*

Tttrt c om-m *** *

Auk, V, Oct,. 1888. p. 389

The Yellow-breasted Chat Breeding in Malden, Mass. — On June 2,

1887, while exploring a large tract of wooded swamp in the eastern part of
Malden, I was so fortunate as to discover a nest of the Yellow-breasted
Chat ( Icteria Virens'). The bird was sitting when I approached the nest
which was almost completely concealed by the thickly-clustering leaves
of a dense, stunted witch-hazel bush growing in a partially cleared tract
of swamp, She sat very close, and made little complaint when she flew.

The nest held five eggs, the full complement, which I found to have been
incubated a few days. I visited the nest several times, nearly always finding
both parent birds near it. A brood of three was successfully reared, and
left the nest on June 19. The nest is now in my possession. It was
built three and a half feet from the ground, and is very thick-walled and
deep. On June 29 and 30 I saw a Chat that might have been the male of
this pair. On both occasions he was in a dense thicket fully a mile from
the nest.— II. P. Johnson, Everett, Mass. Auk, V. J&n. 1888. p. ttb.

Bd* Oha, n«ar Sheffield. Berkshire
Qy, Man. Juno 17- ^6, ’88. W. Faxon

67. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — One pair, Sheffield.

Aak.VI. Jam, US#e.p.4Q

Bds. Obs. near Graylook Ml. Berkshire
Oo. Mass. June 28- July 16. W. Faxon

62. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — I was somewhat sur-
prised to find a pair of Chats near the North Adams Reservoir (altitude,
about 1080 feet), within half a mile of Hermit Thrushes, Black-and-yellow,
Black-throated Blue, and Canadian Warblers, and Snowbirds, at the same
elevation.

Auk, Vl. April, 1880. p .104

Jape Ood, Mass, 1890. G-.S, Miller

2, VIII, Jan, 1891 , p. //?.

Icteria vfrens. — An adult male was found dead near one of the poles
upon which the storm signals are hoisted at the U. S. Signal Station at:
Highland Light on the morning of September io. As birds frequently
kill themselves by flying against these poles during the night, it is prob-
able that this one was so killed during the night of the 9th or early
morning of the 10th. There was a large migration of shore birds past
Highland Light on the night of September 9, Phalaropus lobatus , Teta-
nus melanoleucus , T /lavipes, and C/ia radrius dominicus being common,
while of Actitis macularia , Calidris arenaria , and Oceanodroma leu-
corrhoa one individual each was seen. Up to midnight, when I left the
light, but one land bird, a Dendroica , probably D. striata , was seen.

!Wt

■N jap _

/y /£

^ KT“t n ;^/:; June ’ 1888 -

■ ^ ^A_ , C) , Cr-f-L/ ths~r , A~c. ,

Bds. Obs. near Graylock Mt. Berkshire
Oo. Maes. June 28 - July 16. W. Faxon

62. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — I was somewhat sur-
prised to find a . pair of Chats near the North Adams Reservoir (altitude,
about 10S0 feet), within half a mile of Hermit Thrushes, Black-and-yellow,
Black-throated Blue, and Canadian Warblers, and Snowbirds, at the same
elevation.

Auk, VI. April, 1880. P.104

OapeOod, Maes ,1800. G-.S, Miller

AUK. VIII, Jaa, 1891 , p, m.

Icteria virens. — An adult male was found dead near one of the poles
upon which the storm signals are hoisted at the U. S. Signal Station at
Highland Light on the morning of September 10. As birds frequently
kill themselves by flying against these poles during the night, it is prob-
able that this one was so killed during the night of the gth or early
morning of the 10th. There was a large migration of shore birds past
Highland Light on the night of September 9, Phalaropus lobatus , Tota-
nus meltmoleucusi T. flavipes, and Charadrius dominic/ts being common,
while of Aclitis macula ria . Caltdris arenaria , and Oceanodroma leu-
corrhoa one individual each was seen. Up to midnight, when I left the
light, but one land bird, a Dendroica , probably D. striata , was seen.

