68 The Ottawa Naturalist. [JLily 



NESTING OF SOME CANADIAN WARBLERS. 



THIRD PAPER. 

 By Wm. L. Kells, Listowel, Out. 



Black-throated Green Warbler {Dendroica virens). 



This species is more often observed in the periods of the 

 spring- and fall migrations than during the intervening season, 

 except in certain favorite localities. The majority of these 

 migrants that pass through south-central Ontario in the spring 

 season, appear to go further north for the nesting season ; though 

 it may be that many more pairs remain and nest in the swamp 

 woodlands of south Ontario than the few who in this country have 

 yet made the life-history of our minor woodland birds a subject of 

 special study are aware of. Occasionally, specimens of this 

 species are noted in certain lowland woods in the vicinity of 

 Listowel, in the breeding season j and every year — in early sum- 

 mer—I note the song of the male bird at a period when the female 

 is doubtless incubating. I feel certain that some ot the species 

 nested on Wildwood in past years, for on one occasion I examined 

 a specimen of this species in its nesting plumage, that was shot 

 in the back wood on the premises, in the month of August ; and, 

 earlier the same season, a pair had been noted frequenting a 

 clump of conifers in the vicinity ; but the clearing up of the 

 original forest and the draining of the low grounds have, with the 

 improvement of the country, eflfected many changes in the sum- 

 mer haunts and nesting homes of various species of our woodland 

 birds, — among others, in the more original habits of the beautiful 

 and ever interesting Black-throated Green Warbler. 



In the middle of June of last season (1902), I was agreeably 

 surprised to discover a pair of these wildwood rangers in full song, 

 and actively gleaning their insect prey, in a large, deep-shaded 

 orchard, five miles west of this town. For some time my com- 

 panion and I watched the movements of both sexes among the 

 foliage, and listened to the song of the male with deep interest. 

 This performance was effected in a very animating manner, but in 

 a rather doleful tone, and much resembled the song of the White- 

 crowned Sparrow, but was more subdued. This was the nesting 

 time of the species ; I was, therefore, in hopes of finding their 



