LAND BIRDS. 623 



Mr. Wood watched "went to the top of an old burnt stub (about twenty- 

 feet high) nearby and sang 'wichi chee-chee-cher-r-r.' The song of this 

 male was not so loud and ringing, and was not so full of melody as the 

 first, but was very sweet and clear. It made me think of the song of the 

 Maryland Yellowthroat, only the notes were shorter. * * * * often 

 saw these birds ahght on the ground, and think them to be as terrestial 

 as Dendroica palmarum. The food of this warbler seemed to be span- 

 worms Uving upon jack-pines, and a small light-colored span-worm moth 

 (Diastictis). I saw the warbler capture these moths during flight. I 

 also shot a male Kirtland that came to a nest with a deer- fly in his mouth, 

 so that flies and other insects, as well as span-worms, may compose their 

 food. On describing the bird, its food and its habits, to a young man who 

 lives a few miles northwest, on the North Branch, he said the birds were 

 there and were called "the jack-pine bird." I consider this a very appro- 

 jji'iate name, as most of their time is spent on these trees and the bulk 

 of their food is gleaned from them. It is not, however, every jack-pine 

 plain that is the home of a colony, as I examined hundreds of acres where 

 the conditions seemed all right and found none." 



Several observers speak of the resemblance of this bird in action to 

 the Palm Warbler, particularly in the wagging motion of the tail. The 

 somewhat stiff and erect attitude of the bird in singing has also been noted, 

 and the figure given by C. J. Maynard (Birds of Eastern North America, 

 plate 17) represents correctly, according to Mr. N. A. Wood this "very 

 characteristic upright singing attitude." In size and general appearance 

 Kirtland's Warbler suggests a young autumn specimen of the Myrtle 

 Warbler (Dendroica coronata), but lacks the yellow rump and crown 

 patch, has no black patches on the sides of the breast, and the wing-bars 

 are very narrow, dull and inconspicuous. The black-streaked yellow 

 under parts remind one of the Prairie Warbler, but that is a much smaller 

 bird, the yellow of the under parts is much brighter, and it also has bright 

 yellow on the sides of the head, where Kirtland's Warbler is blackest. 

 The upper parts are entirely unlike in the two birds. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



A<liilt male: Gray or slaty-gray above, bluer on head, browner on back, which is 

 strongly streaked with black; lores, cheeks, and sides of tlu-oat black; eye-lids white; 

 chin and under tail-coverts white, rest of under parts yellow, the breast with small spots 

 of black, the sides heavily black-streaked; wing bars very indistinct or altogether lacking; 

 outer pair of tail-feathers with white patcii on inner web near tip. Female, similar, but 

 duller, the sides of head gray, imder parts paler yellow, spots and streaks lighter and less 

 distinct. 



Length 5..*^0 to inches; wing 2.60 to 2.90; tail 2.25 to 2.50. 



283. Pine Warbler. Dendroica vigorsi (.1/^/.). (671) 



Synonyms: Pine-creeping Warbler, I'ine Creeper. — Sylvia vigorsii. And., 1828. — 

 Sylvia pinus, Wils., 1811, Bonap., 1824, Nutt., 1832, And., 1834.— Dendroica and Dcndroeca 

 pinus of many of tlie older naturalists, Dendroica vigorsii, Ridgw., 1885, and most sub- 

 sequent authors. 



The adult male may be known by the olive-green upper parts; clear 

 yellow throat and ))reast, without streaks; two narrow white \ving-bars, 

 and long o])lique white patches on the outer tail-feathers. Females and 

 immature l)irds will ])e likely to puzzle any but the expert. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States, west to the Plains, north to 



