124 BULLETIN 20 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL IVfUSEUM 



14 times in 3 minutes and 10 seconds. * * * Singing perches on dead limbs 

 that were rather exposed were the rule, but they were not often as high as 

 the tops of tall trees. * * * On June 16, 1930, near Kingston Creek, 7500 

 feet, a singing male was followed for an hour, beginning at 7 : 30 a. m. It sang 

 about every 30 seconds. The territory over which it moved was surprisingly 

 large, estimated as extending 400 yards along the canon slope and vertically 

 about 150 yards, from near the stream to the base of the broken cliffs. * * * 

 The song, compared with that of the Tolmie warbler had a more rapid rhythm 

 and the notes were thinner and weaker. It could be distinguished from that 

 of the Audubon warbler by the lack of rising inflection at the end. The song 

 was represented by the observer (Miller) as zdl-zdl-zdl-zdl, zt-zt-zt-zt. 



Field marks. — ^Virginia's warbler, with its plain gray upper parts, 

 is an inconspicuous bird, and its shy, retiring habits make it difficult to 

 observe. The chestnut crown patch is not prominent and is often 

 invisible. The yellow on the chest and throat of the male is quite 

 variable and in the female and young much reduced or lacking. The 

 best field marks are the dull yellow rump and upper and under tail 

 covers, which are more or less conspicuous in old and young birds at 

 all seasons. 



Enemies. — O. W. Howard (1899) says that "the nests of the bird, 

 like those of other ground-nesting birds of this locality, are destroyed 

 by jays and snakes. The jays steal both eggs and young. Often 

 a whole band of these winged wolves will sweep down on a nest and 

 in less time than it takes to tell it they will devour the contents and 

 destroy the nest, the pitiful notes of the helpless parents being 

 drowned by the harsh notes of the marauders." 



Frank C. Cross writes to me that Kobert J. Niedrach showed him 

 a nest of this warbler that contained a young cowbird and one young 

 warbler. 



Wi7ifer. — By the last of August or early September, Virginia's 

 warblers have retired from their northern breeding haunts, to spend 

 the winter in southern Mexico. Dr. C. William Beebe (1905) writes: 

 "Occasionally in the mornings, numbers of tiny grayish warblers 

 came slowly down the walls of the barranca, feeding as they descended, 

 taking short flights, and keeping close to ground among the dense 

 underbrush. These birds lingered at the camp for a time, and then, 

 with soft, low chirps, all passed on to the water, where they alighted 

 on the sand and drank. Then, as if at some silent signal, all flew 

 up and returned quickly, still keeping close to the ground, zig-zagging 

 their way upward in a long line, like tiny gray mice." These were, 

 of course, Virginia's warblers. 



DISTRIBUTION 



Range. — Western United States to Southern Mexico. 

 Breeding range. — Virginia's warbler breeds north to central eastern 

 California (White Mountains) ; central and northeastern Nevada 



