GOG MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



The eggs are three or four, white, spotted with brown and lihac, and average 

 .63 by .48 inches. 



No two writers agree as to the song of this bird. Evidently there is 

 much individual variation and if some of our writers are not mistaken 

 in their identification this warbler must have a greater variety of notes 

 than any other of the genus. Mr. White states that on IMackinac Island 

 he "detected seven distinct songs, no one of which was even a variation 

 of the other." Brewster, writing of northern New England, speaks of its 

 commonest song as resembling the words "she knew she was right; yes, 

 she knew she was right." Nehrling says: "The song is a simple but 

 pleasing chant, vividl}^ recalling the lay of the Myrtle Bird and at other 

 times that of the Yellow Warbler." According to Mr. Minot, "unfortu- 

 natel^y, of all these numerous songs not one is distinctively characteristic 

 of this warbler." 



The food does not seem to differ materially from that of the other wood 

 warblers. During migration (as well as at other times) it feeds extensively 

 upon plant-lice and is a common bird in orchards and gardens, but during 

 the nesting season it shows a decided preference for forests, and especially 

 the edges of evergreen woods, and its consumption of insects at this time 

 has therefore little direct value for the agriculturist. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult male: Entire top of head bluish-ash; back and iipj)er tail-coverts velvet black; 

 rump yellow; chin and throat rich yellow, vmspotted; breast and belly yellow, heavily 

 spotted and streaked with velvet black in front and along sides; middle of belly unspotted, 

 the yellow paler behind, becoming pure white on under tail-coverts; lores, space below 

 eye, and cheeks black; lower eyelid and short line above and behind eye pure white; two 

 broad white wing-bars, commonly fused into a single large patch; wing and tail-feathers 

 l)n)wnish-black, the middle pair of tail feathers unspotted, each of the others with a long 

 white spot on the inner vane near the middle, so that the tail when spread looks like a 

 white tail with a broad black terminal band; bill and feet black. Adult female: Similar, 

 but duller and smaller, the back only spotted with black, the ground color olive-green 

 to l)r()wnish ash; black strc:iks below smaller and shorter; the two wing-bars separate, 

 yellow rump and tail-feathers the same as in male. 



Length of male 4.35 to 5 inches; wing 2.25 to 2.45; tail 1.85 to 2.05. 



275. Cerulean Warbler. Dendroica cerulea (Wihon). (658) 



Synonyms: Blue Warbler, Azure Warbler. — Sylvia cerulea, Wils., 1810. — Sylvicola 

 caerulea, Rich., Aud. — Dendroica ca^rulea or Dendroeca cerulea of most recent authors. 

 — Sylvia rara, Wils., 1911. — Sylvia azurea, Steph., Nutt., Aud., 1831. 



Mainly clear light blue with some blackish streaks above; the under 

 parts white, with dusky blue streaks ; the wings with two white bars. This 

 is our only warbler which shows a decided light blue color. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States and southern Ontario, west to 

 the Plains. Rare or casual east of central New York and the Alleghanies. 

 In winter, south to Cuba, southeastern Mexico, Central America, Colombia, 

 Peru and Bolivia. Breeds from West Virginia, Tennessee, Missouri, and 

 Kansas northwaitl to Minnesota. 



The Cerulean Warbler is a regular and rather abundant visitor to the 

 southern, and especially the southeastern, part of the state and occurs 

 sparingly as far north as Port Huron and Grand Rapids. Mr. O. B. Warren 

 records it as a rare migrant at Palmer, Marquette county, but this is the 

 only record for the Upper Peninsula, and among the thousands of warblers 