1, "f ' „ , _ Winckendpn, Mass. June, 1888

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Chat’s Nest. — Oct. 12th, found at Noank
an old Chat’s nest in a sweet-brier bush,
filled to the brim with leaves and debris,
but from which eggs were protruding.

Took a stick and poked out seven eggs, to
wit, three Cowbirds’ and four Chats, all
with holes picked in them. Oct. 13th,
Snow-birds common. — •/. d/. IF.

o.&O. Vlll.Feb. 1883. p. /A

*** l/vjUuy .

1

if*.

&

f. P •

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Aj-*J “^* 4 ^ trf f ; y

Bull, N. 0.0, 3, July, 18'8. p ,/ £<? .

Capture of the Yellow-breasted Chat at Albany, N. Y. — In the
latter part of May, 1SS2, I observed two birds of the appearance of the
Yellow-breasted Chat ( Icteria Virens ') in a sunny thicket between two
small pieces of woods. But as they were silent and very shy, I was not
positive of their identity. On the 19th of May of the present year, while
collecting in the same thicket, I heard the unmistakable notes of a Chat.
Its cries were very frequently uttered, but so shy was the bird, that,
although searching for him nearly every day afterwards, it was not until
the 26th of the same month that I secured him.

On the 19th of May I also secured three Northern Phalaropes (Lobiffes
hyfierboreus , Cuv.) at a small lake near Albany. — G. A. Lintner,

Albany, N. T. Bull, N| 0. Q» 8, July. 1883, P. /So.

Arrival s of Mig'y Birds , Sprirg-1886 ,
Central Park, N. Y. City, A. G-. Paine, Jr.

May 11, Icteria virens, (683). Yellow-breasted
Chat.

O.&O. XI. Aug. 1888 . p.125

Yellow-

breasted Chats were very common.

'""fir f

o.&o. vni.nec.iF

Auk, XEL Oct. , 1895, £»- 3 93

Icteria virens. — On June 17, 1895, I secured a male Yellow-breasted
Chat in a bushy pasture at West Seneca. I first saw the bird two days
before, when I spent some time looking for its nest. Also looked for the
nest on the above date, but found none. This was the only bird I started.
It is the second record for Erie County. — James Savage, Buffalo, N. V.

Auk, XV, Oct., 1898, p p.33/-z-

The Yellow-breasted Chat in Oneida County, N. Y. — On June 6, 1898,
in a pasture, situated on high ground, well filled with second growth

shrubs and bushes, and with a very small spring brook flowing through
the centre, I took a nest and four eggs of the Yellow-breasted Chat
(. Icteria virens). Only one pair of birds was found, and I am assured by
Mr. Egbert Bagg, of Utica, N. Y., who was the compiler of the list of
Oneida County birds, that this is the first known record of the occurrence
ot the Yellow-breasted Chat in Oneida County.

A Whip-poor-will (A utrostomus vociferus) made his first stop here this
season, although they are resident in localities twenty miles to the east
or west. — W. J. B. Williams, Holland Patent, N. Y.

e<?

CHo-, .

Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat.— Oh Memorial Day, 1895,
neai Shelhv Center, I saw an individual of this species, using the opera
glasses upon it at short range. I was led to the bird by first hearing it
Pour forth a most indiscriminate medley of all kinds of notes. Also Mr.
bred C. Lusk of llolley took a male in full plumage near that place May

8, 1880, and another occurrence which I have not yet had opportunity to
investigate is recently reported to me from the eastern part of the county.

7 ^ . ^ cl ff — crr\ .

AUk ’ XV * APTil>

'Rixmjsl. <£<• <L* <7 <5-S>D <3<r^vJZ^ , o/t r. 9. —

Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. — Of rare occurrence in this
county. On May 30, 1S9S, I found a pair breeding in the edge of a
swampy bush lot. The nest contained two eggs that were destroyed for
some reason — probably because I disturbed the sitting female. — Clar-
ence Freedom Stone, Branchporl, N . Y.

