THE BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 327 



I recognize it as the Bay-breasted Warbler {Dendroeca cas- 

 taned). As I hold it in my hand, I cannot but admire the 

 plain richness of its costume. The back is greenish-gray 

 streaked with black; wings and tail dusky, the former barred, 

 the latter spotted on the inner web of the cuter-feathers 

 with white; forehead and sides of the head black; head, 

 throat, breast and sides a rich chestnut; under parts reddish- 

 white, with a patch of clear light buff on each side of the 

 neck, making a fine contrast with his dark colors. The fe- 

 male is similarly marked, but a good deal lighter. 



Though not rare, as in New England and Nova Scotia, 

 this species can hardly be called common in the migrations 

 of this locality, except in certain seasons. The spring of 1880 

 brought it in large numbers during the second week in May. 

 Mr. Allen says "in the Connecticut Valley it is generally 

 more or less common, and sometimes very abundant." Dr. 

 Coues found it rather common around Washington, D. C, 

 in the migrations, and while none of the earlier ornitholo- 

 gists knew much about it, nor anything of its nidification, 

 Mr. Maynard has found it resident and breeding, early in 

 June, in considerable numbers at Umbagog Lake. The nest, 

 which is rather bulky, and usually placed in a hemlock tree 

 some fifteen or twenty feet from the ground, is of " fine, dead 

 larch-twigs, mixed, in one instance, with long tree-moss," 

 and is "smoothly lined with black fibrous rootlets, some 

 moss and rabbit's hair," giving it a striking resemblance to 

 the nest of the "Purple Finch." The eggs are said to be 

 " bluish-green, more or less thickly speckled with brown all 

 over, the markings becoming confluent, or nearly so, at or 

 around the larger end, where the brown is mixed with lilac 

 or umber markings." As to the migrations of this species, 

 the same author says : " Avoiding the Eastern and Middle 

 States, the majority pass along the borders of the Great 



