10 Illinois State Laboratory of Natural History. 



Davenport. The com}>arative absence of the species in 

 the vicinity of Davenport would seem to indicate the scar- 

 city of suitable places for nidification, but, unfortunately, 

 data is meagre from this point, and having never in- 

 vestigated the locality in question, I can give nothing 

 further. From Davenport to the northern part of the 

 State, I have no information whatever, which will ne- 

 cessitate our leaving the Mississippi and tracing its dis- 

 tribution elsewhere. 



Retracing our steps to the mouth of the Illinois, we 

 find the golden swamp warbler one of the most abund- 

 ant birds in the rich bottom-lands of this river. It is 

 reported by R. M. Barnes, Esq., as a very common sum- 

 mer resident as far north as Lacon, but the writer has 

 found it considerably north of this. South of Lacon, the 

 bird is exceedingly plentiful in the prevailing willow 

 swamps, and around the numerous small lakes and la- 

 goons which are found bordering the river. Dr. W. S, 

 Strode writes that they arrive at Thompson's lake about 

 May 1 to 10, and that they have greatly increased in the 

 last ft>ur or five years along the Illinois and its tributa- 

 ries. It is reported from the vicinity of Duck Island and 

 Spring Lake as very abundant, by W. S. Cobleigh; and 

 also from Peoria by B. F. Bolt, who has made some 

 valuable observations on this species. The writer has 

 found the prothonotary warbler very plentiful at all 

 points along this river as far north as Senachwine Lake. 



About fifty miles north of Lacon, the prothonotary 

 seems to decrease in numbers somewhat abruptly. From 

 Ottawa, Mr. A. Hamfeldt writes: "The prothonotary 

 warbler is quite unknown hereabouts. I saw only one two 

 years ago in May, and this must have been only a strag- 

 gler." Evidenth' the limit to its abundance on the Illinois 

 is reached a little south of this point, the essential bottom- 

 lands and willow swamps being here practically exhausted. 

 Although with us the vicinities of Ottawa and Daven- 

 port are apparently at the extreme northern limit of 

 its breeding range, the warbler certainly appears much 