Auk, XVI. Jab ^85",

/U^O cr^TU (u$T> /) %&SVr ' }l£^0 tynM,

UrCotL h ‘ '*> (rv^j ( yl£ce^^€cjX'

30. Icteria virens. Chat.— Not listed. Mr. Miller has taken a single
specimen at Peterboro.

t\ f \lYi£ltA^ K 1 ' • Auk - x>: - uly ! “ )3 ‘ - xl(£

Descriptions o'’ Plumage of Cer-

tain North Am, Bbs. Wm. Brewster.

37. Icteria virens.

“First plumage. Remiges, rectrices, etc., as in the .adult. Head, su-
periorly and laterally, uniform grayish-olive, with a barely appreciable
whitish supraloral line and orbital ring, and without black markings.
Whole throat pale ash-gray (almost white on the chin), stained laterally
and anteriorly with yellow ; entire breast gamboge-yellow, obscured with
olivaceous-gray across the jugulum (probably entirely gray at first, the
yellow leathers being probably the beginning of the first moult). ’Ab-
domen white ; flanks and crissum pale buff. In my collection from Mt.
Carmel, 111., July 19, 1875.” — R. R.

Bull, N.O.O, d^Ajril.iSTS.p, 40.

rHE AUK:

A QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF

ORNITHOLOGY.

vol. xvi. July, 1899. No. 3.

SEQUENCE OF PLUMAGES; ILLUSTRATED BY THE
MYRTLE WARBLER (. DENDROICA CORONATA)
AND THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT
{ICTERIA VIRENS ) .

BY JONATHAN DWIGHT JR., M. D.

Plate III.

The young birds figured on the accompanying plate illustrate a
plumage that is common, not only to all North American War-
blers, but to many other species of birds at the time of leaving the
nest. It is but one stage in a series, and by tracing the develop-
ment of successive plumages in the two species before us, we
shall be able to grasp the idea of sequence, which underlies a
true understanding of the relation plumages bear to each other. '

There is a downy stage antecedent to the one figured. The
young of the Myrtle Warbler (Dendroica coronata ) while in the
nest are scantily clothed with downy filaments, the fore-runners
of true feathers, which grow from definite parts of the feather
tracts. These are rapidly displaced by new feathers, to the tips of
which they adhere for some time. This second stage, generally
known as the 1 first ’ or ‘ nestling ’ plumage, in the case of the
Myrtle Warbler, happens to bear a strong superficial resemblance
to that of the adult Pine Finch (Spinas pinui), which is height-
ened by the spray of evergreen on which the artist has posed the
bird. The plumage of all young birds is, however, always weak

2l8

Dwigiit, Sequence of Plumages.

r Auk
Ljuly

and soft at this stage, even the flight-feathers being less com-
pactly rounded out terminally and deficient in pigment as com-
pared with those of adults.

Within a few weeks, the plumage of the third stage, commonly
known as the 1 autumnal,’ has replaced that of the second, which
is in most species quite evanescent. The flight-feathers, however,
are retained throughout the following winter and summer and are
not renewed until the first postnuptial molt occurs, about a year
after the birds have left the nest. The primaries, their upper
coverts, the secondaries (usually the tertiaries), the alulae, and the
rectrices are the only feathers retained of the ‘ first ’ plumage. The
body feathers assumed resemble closely in structure and pattern
those of the adult at the same season, and are worn during the
winter until the end of March or April, when together with the
wing-coverts they are renewed by a prenuptial molt, young and
old becoming indistinguishable except by the worn, dingy wings
and tail of the young bird.

The young bird has now reached a fourth stage, the plumage of
the first breeding season, which in the Myrtle Warbler is made up
of parts of three, — the flight-feathers, matured in the second
stage, a few of the third stage, retained chiefly on the posterior
parts of the body, and the new feathers assumed in spring.

