PACIFIC AUDUBON'S WARBLER 267 



spring, and that they eat myrica berries in the fall. John G. Tyler 

 (1913) says : "Audubon warblers share with Say Phoebes the habit of 

 catching flies from a window, sometimes becoming so engrossed in 

 this occupation as to cling for several seconds to the screen where a 

 south-facing window offers a bountiful supply of this kind of food." 

 Behavior. — Audubon's warbler is a lively and active bird that 

 seems to be always in a hurry, constantly moving in pursuit of its 

 prey, Mrs. Bailey (1902) writes: 



Its flight and all its movements seem to be regulated by gnats, its days one 

 continuous hunt for dinner. When insects are scarce it will fly hesitatingly 

 through the air looking this way and that, its yellow rump spot always in 

 evidence, but when it comes to an invisible gauzy-winged throng it zigzags 

 ,through, snapping them up as it goes ; then, perhaps, closing its wings it 

 tumbles down to a bush, catches itself, and races pellmell after another insect 

 that has caught its eye. In the parks it is especially fond of the palm tops 

 frequented by the golden-crowned sparrows, and dashes around them in its 

 mad helter-skelter fashion. The most straight-laced, conventional thing it ever 

 does is to make flycatcher sallies from a post of observation when it has caught 

 its insect. If it actually sits still a moment with wings hanging at its sides, its 

 head is turning alertly, its bright eyes keen for action, and while you look it 

 dashes away with a nervous qui'p into midair, in hot pursuit of its prey. 



It is not especially timid, being easy to approach when at its nest, 

 and it shows its confidence in human nature by building its nest in trees 

 in parks, over highways, in gardens, and even close to houses. Its 

 behavior in the defense of its young shows a solicitude for their wel- 

 fare. Jensen (1923) says: "If a nest with young is discovered, both 

 parent birds try every means possible to draw the attention of the 

 intruder away from the nest. Often I have seen them drop with 

 folded wings from the top of a tree and flutter among the leaves as if 

 each had a broken wing." And Grinnell, Dixon, and Linsdale (1930) 

 write : 



June 15, 1925, a female Audubon warbler was seen which showed concern 

 whenever the observer went near a certain thicket of very small pines and 

 willows. The bird came to within three meters of the intruder and distracted 

 his attention by going through an elaborate display. The bird spread its tail 

 fan-wise, showing the white spots to greatest effect, and quivered the partly 

 spread wings, toppling over backwards at the same time, as if unable to hold 

 to the perch. For an instant the observer thought the bird's foot was caught 

 in the forking twigs. The inference finally made was that partly fledged young 

 were in the low vegetation somewhere very near. 



Yoice. — Samuel F. Rathbun sends me the following note on the 

 song of Audubon's warbler: "The first note or two is given rather 

 slowly, then its utterance is more rapid and with a somewhat rising 

 inflection, the song closing a little hurriedly. It is quite a strong 

 and sprightly song, but its charm lies mostly in the fact that it is one 

 of the first, if not the very first, of the warbler songs heard in the 

 spring. The call note given by both sexes is the same, a quick and 



