SYLVICOLID.K — THE WARBLERS. 231 



western portion of Washin<itou Territory. Near Fort Steilacoom it was 

 fouud- priucipall}' among tiie oak-trees on the plains. 



Dr. "VVoodhouse t'onnd it abundant in New Mexico, confining itself to tlie 

 timliered and mountainous districts, and especially plentiful among the San 

 Francisco Mountains, feeding among tlie tall pines. Dr. (Jones found it ex- 

 ceedingly common in Arizona, where some spend the winter, and a few pos- 

 sibly remain in the summer to breed. 



Dr. Heermann found tliem remaining in the Sacramento Valley tliroughout 

 the winter, and (piotes Dr. Kennerly as finding these birds on the Boca 

 CJrande and at different points in Sonora. Mr. (Jamliel found tliese Warblers 

 on all his route from New ]\Ie.\ico to California in great abundance, tlieir 

 habits gi-eatly resembling those of the D. coronata. They disjilay a great deal 

 of familiarity, entering tlie towns, resorting to tlie gardens and licdge-rows, 

 and even the corrals of the houses, descending also to the ground in company 

 witli Blackbirds and Sparrows. 



This Warbler is thus sjiown to have a very extended distribution. It is 

 now known to be found, at different seasons, from Central America to British 

 Columbia, and from New Mexico to the Pacific. 



We are indebted to the late Mr. Hepburn for all the knowledge we possess 

 in reference to its nests, eggs, and breeding-habits. He procured tlieir nests 

 and eggs in Vancouver's Island. Tiiey were built in the forked branches of 

 small shrubs. Around tliese the materials of which they were built weva 

 strongly bound, and to it the nests were thus securely fastened. They were 

 quite long and large for the bird, being four inches in height, and three and 

 a lialf in diameter. The cavity is small, but deep. The external peri- 

 phery of tlie nest is made of coarse strips of bark, long dry leaves of wild 

 grasses, and strong stalks of plants, intermingled witli finer grasses, pieces of 

 cotton clotli, and otiier materials. The inner nest is also a singular combina- 

 tion of various materials, yet carefully and elaborately put together. It is 

 made up of fine grasses, feathers, lichens, mosses, fine roots, etc., all felted to- 

 gether and lined with a w^arm bedding of fur and feathers. Mr. Hejiburu's 

 observations, so far as they go, seem to show that this bird does not usually 

 build in siudi lofty positions as Nuttall and otliers conjectured. 



According to Mr. Hepburn, tliey arrive in Vancouver's Island in the middle 

 of April, and generally frecjuent high trees, constructing their nests in tlie 

 upper branches, though also frequently building in low bushes, a few feet 

 from tlie ground. The number of their eggs is four. These, he states, liave 

 a pure white ground, and are spotted, usually chiefly about the larger end, 

 witli red markings. 



Mr. Salvin met with both tliis species and the D. corovata at San Geroni- 

 rao, November, 1859. They congregated together on tlie ground, where they 

 principally obtained their food. 



Dr. Cooper, in his paper on the fauna of Montana, mentions this Warbler 

 as tlie only one of the genus seen Ijy him between Fort Benton and Fort 