At the end of the breeding season, the first nuptial, a complete
postnuptial molt occurs which renders old and young indistinguish-
able, adults entering a fifth stage separable from the third chiefly
by the blacker wings and tail, and brighter wing edgings, a dif-
ference that holds good for a twelvemonth, although it is not
infallible and cannot always be made out. The fifth stage of
plumage is worn until the following spring when the prenuptial
molt occurs, involving only the body plumage and wing-coverts,
as in the young bird.

A sixth stage, the adult breeding plumage, is the last one recog-
nizable in the Myrtle Warbler, although it is well to bear in mind
that a seventh, corresponding to winter plumage, and an eighth,
corresponding to summer plumage, occurs, and so on until the
death of the bird. Fortunately this species passes both winter
and summer mostly within the borders of the United States so
that I have been able to examine large numbers of specimens

Voi.xvn

1899 J

Dwight, Sequence of Plumages.

219

taken every month in the year. The sequence of plumages is
beautifully shown, and it is time it should be more widely recog-
nized as a concrete fact.

The Yellow-breasted Chat ( Icteria virens) is in some respects
apparently unique among our Warblers. Ihere is the first or
downy stage, and the second, which is the one figured on the
plate. The yellow spots represent the coming feathers of the
third stage, the autumnal or winter plumage. Unlike the Myrtle
Warbler, a complete molt, judging from the few specimens
available, takes place, including the wings and the tail. No
other Warbler of nearly forty species examined exhibits this
peculiarity, although it is common enough in other families.
This plumage assumed is practically indistinguishable from
that of the adult, the black of the lores and suborbital region
being as a rule less intense. It is worn without molt throughout
the following winter and summer.

Consequently the fourth stage of plumage is simply the third
plus a certain amount of inconspicuous wear.

The fifth stage follows the postnuptial molt, and the sixth is the
fifth modified by molt. All of these stages may not be traced
in all individuals, for the depth of the black of the lores is a
variable and slender character, but it will be observed that the
sequence of plumages obtains even when we cannot distinguish
with certainty one from another.

The lesson to be learned from these two species is a valuable
one, and many other species teach the same thing, namely, that
plumages succeed each other in definite sequence, those of young
birds overlapping in their development. To number the different
stages consecutively has obvious disadvantages, and the terms now
in common use are inexact, so that some new scheme should be
devised to meet the exigencies of the case. As a solution of the
difficulty, I offer the following names which conform, so far as is
compatible with clearness, to every-day usage already sanctioned.

1. Natal Down. This is a first stage, no matter whether the
covering of the young bird in the nest be downy or hairy, scanty
or abundant, evanescent or persistent.

2. Juvenal Plumage. The name I propose as a substitute for
< first'’ or ‘ nestling ’ plumage is definite and suggestive of the

220

Dwight, Sequence of Plumages.

r Auk
Ljuly

stage it represents, and may not be confused with the ‘ first
winter ’ and the ‘ first nuptial ’ plumages, which seem to be fitting
antitheses to ‘adult winter’ and ‘adult nuptial.’ At all events,
juvenal marks a second stage, which is ill suited by the adjective
‘ first.’ It is doffed by a postjuvenal molt.

3. First Winter Plumage. In this third stage feathers of adult
structure are first assumed, the wings and tail of the juvenal
plumage being retained in the majority of our species. It is the
1 autumnal ’ plumage.

4. First Nuptial Plumage. This is the breeding dress of young
or 1 immature ’ birds and it may be merely the first winter plumage
plus wear, or it may be wholly or in part acquired by a prenuptial
molt which very rarely includes the flight-feathers, although the
tail may be renewed when the wings are not.

5. Adult {or Second) Winter Plumage. A complete molt
always follows the breeding season and distinctions between
young and old birds usually vanish at this time, unless they have
done so earlier. In most species, the differences between first
and second (adult) winter plumages are inconsiderable, in some
the plumage differs widely and several molts occur before the
young bird acquires full adult dress.

