172 THE ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. 



the hflp she will get out of him at Ijesl will he sympathy and Sdug, When 

 it comes to real work, like nest btiilding. she nuist do it. He will graciously 

 ad\'ise as to the situation, some horizontal branch of fir or pine, from six to 

 fifty feet high, and from three to twenty feet out. He will even accompany 

 her on her laborious trips after nesting material, cooing amiable nothings, 

 and oozing approval at every joint. — but help her — im'airc! 



The nest is quite a substantial aft'air tho rather roughly put together, 

 of fir twigs, rootlets, and moss, with a more or less heavy lining of horse- 

 or cow-hair, and other soft substances. The four eggs of greenish blue, 

 dotted and spotted with lavender and dark greenish slate, appear especially 

 handsome from above, when viewed against the dark brown nest. Bttt, as 

 everybody knows, the red fir ( PscmlotsiK/a miicromita] is a tree of moods 

 and tenses. You may dangle with impunity from the very tips of the 

 branches of some fir trees, while a step from the trunk is fatal in others of 

 the same general appearance. The Tanagers are quite as apt to patronize 

 the brittle kind. 



No. 70. 



ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. 



A. O. U. No. 646. Helminthophila celata (Say). 



Description. — Adult male: AI1. ive ashy olive-green, clearing and brighter 

 on rump ; crown largely ochraceous but color partly veiled by olive tips of 

 feathers; wings and tailfiiscous with some olive edging; below greenish-yellow, 

 dingy, or vaguely streaked with blue on breast and sides. Adult female: Similar 

 to male but duller, with ochraceous crown-patch restricted or wanting. /;;;- 

 mature: Without ochraceous crown; more ashy abrive; duller below save that 

 abdomen is white; eyelids often whitish. Length about 5.00 (127) ; wing 2.40 

 (61) ; tail 1.95 (49.5) ; bill .42 (10.7) ; tarsus .70 (17.8). 



Recognition Marks. — Small warbler size; ochraceous ("orange") crown- 

 patch distinctive from all except H. c. lutescens, which is the common bird; 

 duller. See next (sub) species. 



Nesting. — Not known to nest in Washington but may do so. As next. 



General Range. — Summer resident in western British America and Alaska 

 (save in Pacific coast district), .south thru Rocky Mountain district to New 

 Mexico; migrating across Central States and casually ( ?) New England, Middle 

 Atlantic States, Pacific States, etc., to Mexico. 



Range in Washington. — Probably common migrant but passing undistin- 

 guished among more abundant lutescens. 



Authorities.— Bowles and Dawson, Auk, Vol. XXV., Oct. 1908, p. 483. 



Specimens. — Bowles. Prov. P. 



