MANGROVE YELLOW WARBLER 191 



Eef erring to the Isle of Pines, W. E. C. Todd (1916) writes: "This 

 is a bird of the mangroves, to which it is apparently exclusively con- 

 fined. It is accordingly most numerous along the coast and about 

 the islands of Siguanea Bay, where the mangroves are so constant 

 and pronounced a feature. Mr. Read has observed it along the Pine 

 River also, but it is apparently a rare bird in the northern part of 

 the island, judging from the dearth of records, and, indeed, it cannot 

 be called a common bird in any locality as yet visited. Two nests 

 were found, both in mangroves wdthin a few feet of the water, during 

 the third week in April, but as yet without eggs." 



ISIore recently, this warbler has been found breeding on some of the 

 lower Florida Keys. Earle R. Greene (1942) writes: 



While exploring one of the Bay Keys in the Great White Heron National 

 Wildlife Refuge off Key West, Florida, on June 15, 1941, with Roger Tory Peter- 

 son of the National Audubon Society, a male warbler, in full song, was located. 

 * * * On June 26, the writer located it again on the same key, and on the 

 2Sth the male, female and nest were found. The last was in the top part of a 

 red-mangrove tree (Rhizophora mangle) and was composed of seaweed and 

 feathers ; it contained one egg, white with brownish markings chiefly about the 

 larger end. On July 10, the egg was found broken, apparently jabbed, possibly 

 by a Red-wing nesting nearby. On July 16, the male bird was collected, and on 

 the 30th the female. 



Later (1944) he says: "Since then, a male and female were seen on 

 June 16, 1942, on these same keys, and on July 14, 1942, an adult fe- 

 male was noted on the same keys. On August 6, 1942, a male and 

 female, as well as an immature bird, being fed by an adult, were found 

 on Big Mullet Key in the Key West Refuge, which is several miles 

 from the Bay Keys. A letter received from Mrs. Frances Hames 

 states that she found one bird, in song, on one of the Bay Keys on 

 May 30, 1943. I consider it, therefore, a regular nester on certain 

 keys in that area. Additional investigations may determine it as a 

 common breeder." 



DENDROICA PETECHIA CASTANEICEPS Ridgway 



MANGROVE YELLOW V/ARBLER 



HABITS 



Along both coasts of Baja California southward from about lati- 

 tude 27° N., and along the Pacific coast of Mexico from Sinaloa to 

 Guatemala, where that curious tree, the red mangrove {Rhizophora 

 mangle), bathes its feet in salt water along the shores of bays, estu- 

 aries, and tidal creeks, this handsome yellow warbler makes its perma- 

 nent home. The red mangrove extends its growth on these muddy 

 shores by sending its curving branches outward and downward to 



