GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER 49 



other coarse fibers are used. A very characteristic feature of the nest lining is 

 fine shreds of light reddish-brown vegetable fiber, which at first glance might 

 easily be mistaken for dry needles from the pitch pine — but careful examination 

 shows it to be the inner layers of the bark from the grape vines. The nest is very 

 bulky for the size of the bird and is rather loosely put together by crossing the 

 materials diagonally, so that it slightly resembles a rather coarse basket-work. 

 I never saw a nest of this species which had a soft lining, such as many other 

 warblers use — the eggs are apparently always deposited on rough material. 



The general color of the nest is very dark, especially just after a rain, when 

 the materials of which it is composed look almost black — this being one thing 

 which helps to distinguish these nests from those of the Maryland Yellow-throat, 

 which generally builds a much lighter colored nest, lined with fine grass, and 

 sometimes with horse hair. Another small point of difference which is noticeable 

 on close examination is that the lining in the Yellow-throat's nest is usually of 

 a much finer and lighter colored material, and appears to be woven in horizontally, 

 or at least to show some traces of such a design, especially around the upper 

 edge — while the Golden-wing closely adheres to the diagonal criss-cross pattern 

 with the loose ends of the nesting materials sticking up at an angle above the 

 rim of the nest cavity. 



Mr. Green describes the surroundings of the nest thus : 



For their summer home these birds prefer the border of deciduous woods, where 

 tall trees give plenty of shade, to an adjacent clearing with a growth of briers, 

 bushes and grass, and the nest is usually placed just outside the line of the forest 

 proper, but within the shade of the trees. A meadow wholly surrounded by woods 

 is frequently selected. The ideal place to search for a nest of the species is in 

 one of those woodland meadows, which has a clear brook flowing through it, 

 with briers, tussocks of grass and a fresh growth of goldenrod scattered around 

 in profusion, with birch trees and wild grape vines growing near the edges 

 where the meadow meets higher ground — and all this bordered by tall oak, 

 chestnut and maple trees which furnish an abundance of shade to the vegetation 

 of the meadow itself. 



J. Warren Jacobs (1904) describes the nest much as above and adds : 

 "The opening is not straight down, but slightly tilted, the jaggy- 

 leaf -stems and bark sometimes reaching two or three inches above the 

 rim of the nest proper. As incubation advances, the rough rim on 

 the lower edge of the nest becomes broken down, and by the time the 

 young birds are ready to leave, this part of their home is worn smooth 

 by the attendant parents." 



He gives the measurements of 17 nests as follows : "Outside 3.6 to 

 5.0 inches in diameter, and 3.0 to 5.0 inches in depth ; and on the inside, 

 from 1.7 to 2.5 inches in diameter by 1.3 to 2.5 inches deep." These 

 measurements agree very closely with the records of several other 

 observers. Jacobs continues : "Seemingly before the birds have had 

 time to complete their nest, the female begins the deposition of the 

 eggs. Generally, where I had opportunity to watch the nests daily, 

 or at intervals between the beginning and completion of the set, the 

 eggs were laid on consecutive days, but in two or three instances it 

 was noticed that the laying missed a day." 