6. Adult {or Second ) Nuptial Plumage. This may be acquired
every year in exactly the same way as the first nuptial, but there
are some species that, after one prenuptial molt, undergo only the
postnuptial in succeeding years.

There are many species in which these six plumages or stages
may be clearly recognized, — usually less than six can be made
out, and very rarely more. ‘ Third Winter ’ and 1 Third Nuptial *
will indicate later plumages, but ‘ adult’ may naturally be substi-
tuted as soon as differences between young and old are obliterated.

My scheme, with proper modifications for certain groups of
birds, will apply to all North American species, and, with a clear
understanding of the process of molt, will explain the puzzling
■combinations of plumage that are as yet unsolved.

Ank, XV: p.z/7-zzo,

The Singing of Birds. E.P.Bicknell.

Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat.

Regularly up to the middle of July, and sometimes through the
third or even fourth week of the month, this species continues in
song. Imperfect songs may sometimes be heard in early August,
but rarely later, although my record extends to August 14.
Dates of fairly perfect final songs range between July 1.5 and
August 1. After the cessation of song the singular chat note of
the species may yet be heard about the shrubbery which it still
closely haunts ; but even this seems to be discontinued before its
departure.

This eccentric bird is perhaps our only species which regular-
ly sings at night. Where Chats abound, it is a common expe-
rience to hear at one time several singing with full vigor at most
untimely hours ; and from my window I have listened to such
serenades on many successive nights. They sing both when the
moon is bright and when the night is clear and dark ; their odd
notes interrupting the midnight stillness with peculiar effect.
Thus have 1 heard them into the small hours.

Auk, I, July, 1884. p. JL / G .

Dec. 1888.]

AND 00

Nesting of the Yellow-breasted Chat
in 1888 near Raleigh, N. C.

BY C. S. BRIMLEY.

In this locality these birds nest chiefly in
thickets and briar patches, and less often in
scattering bushes on hillsides. The nest is
composed of grass or weed stems, the bottom
being almost entirely of dead leaves, and the
whole is lined with fine grass, never with
horsehair or feathers.

The nest is placed in a suitable bush, briar
patch or bunch of reeds from two to six feet
from the ground, the usual height being about
three feet. The birds commenced to lay May
16th and the last nest was found June 25, con-
taining a full set of 4. Early in the season the
set is almost invariably four, later on sets of
three begin to appear, and late in June, three are
more often found than four. Considering the
abundance of the species, comparatively few
nests are found; a briar patch containing
several pairs often fail to reveal a single nest to
the most diligent search. The nests that are
found are always in such easy places to find
that o & e ^de^^^^ findiu^many more.

( 2 - &

16. Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat.
A set of eggs collected in Missouri on May
20 contained two eggs of the Cowbird.

O.& O. XIV* Sept. 1SS0 p 134

A Philadelphia Collection of Eggs of
the Mniotiltidae.

Icteria virens. Yellow-breasted Chat. One
set of five, fifty-three sets of four, nine sets of
three. Total : sixty-three sets.

O &O. XIII. Dec. 1888 P.178

Eggs! in Bat- 0 ,S. Brimley

! Yellow-breasted Chat. Standard set, four.
I Variation, three to four. Per cent of variation :
I 33 1-3.

Q.&O, 13 , Ootjl880« p,I40

Strange nesting habits of a pair of Chats.— I think the follow-
ing extracts from a letter lately received from Mr. C. W. Beckham of
Washington. D. C., may be of interest to the readers of the Bulletin. The
locality is near Ilchester, Howard Co., Maryland.

“About the first week in May, 1876. a pair of Chats [ Icteria virens ]
began building in a Wren box attached to one of the pillars of the south
piazza which partly fronts towards a small ravine. They seemed to be
very little disturbed by the occasional presence of members of the family,
but appeared to be considerably annoyed by the belligerent attentions of
a pair of Wrens {Troglodytes aedori) who had taken up their quarters in
another box on an adjacent pillar, and who were inclined to be very quar-
relsome with their strange neighbors.

