6^4 MICHIGAN BIRD LIFE. 



behind the eye, mark this species clcarh'. Tliere ai-e no white marks 

 on tail or wings. 



Distribution. — Eastern United States, west to the Plains, breeding from 

 the Ciulf States north to southern New England and southern Michigan. 

 In winter, West Indies, eastern Mexico, and Central America to Panama. 



This beautiful warbler occurs in Michigan only as a rare straggler from 

 the south. The northernmost record is by Dr. Atkins, who wrote Dr. 

 Gib])s that he took a male at Locke, Ingham county, July 24, 1877, stating 

 that at the time he shot it it kept in the top of a tamarack tree repeating 

 its curious note "whit-ishee, whit-ishee. "* So far as we can learn this 

 specimen was never examined by any other ornithologist, and Dr. Atkin's 

 statement that it was in the top of a tamarack tree throws at least a shadow 

 of doubt on the record, since the bird is a ground warbler, frequenting 

 rich damp woods where it runs about or walks much in the manner of 

 the Ovenbird. According to Ridgway: "It lives altogether near the 

 ground, making its artfully concealed nest among the low herbage and 

 feeding in the undergrowth, the male uttering his pretty song from some 

 old log or low bush. His song recalls that of the Cardinal, but is much 

 weaker; its ordinary note is a soft pchip, somewhat like the common call 

 of the Phoebe." Ridgway adds that "in its manners it is almost a counter- 

 part of the Golden-crowned Thrush, but is altogether a more conspicuous 

 bird, both on account of its brilliant plumage and the fact that it is more 

 active." 



So far as we can learn the only warrant for the statement that this species 

 breeds in Michigan is the above I'ecord l)y Dr. Atkins on July 24. It 

 seems at least very doubtful whether the bird is anything more than a 

 straggler to the southern part of the state, and if it breeds the fact is yet 

 to be proved. Aside from the Atkins specimen there appear to be but 

 three positive records for the state. Jerome Trombley identified a 

 Kentucky Warbler positively at Petersburg, May 4, 1886; J. Claire Wood 

 took a male in high plumage in Gratiot township, Wayne county. May 6, 

 1906,1 and kindly sent it to the writer for examination; and there is a speci- 

 men in a collection of mounted birds in Saline, Wayne county, which in all 

 probability was taken in that immediate vicinity b}^ a Mr. Van Duzer, 

 now deceased. His wife writes under date of April 3, 1906: "In regard 

 to the Kentucky Warbler which I have in my collection, I can positively 

 say that it was not obtained by exchange or purchase, but my late husband 

 collected it close to home." Dr. Gibbs of Kalamazoo was quite sure that 

 in 1875 he secured a specimen of this rare warbler in immature plumage, 

 but it spoiled before he had time to prepare it. This is doubtless the 

 source of the record in Cook's Bulletin (Birds of Mich., 2d ed., 1893, 

 page 136). 



The Kentucky Warbler has been reported by one or two observers 

 from the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, but no specimens have been taken 

 and the reports are doubtless founded on mistaken identifications. The 

 bird is very rare in southern Wisconsin, where, according to Kumlien and 

 Hollister there are but seven records for sixty years (Birds of Wisconsin, 

 p. 117.) Butler states that the most northei-n point which the Kentucky 

 Warbler is known to have reached in Indiana is Gibson Station, where 

 Mr. C. E. Aiken is said to have taken several specimens in May 1871 (Birds 

 of Ind., 1897, 1086). 



*Forest and Stream, May 13, 188.3. 

 tAuk, XXITI, 190(1, 314. 



