NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER 137 



Porto Eico. * * * Migratory movement was apparent among 

 them by February 14, and after this the birds were very restless, espe- 

 cially during early morning, and there was tendency to work from the 

 east to west. In March and April there were distinct waves of migra- 

 tion," But it is well on toward the middle of May before the first 

 migrants reach the northern limits of their breeding range. 



Professor Cooke's (1904) records show that the migrants from 

 Mexico and Central America reach the Louisiana coast by the very last 

 of February or early March, while the first arrivals on the lower 

 Rio Grande, in Texas, come two or three weeks later. He observes : 



A comparison of the dates shows, first, that the parula warbler arrives in 

 Texas much later than in either of the other States, and hence does not reach 

 the Mississippi Valley by way of Texas; second, that it arrives in northern 

 Florida at least ten days later than it attains the same latitude in Louisiana. 

 From these two facts it would appear that Louisiana is reached by direct flight 

 across the Gulf of Mexico. The average date of arrival at New Orleans coin- 

 cides closely with the date when the first migrants arrive at the southern end 

 of Florida. It would seem that the birds of Mexico and Cuba are prompted to 

 move northward at the same time, but the flight over the Gulf of Mexico being 

 so much longer than that from Cuba to Florida, the Mexican birds reach a higher 

 latitude by their initial flight. 



There are other interesting details in Cooke's account to which the 

 reader is referred. 



During migration the parula warbler does not frequent haunts 

 typical of its breeding ground; in fact such are not to be found in 

 much of the country over which it travels ; nor does it especially fre- 

 quent the coniferous woods to which it is partial in summer. It is to 

 be found almost anywhere, in many kinds of trees, though it seems to 

 show a decided preference for deciduous woods. There, it may often 

 be seen drifting through the highest tree-tops in mixed groups of 

 migrating wood warblers, gleaning insects amidst the freshly open- 

 ing foliage. Referring to the Buckeye Lake region in Ohio, Milton 

 B. Trautman (1940) writes: "The transient Parula Warblers usually 

 displayed a preference for large pin oak and shingle oak trees and 

 a marked preference for one shingle oak in particular. This oak was 

 in the Lakeside "Woods, and more Parula Warblers were observed in 

 it than in all of the remaining trees of the woodland. A transient 

 often displays a marked preference for certain types of trees, but it 

 appears unusual for a single tree among many of the same kind to 

 retain yearly so marked an attraction for a particular bird species." 



The migrating parula warbler is often seen in roadside trees and in 

 shade trees in parks and gardens. It even visits our orchards, where 

 one of the most charming sights of springtime is to see this gay- 

 colored, tiny warbler flitting about in search of insects among the 

 apple blossoms, a delightful bit of color contrast in a beautiful setting. 