“ They — the Chats — had been at work nearly a week, when a violent
wind-storm blew the box down and thus rudely upset their domestic plans.
The box was replaced in hopes that they would try it again, but their per-
severance was not equal to the occasion, and they never returned. In view
of the generally shy and secretive nature of the Chat, this incident of
abnormal nidification seems rather curious.” — Charles F. Batchelder,
Cambridge , Mass. Bull. N. O.O* Q, .April* 1881, 1 //3

Feb. 1886.]

AND OOLOGIST.

23

good a collecting ground as it did when I first
took up my o illogical studies as a boy.

Spring came all too soon, and ou the evening of
May 39th, 1885, Heft home, and after a ride across
country of ten miles, put up for the night at a
modest country Inn (a relic of Colonial times) to be
near my ground by daylight next morning. Years
had failed to make any changes in the place I

we concluded to search' for' tWF'cggs f bSForeT.t-"]\ F'deau,
ting down to our evening's work of preparing
specimens. We had gone but: a few rods, when
I saw, under a fallen rock, what I supposed in
the dim light of its retreat to be an Auk, but on
reaching under the stone and removing the bird
I was greatly surprised to find I held the first and
only live Petrel I had ever seen. On showing
my prize to one of the Italian eggers, he ex-
claimed, “ Why, that’s the first SwaUoir I've seen
in two years.”

The egg which the bird was so carefully guard-
ing as to allow herself to be taken, was but slight-
ly incubated. It is dull creamy white in color,
with a circle of reddish dottings so fine as to be
almost indistinct, around the large end— which
is somewhat flattened like the large end of an
acorn. It measures 1.18x 94 inches, and was laid
on bare rock, in a natural hollow formed by a
large rock falling in such a way as to leave an
irregular cavity two or more feet in diameter by
nine or ten inches in its greatest height. The
egg was to one side of the centre of the cavity,
and about fifteen inches from the entrance, which
was too small to admit my arm until a number
of stones were removed. On examining the
cavity more thoroughly the next day, I found,

it part of
iiild reach
;d a small
mountain
it went
iver Dela-
■ed on the
and with
icient and
civil iza-
in’s axe of
for Chats
on 1 had
cr species
had com-
mal four-
x sets of

il ou this
ret which
1 take up
v appear

whiteness
e spot of
the point
mrements

li measure
l .87x.63S
arance of
lashes or
the mark-
w Lark’s.

The entire end and top are covered with these,
which arc confluent. The remainder of the egg
is here and there sparingly spotted with minute
spots of same color.

Set No. 3, — Four eggs, having an underground
of highly polished white, similar to Yellow-shafted
Flicker’s eggs, and Uic entire portion of three
eggs is covered with a heavy marbled pattern in
red, much like the mottling of Nighthawk’s eggs.
The remaining egg is very peculiar, and looks out
of place hi this set, having a ring of reddish
brown spots around the smallest end, the remain-
ing portion being the shining white. Measure-
ments average .92.X.6G.

Set No. 4. — Four eggs shaped like peanuts,
faintly marked all over with the usual colored
spot. The lilac shell marks show plainly. This
set contained one og'g of Cowbird. They meas-
ure 1.03.x. 58, 1.01x.56, l.Olx.55 and l.OOx.55.

Set No. 5. — Contained four eggs, the most
beautiful of my day's work. Ground color a
pure dead white and ringed around the larger end
iu innumerable spots of the brightest red, If an
artist should take in hand a set of eggs of Purple
Martin, and very delicately effect a wreath around
the larger end, they would look as much like the
set I am trying to describe ns anything I can
think of. Fully four-fifths of each egg is pure
white, unspotted. These specimens measure
.94x.6ti, .93.X.66, ,92x.(j5 and .92.X.G2.

