372 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



The eggs are deposited in the latter half of May or first half of 

 June. Four is the usual number laid ; they are white, with a bluish 

 tinge, finely speckled on or round the larger end with reddish-brown ; 

 average size .yox^o. 



661. Dendroiea striata (FORST.) [101.] 



Black-poll "Warbler. 



Hab. Eastern and Northern North America, breeding from Northern New England, Labrador, etc., 

 to coast Alaska (north of the Alaskan Peninsula) and to the Arctic Ocean; accidental in Greenland. In 

 winter, south to Bahamas, Cuba and Northern South America. 



In the United States the Black-poll Warbler is known as a spring 

 and fall migrant, except in Northern New England, where a few pair 

 remain to breed. Its breeding grounds are from thence northward into 

 the Arctic regions. 



The nests are usually built iu the month of June, and are placed 

 in low, thick spruce trees about eight feet from the ground. They are 

 made of small twigs, lichens, slender rootlets, sedges, and lined with 

 feathers. Mr. Norris has fifteen sets of the eggs of this species 

 taken at Grand Manan, N. B. 



They show great variation in size, shape and coloration. In 

 shape they vary from ovate to elongate-ovate, and the ground-color 

 varies from, white to creamy and buff, and occasionally a light shade 

 of greenish-white is found. They are speckled, spotted and blotched 

 with various shades of reddish-brown and frequently lilac-gray. 

 Occasionally a set shows such small specks all over the surface as to 

 almost obscure the ground-color. The markings are always much 

 heavier at the larger ends, but they rarely form wreaths. The eggs are 

 four or five in number. The set containing the smallest eggs exhibits 

 the following sizes: .yox.52, .7ix.52, .65x49, .68x49, .7ix.53; 

 the largest eggs measure . Sox. 50, . 79x^4, -79X.53, .78x-54, .77X.54. 



662. Dendroica blackburniae (GMEL.) [102.] 



Blacktmrnian "Warbler. 



Hab. Eastern North America to the Great Plains, casually to Utah and New Mexico. Breeds from 

 Northern United States northward. South in winter to the Bahamas, Central America and Northern South 

 America. 



A lovely Warbler, with throat and chest of intense orange yellow. 

 Breeds from the northern States northward, occurring as it does in 

 most of the United States as a spring and fall migrant. Its nests and 

 eggs have been taken in Massachusetts and other more northern New 

 England States. Dr. C. Hart Merriam found a pair of these birds 

 breeding in a grove of large white pines in Lewis county, New York. 

 In the latter part of May the female was observed building, and on the 

 3d of June the nest contained four fresh eggs of the Warbler and one 

 of the Cowbird. The nest was saddled on the horizontal limb about 



