1 82 THE AUDUBON WARBLER. 



WHILE only a little less lovely than its local kinsman, the Audubon 

 Warbler, by as much as it has four patclies of gold instead of five, this 

 beautiful migrant appears to have been very largely lost to sight in the 

 throng of its more brilliant relatives. Rathbun, writing from Seattle, says 

 of it: "A regular and not uncummon spring migrant, associating with 

 D. aiiduboni. Have no fall record." Bowles from Taconia says: "An 

 irregular fall migrant, very numerous some years, the fall of 1905 for 

 example. Have never seen it in spring." Yakima, April 30, i8gi ; Chelan, 

 May 22, 1905; Tacoma, April 27, 1907, are some of my own records. 

 Fannin gives the species as "An abundant summer resident, chiefly west of 

 the Cascades," in British Columbia, aii<l it should occur regularly within our 

 borders during migration. 



The tchip note of the Myrtle Warbler is indistinguishable from that of 

 D. auduhoni, but a single glimpse of the white throat is suflicient to establish 

 identitv. Those seen have necessarily been at close quarters and ranging 

 low, in willow thickets, along the margins of ponds, etc., but it is altogether 

 possible for a migrant troop to hold to the tree-tops in passing and so elude 

 observation from "Fortv-nine" to the Columbia. 



No. 75. 



AUDUBON'S WARBLER, 



A. O. \J. No. 656. Dendroica aiiduboni (Towns.) 



Synonym. — Western Yellow-rum ped Warp.ler. 



Description. — Adidt male: Similar to D. coronata but thruat rich gamboge 

 yellow; auriculars bluish gray instead of black; a large white wing patch formed 

 by tips of middle and outer edges of greater coverts; tail with white blotches on 

 inner webs of four or five outer feathers ; usually more extensively black on 

 breast. Adult fciiialc: Similar to adult male but duller (differences closely cor- 

 responding with those in D. coronata): the white of wing patch nearly obsolete; 

 the yellow of throat paler and often, especially on chin, more or less displaced 

 by white (young females even of the second summer are sometimes absolutely 

 without yellow on throat but the more abundant white on rectrices is distinctive 

 as compared with D. coronata). Seasonal changes follow very closely those of 

 D. coronata but yellow of throat is usually retained in winter save in young 

 females and (occasionally) young males. Length of adult about 5.50 (139.7); 

 wing 3.00 (76) ; tail 2.45 (57) : bill .41 ( 10.4) : tarsus .80 (20.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Warbler size ; five spots of yellow ; extensive white 

 blotching of tail ; yellow rump distinctive in any plumage save as compared with 

 D. coronata. from' which it is further distinguished (usually) by yellow or yel- 

 lowish of throat (If this character fails, the more extensive white on tail will 

 always hold). 



Nesting. — Nest: a well built, bulky structure of fir twigs, weed stems. 