Set No. G. — Four eggs and Cowbird’s egg. This
set looks much like a set of Spurred Towliee,
which were collected and presented to me by my
friend W. Otto Emerson, of California. Tlie en-
tire egg is covered with dull markings. Sizes:
.9G.X.72, .92.X.70, .94x.6Q and ,90x.G8.

Set No. 7. — Four eggs pure white. The lilac
and reddish markings are about equally numerous.
They are dispersed over the entire surface. Very
glistening and pretty. One egg of the Cowbird
was found in this nest. Average measurement :
,90.x. 08. The eggs look like some sets of Golden
crowned Thrush, [Siui'us aurimpillus).

Set No, 8. — Four remarkably small, palely
marked specimens. Nearly round, .71x.68. These
little eggs have the appearance of having been
dipped in an acid which would remove the color of
the marking. They might be termed albinos.

1 am convinced that four eggs is the usual nest,
complement, as this is the most I found. The
eggs at this date was mostly fresh, although 1
saw one nest with young birds, and several with
one, two, or three eggs, which I did not disturb.
No nest was more than five feet from the ground,
and all were built in bramble or low thickets, ex-
cept one which was on a small tree. Several were
within one foot of the ground, and on an average
every fourth nest contained the egg of the Cowbird.

The normal nest is long and thick ; very com-
pact, and 1 think it quite a pretty bird borne. It
is composed of leaves, strips of wild grape vine
bark, and dead grass. One beautiful specimen I
found was made entirely of dead beach leaves,
with a plentiful lining of straw.

Probably few collectors in this locality have any
idea of the excessive abundance of this bird in
suitable places ; and the fact that I found such a
large number of nests in one day, and all within a
radius of a mile, proves that the Chat loves an up-
land solitude, and that he finds much pleasure in
the society of his relatives,

0.&O.XI.Feb.l88e.P.A2-«J.

A Day in Chatville.

BY 1IAKBY G. PARKER, CHESTER, PA.

The eggs of the Yellow-breasted Chat, ( Icteria
vielnm), have always appeared to my eye to be
among the most beautiful laid by any species
breeding in our midst. Apart from the beauty of
a normal specimen, they are possessed of differ-
ence so varied, both in size and markings, that
few oologists are aware of, unless they have had
the privilege of examining a large number of sets
at one time. Now as this species was only repre-
sented in my cabinet by one set, and that col-
lected by a friend, the idea of taking a number of
sets came up before my mind on just such a
stormy, wintry night, as the thoughts of the
naturalist love to dwell on the memory ol green
Holds and babbling brooks. Seated before a cosy
grate fire in my study, in slippered feet, with ad-
ditional comfort lent by the indulgence of a pipe,
I bid defiance to the elements without, and pro-
jected a trip for the coming season to a spot not
more Ilian twenty miles from Philadelphia, which
is admirably adapted by nature to the nidification
of this bird. I sat long, and mused and wondered
whether the place I had in view would prove as

Feb. 1886.]

AND OOLOGIST.

23

good a collecting ground as it did when I first
took up my oblogieal studies as a boy.

Spring came all too soon, and on the evening of
May 39th, 1885, 1 left home, and after a ride across
country of ten miles, put up for the night at a
modest country Inn (a relic of Colonial times) to be
near my ground by daylight next morning. Years
had failed to make any changes in the place I
sought. Picture to yourself an elevated plateau,
miles in extent, and barren for the most part of
trees, thickly covered as far as the eye could reach
with viny and briery thickets, laurel, and a small
species of evergreen. Here and there a mountain
stream relieved the unbroken level as it went
tumbling on its noisy way to meet the river Dela-
ware some miles below. AH this bordered on the
north by heavy forest, presenting an upland with
southern exposure. The hundreds of ancient and
mossclad stumps of trees alone bespoke civiliza-
tion and the deadly work of the woodman’s axe of
some former day. A veritable haven for Chats
it proved, and between 5 a. m. and noon I had
taken twenty-two sets, besides some other species
not to be recorded here. By 4 p. m. I had com-
pleted a day's collecting with an additional four-
teen sets, making a total of thirty-six sets of
Chats alone.

