y4 



THE OOLOGIST 



tion it has been decided to give our 

 principal attention to the Warblers. 



There are thirty-six species of war- 

 blers known in Michigan, and one var- 

 iety. The listing of the Yellow-throat- 

 ed Warbler. Dcndroica dominica(L.) in 

 Cook's Birds of Michigan, 1893, was an 

 error. 



Of these I'epresentatives of a most in- 

 teresting family, twenty-eight are com- 

 mon and well known to all advanced col- 

 lectors, and twenty two are abundant. 

 Twenty-one are knovpn to breed in the 

 state, and the nesting habits of seven 

 are known to nearly all observers. 

 Four species are stragglers only. Sev- 

 en or more are locally distributed, and 

 not found in many sections. Five are 

 thought to pass north of our boundaries 

 to nest. Seven are known to remain in 

 the state in summer, yet are not known 

 to breed. 



Notes should be taken at each station 

 as follow: 



1. Date of arrival of first male and fe- 

 male. Date when common. Date at 

 which last specimen of those who pass 

 north was seen. List of summer sojour- 

 ners. 



2. Date of first song. Description of 

 songs and call notes, expressed in syl- 

 lables. Preferred time of singing. 

 Date of cessation of song. 



3. Date of earliest nest building. 

 Date of completion. Complete descrip- 

 tion of nest; dimensions; exact situat- 

 ion; with name of tree or bush, descrip- 

 tion of locality, wood, or field, marsh or 

 ^highland. Full notes on material of 

 nest structure, outside, inside and lin- 

 ing. Weight of nest [avordiipois.) 



4. Date of first egg deposited. Date 

 jPosition of the first full set. Position of 



the eggs. Number of the eggs. Date of 

 .'hatching of brood. Take careful note 

 •of date of deposition of egg of Cowbird, 

 .and length ot period of incubation of 

 Warbler and Cowbird. 



5. Date when young leave the nest, 

 with special mention of the time when 

 the young Cowbird leaves. 



G. Habits of old bird during incuba- 

 tion and care of young. Food of the 

 young. Food of the old birds. 



7. Description of eggs. 



8. Date of departure, with remai'ks 

 on changed appearance from moulting. 

 Date of appearance .of northern tran- 

 sients. 



9. Other notes which will be suggest- 

 ed to thoughtful observers by the birds. 



These observations, if generally and 

 •systematicaly taken, will secui'e to us a 

 better understanding of the Warblers of 

 Michigan than has been our fortune thus 

 far. This State has not received the at- 

 tention from thorough workers which 

 its interesting avi-fauna would seem to 

 invite, and no concerted systematic 

 work has ever been accomplished. 



Systematic observations cannot fail to 

 be of interest to each worker in a local- 

 ity, while the value of a compilation of 

 these notes will be of the greatest assist- 

 ence in future research. To those who 

 wish to study other families or groups 

 of birds, and to all collectors of skins 

 and eggs, we would say that the Aca- 

 demy will be pleased to receive your ob- 

 servations, as well as specimens which 

 you may wish to offer. 



Michigan Academy of Sciences, 

 Morris Gibbs, M. D., 



Department of Ornithologj', 

 Kalamazoo, 

 Michigan. 



[These suggestions ai'e so good, that 

 we cannot do better than to advise col- 

 lectors of other states to follow them in 

 conserted action and later secure com- 

 pilation of the season's efforts. It is 

 only by this means that our best work 

 is accomplished. — Ed.^ 



In September will be solemnized the 

 wedding of Dr. R. W. Shufeldt to Miss 

 Florence Audubon, a daughter of John 

 Woodhouse Audubon, the second son of 

 J. J. Audubon, the famous author of the 

 "Birds of America." May the wedding, 

 so happily appropriate, be ever approp- 

 riately happy ! — Nidiologist. 



