Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 225 



In Missouri one of the most common and the most regular 

 of transient Warblers in the eastern part of the state, but be- 

 coming scarcer and scarcer as we go westward. Dr. Hoy- 

 mentions it in his list of birds of western Missouri. W. E. D. 

 Scott met with it once, May 18, 1874, at Warrensburg, and Mr. 

 H. NehrUng, May 2, 1884, at Pierce City. These are all the 

 records we have from western Missouri. Its appearance at 

 St. Louis may be looked for with confidence between May 3 and 

 May 5, very seldom earlier (May 1, 1904) and delays of a few 

 days are equally rare. The bulk is present during the second 

 week of May. After the 16th the species becomes scarce and 

 disappears entirely if the weather is hot. In cool Mays it has 

 been known to linger a week (May 22, 1885) and even two weeks 

 longer (May 29, June 3, 1907). It is one of the most abundant 

 migrants in the southeast, where it remains as late as in the cen- 

 tral and northern parts. On its return in fall the first reaches 

 St. Louis early in September (September 5, 1887, September 

 5, 1897), but the bulk is present between September 17 and 27, 

 and the last leave us soon afterward, deserting even the heavily 

 wooded southeast by October 10 (Last for St. Louis, October 

 5, 1906). 



*658. Dendroica cerulea Wilson. Cerulean Warbler. 



Sylvia cerulea. Sylvicola coerulea or caerulea. Dendroeca caerulea or coerulea. 

 Sylvia vara. Dendroica rara. Sylvia azurea. Blue Warbler. 



Geog. Dist. — Eastern United States and southern Ontario; 

 rare east of Allgehanies. Breeds from the mountains of Virginia 

 and Tennessee, northern Alabama and Louisiana north to 

 southern Michigan and Minnesota, west to eastern Nebraska, 

 Kansas and the Indian Territory. Winters from Panama to Peru. 



In Missouri a common summer resident in high trees of bottom 

 land along water-courses in all parts of the state, but disappear- 

 ing with the trees, not accepting the conditions imposed by 

 civihzation. It may be found in orchards and like places during 

 migration, but for its nests it wants high trees near water, build- 

 ing far out on horizontal or drooping branches, much to the 

 disgust of the egg collector. The species is especially numerous 

 in the southeast, where it arrives as early as April 10, 1893. 

 The magnificent forests in the flood plains of the Mississippi 

 and Missouri Rivers afford homes for a large number of these 

 diligent songsters. Audubon met with them at the mouth of 

 Grand River, April 30, 1843, and again at Leavenworth, May 4, 



