LAND BIRDS. 609 



7, 1896, and in 18S8 it did not arrive until May 20. At ]\Ucrsl)iirg Mr. 

 Trombley noted the first arrival on May 28, 1889 and April 30, 1894, while 

 other dates range from May 1, 1887 to May 14, 1890. At Palmer, Marquette 

 county, Mr. O. B. Warren recorded it on ]\Iay 17, 1894 and May 4, 1895, 

 while specimens were killed on Spectacle Reef Light, Lake Huron, May 

 15 and 19, 1891, and May 28, 1892. 



The nest is built between the middle of May and first of June, and is in- 

 variably placed in a bush or thicket, seldom more than three or four feet 

 from the ground. It is composed of various soft vegetable fibres and lined 

 with rootlets and hairs. The eggs are three or four, white, with brown and 

 lilac specks about the larger end and sometimes a few black dots. They 

 average .65 by .49 inches. 



According to Mcll wraith, this species rears two broods in a season, 

 but we have not been able to verify this statement for Michigan. The 

 bird is regularly imposed upon by the Cowbird and undoubtedly is often 

 obliged to make several attempts before it succeeds in rearing a brood. 

 It seems likely therefore that these later nests may have been mistaken 

 for second broods. Certainly the majority of these warblers do not rear 

 second broods, and the species is far from common in the late summer, 

 although it is occasionally a rather abundant migrant during the last 

 half of August and the first half of September. Probably all leave the 

 state before the first of October. 



In regard to its song Seton Thompson says: "It is somewhat like that 

 of the Orange-crowned Warbler. I can recall it to mind by the aid of the 

 syllables chip-e, chip-e, chip-e, chip-e, wai-chip, the single emphatic syllable 

 near the end being the most tangible difference" (Birds of Manitoba, p. 619). 



Apparently its food does not differ widely from that of the other members 

 of the genus. In Forbes' historic study of the cankerworm infested orchard, 

 two-thirds of the food of this species was found to consist of cankerworms, 

 in addition to which there was 10 percent of caterpillars, a few ants, 5 

 percent of plant-lice and 11 percent of beetles. Like all our warblers 

 this species is a hearty feeder on plant-lice during its migrations. 



TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 



Adult male: Upper parts mainly black, streaked with white or greenish-white, the 

 entire top of head yellow of varying intensity; lores and half of cheek black, remainder 

 of cheek and part of the side of neck white; c-hin, throat, breast, belly and under tail- 

 coverts, pure white; a conspicuous stripe of rich chestniit. running along eachsidc from 

 lower neck to flanks; two white or yellowish-white wing-bars; three outer pairs of tail- 

 feathers largely white on inner webs. Female similar, but the crown greenish-yellow 

 or even clear green, and the back olive-green, streaked witli black; loss black on the checks, 

 and the chestnut stripes reduced to spots and streaks, or sometimes almost wanting. 

 Length 4.60 to 5.25 inches; wing 2.40 to 2.65; tail L95 to 2.10; female slightly smaller. 



277. Bay-breasted Warbler. Dendroica castanea (11' //no/0- (660) 



Synonyms: Bay-breast.— Sylvia castanea, Wilson, 1810.— Dendroica (or Dcndroeca) 

 castanea of most authors. — Sylvia autumnalis, Wils., Bonap., Aud., and others (for speci- 

 mens in fall plumage). 



Figure 188. 



Distinguished by the dark chestnut or "bay" crown and the throat and 

 sides of the breast a lighter shade of the same color. Perhaps the most 



77 



