EASTERN ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER 93 



gi-eeii, paler below, the underparts sometimes obscurely streaked 

 with olive-gray. The brownish orange crown patch is usually not 

 conspicuous, except in worn summer plumage, and lacking in young 

 birds and some females. 



Fall. — Orange-crowned warblers begin to leave northern Alaska in 

 August. Dr. Nelson (1887) says that it is rare about St. Michael 

 after the middle of the month, his latest date being August 24. The 

 birds obtained at that season were mainly young of the year. "In 

 fall this species frequents the vicinity of dwellings and native villages, 

 where it searches the crevices of the fences and log houses for insects." 



The southeastward migration through central Canada and the 

 United States seems to be leisurely and quite prolonged, mainly in 

 September and early October, but often continuing into November. 

 In Massachusetts, there are numerous late fall records and some winter 

 records. Horace W. Wright (1917) has published an extensive paper 

 on this subject and has collected the following Massachusetts records : 

 "Mr. Brewster's eleven records lie within the period of autumn from 

 September 23 to November 28. There are three for September, namely, 

 the 23rd and the 30th twice ; none for October ; and eight for Novem- 

 ber, namely, 7th, 9th, 10th, 17th, 20th-21st, 23rd-24th, 25th, and 28th. 

 On two occasions two birds were present, November 9 and 28. My 

 own records run later. The earliest is November 5, and the latest is 

 January 23. They are November 5, 18, 20, 22, 28, 29, January 10, 19, 

 23." As Mr. Wright's records cover a period of 8 years ending with 

 January 1916, they indicate that the orange-crowned warbler is not 

 such a rare straggler in Massachusetts as is generally supposed, and 

 may be looked for almost any year in late fall, or even winter. Mr. 

 Forbush (1929) says of its occurrence there: 



This warbler may be found almost anywhere in New England during the fall 

 migration wherever there are trees and shrubbery. In my experience the bird 

 has been either in the trees or in the tops of rather tall shrubs and never very 

 high, but like other members of the genus, though it nests on the ground it is 

 said to spend considerable time in the upper parts of trees. It seems fond of 

 the edges of woodlands near water, but it also frequents open woods, orchards, 

 fruit gardens and shade trees, where amid the foliage it is very seldom noticed 

 by the ordinary observer. When approached it divides its attention between 

 the observer and its insect prey, which it hunts assiduously in the manner of 

 others of the genus. This warbler may be seen rarely in small companies, but 

 more often singly or in company with a small group of warblers of other species. 



Dr. Winsor M. Tyler contributes the following: "The orange- 

 crowned warbler is a rare bird in New England, but we may look for 

 it with some hope of success in the very late autumn, through November 

 and even into December, during the soft, calm days of Indian Summer. 

 As we walk along over the dead leaves, wet from last night's frost, 

 watching for the bird in the shrubs by the roadside and in neglected 



