('.04 MICHIGAN niRD LIFE. 



Dr. 11. H. Wolcott found it resident, and apparently breeding, at Charle- 

 voix, and the writer found several pairs, evidently nesting, on Beave- 

 Island, Lake Michigan, in the summer of 1904. The University expedition 

 to Northern Michigan found a few specimens in the Porcupine Mountains 

 during July, and adults accompanied by young were seen there on July 

 16, 1904. Mr. T. B, Wyman states that it is a summer resident and breeds 

 at Negaunee, Marquette county, and Mr. S. E. White found it a not un- 

 common summer resident on Mackinac Island in 1890 and 1891. There 

 is little doubt that it nests regularly, but in small numbers, over a con- 

 siderable area in Crawford, Otsego and Oscoda counties, and probably 

 in other counties in the northeastern part of the Lower Peninsula. So 

 far as we can learn; however, no one has ever taken the eggs in the state. 

 In the light of our present knowledge we should say that the breeding area 

 lies entirely north of the Saginaw-Grand Valley, yet it is very likely that 

 isolated pairs may nest in favorable situations much farther south. 



The food of the bird in many respects resembles that of the other warblers, 

 but this species appears to take a much larger proportion of vegetable 

 matter, at least during migration. It gets its name of Myrtle Warbler 

 from its fondness for the berries of the wax-myrtle or bay-berry {Myrica 

 cerifera), on which it feeds greedily during its migration along the Atlantic 

 Coast. It is also one of the birds which eats freely the berries of the poison 

 sumac and poison ivy (Rhus venenata and R. toxicodendron), and by 

 so doing distributes these pests more widely. It also eats numerous 

 other berries and seeds, prol.ably taking almost any small fruits which 

 come in its way. 



Its song is in no way remarkable, and is not easily described so as to be 

 recognized. It is a rather pleasant war])le, consisting of a repetition of 

 a few syllables, which Seton Thompson describes as "pheo pheo pheo, 

 phew-phee, phew-phee, the first part being uttered very rapidly and the 

 last with more deliberation" (Birds of Manitol)a, p. 618). 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult male: Always recognizable by its four yellow patches, namely, one on the crown, 

 one on the rump, one on each side of the breast; in addition, the upper parts are bluish- 

 ash, streaked with black; the throat and middle of belly white and unstreaked; breast 

 and sides heavily streaked and spotted with black; two white wing-bars; two or three 

 outer pairs of tail-feathers spotted with white on inner webs near the end. The female is 

 similar, but browner above and less extensively streaked with black below; the four yellow 

 l)atches are always to be found. In fall and winter the yellow and black are more or less 

 concealed by the broad white or ashy edges and tips of the feathers, ami in young of the 

 year little or no yellow may be visible. 



Length 5 to G inches; wing 2.75 to 2.85; tail 2.20 to 2.30; female somewhat smaller. 



274. Magnolia Warbler. Dendroica magnolia (Wilso7i). (657) 



Synonyms: Black and Yellow Warbler, Spotted Warbler. — Sylvia magnolia, Wils., 

 ISU. — Motacilla maculosa, Gmel., 17iS8. — Sylvia maculosa, Vieill, Bonap., Aud., Nutt. — 

 Dendroica maculosa and Dendrcrca maculosa of most recent authors. 



Figure 136. 



Known by its rich yellow rump and under parts, the latter thickly 

 streaked with black. Especially characteristic is the dark tail with a 

 broad zone of pure white across its middle, each feather (except the middle 

 pair) being dark at base and tip with middle third white. 



