Ridgway on Birds observed at Mount Carmel. 163 



migration, few of the truly migratory species being there on our 

 arrival, — the 17th of April. At that date the woods were in 

 nearly full leaf, the fruit-trees were nearly done blossoming 

 (several kinds entirely so), and the wheat waist-high. Still there 

 were no Catbirds, Orioles, Kingbirds, nor Tanagers, all of which 

 ordinarily reach Mount Carmel by that time. It was nearly a week 

 before these birds made their appearance ; but after the full tide of 

 migration set in there was little difference from other seasons, except 

 the great dearth of transient Warblers, all of which were more or 

 less rare, while many kinds, usually common, or even abundant, 

 were not to be seen at all. Thus, there were no Black-throated 

 Blue, Black-poll, Bay-breasted, Black-capped Green, nor Orange- 

 crowned Warblers ; only a single individual each of the Golden- 

 winged, Cape May, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, and 

 Worm-eating Warblers was noticed, while other migratory spe- 

 cies were unusually rare. No specimens of the Black-and-yellow 

 Warbler were detected until the 25th of May, when a pair were 

 shot in the Cypress Swamp. The following were the most abun- 

 dant species of this family, named, approximately, in the order of 

 their numbers : Dendroeca ccerulea, Setophaga ruticilla, Oporornis 

 fonnosus, Protonotaria citrea, Siurus auricapillus, Myiodiodes mi- 

 tratas, Helminihophaga pinus, II. peregrina (migratory), Siurus mota- 

 cilla, Dendroeca dominica albilora, D. cestiva, and Geotldypis trichas. 



Thryomanes bewicki. Bewick's Wren. — Very abundant, but 

 confined entirely to dooryards. It was estimated by Mr. Brewster and 

 myself that in Mount Carmel there was one pair of this Wren to about 

 every two dwellings ! The House Wren (Troglodytes aedon) is entirely 

 unknown there, the present species wholly replacing it. 



?? Helinaia swainsoni. Swainson's Warbler. — In the Cypress 

 Swamp a bird was several times noticed by Mr. Brewster and myself, 

 which we both agreed must be this species. It was well seen on several 

 occasions, and its song heard, while one specimen was shot, but, unfor- 

 tunately, could not be found. It appeared to have habits somewhat simi- 

 lar to those of the Prothonotary Warbler, with a song more like that of a 

 Water Thrush (Siurus motacilla), but weaker, more sprightly, and more 

 varied. 



Helminthophaga pinus. Blue-winged Yellow Warbler. — Very 

 abundant in old clearings in the bottom-lands. 



Dendroeca dominica albilora. Yellow-throated Warbler. — 

 Common enough, but the most difficult to collect of all the Warblers, on 

 account of its partiality to the tops of the tallest sycamore-trees, practi- 

 cally beyond the reach of small shot. The song strikingly resembles that 