Of the total number of sets collected on this
day, I have selected eight from my cabinet which
show nearly every phase of variation. I take up
the sets for description as they now appear
before me.

Set No. 1, — Four eggs of crystalline whiteness
covered uniformly all over with minute spot of
reddish brown, no spot exceeding in size the point
of a pin, no lilac shell markings. Measurements
.88x.08, ,88.x. 66, .86.X.64 and .Box. 65.

Set No. 2. — Consists of four eggs which measure
respectively ,90x.68, 90x67, .88x.68 and ,87.x. 63N
Underground white. The general appearance of
this set is ringed, formed of large splashes or
blotches of two shades of red, similar to the mark-
ings on a heavily colored set of Meadow Lark’s.
The entire end and top are covered witli these,
which are confluent. The remainder of the egg
is here and there sparingly spotted with minute
spots of same color.

Set No. 3. — Four eggs, having an underground
of highly polished white, similar toY T ellow-shafted
Flicker’s eggs, and the entire portion of three
eggs is covered with a heavy marbled pattern in
red, much like the mottling of Nighthawk’s eggs.
The remaining egg is very peculiar, and looks out
of place in this set, having a ring of reddish
brown spots around I lie smalletl end, the remain-
ing portion being the shining white. Measure-
ments average ,93x.66.

Set No. 4. — Four eggs shaped like peanuts,
faintly marked all over with the usual colored
spot. The lilac shell marks show plainly. This
set contained one egg of Cowbird. They meas-
ure 1.03X.58, l.Olx.56, l.Olx.55 and 1.00x.55.

Set No. 5. — Contained four eggs, the most
beautiful of my day’s work. Ground color a
pure dead white and ringed around the larger end
in innumerable spots of the brightest red. If an
artist should take in hand a set of eggs of Purple
Martin, and very delicately effect a wreath around
the larger end, they would look as much like the
set I am trying to describe as anything I can
think of. Fully four-fifths of each egg is pure
white, unspotted. These specimens measure
,94x.6(l, .93x.G6, ,93x,65 and .92x.02.

Set No. 0. — Four eggs and Cowbird’s egg. This
set looks much like a set of Spurred Towhee,
which were collected and presented to me by my
friend W. Otto Emerson, of California. The en-
tire egg is covered with dull markings. Sizes:
.OGx.72, .92x.70, 94x.60 and .90.X.08.

Set No. 7. — Four eggs pure while. The lilac
and reddish markings are about equally numerous.
They are dispersed over the entire surface. Very
glistening and pretty. One egg of the Cowbird
was found In this nest. Average measurement :
,90x.68. The eggs look like some sets of Golden-
crowned Thrush, ( Siurux auneapillwf).

Set No, 8. — Four remarkably small, palely
marked specimens, Nearly round, ,71x.68. These
little eggs have the appearance of having been
dipped in an acid which would remove the color of
the marking. They might be termed albinos.

1 am convinced that four eggs is the usual nest
complement, as this is the most I found. The
eggs at this date was mostly fresh, although I
saw one nest with young birds, and several with
one, two, or three eggs, which I did not disturb.
No nest was more than five feet from the ground,
and all were built in bramble or low thickets, ex-
cept one which was on a small tree. Several were
within one foot of the ground, and on an average
every fourth nest contained the egg of the Cowbird.

The normal nest is long and thick ; very com-
pact, and I think it quite a pretty bird home. It
is composed of leaves, strips of wild grape vine
bark, and dead grass. One beautiful specimen I
found was made entirely of dead beacli leaves,
with a plentiful lining of straw.

Probably few collectors in this locality have any
idea of the excessive abundance of this bird in
suitable places ; and the fact that I found such a
large number of nests in one day, and all within a
radius of a mile, proves that the Chat loves an up-
land solitude, and that he finds much pleasure in
the society of his relatives.

0 .&O.XI.Feb.l8S6.p,£2-*3.