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JOURNAL OF MAINE ORNITHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ing about a month and passing north- 

 ward. In the fall it arrives about 

 September 20 and remains until about 

 November 2nd. 



Capt. H. L. Spinney reports as fol- 

 lows regarding the occurrence of the 

 species about the light at Seguin 

 Island. "May 1st, 1897, one seen; 

 May 6th, one seen; June 3rd a number 

 seen; June 7th, ten seen." "On 

 April 18, 1898 one was seen, and on 

 April 23rd a number were seen." 

 "September 29, 1898 a number were 

 killed." "April 30th, 1901 one was 

 seen and April 23rd, 1902 a number 

 were seen." 



Near Bangor I have seen the species 

 as early as April 24 and it remains as 

 late as October 1st. 



The birds frequent bushy pastures 

 and bog land during the nesting sea- 

 son, and in migration occur in alder 

 thickets and bushes along streams 

 and roadsides and in pastures. Their 

 nervous actions, the continuous 

 twitching of their tails, their habit of 

 catching their food on the wing like a 

 Flycatcher are facts sure to be seen 

 when observing these birds. The 

 adult in spring plumage has conspic- 

 uous yellow under parts, while the 

 sides of the throat and the breast and 

 sides are streaked with chestnut- 

 rufous. The line over the eye and 

 ring around the eye are yellow. The 

 crown is chestnut and the back 

 brownish olive green, changing into 

 olive green on the rump. The tail is 

 edged with olive green and the outer 

 tail feathers have white spots on the 

 inner veins near the tips. 



The natal down of the young is a 

 peculiar mouse color with a tint verg- 

 ing toward sepia which is hard to de- 

 scribe. The Juvenal plumuge has 

 begun to replace the natal down 

 when the birds are six days old, and 

 they leave the nest within about 

 twelve days after hatching, and after 

 hiding a day or so in the undergrowth 

 are able to essay short flights. The 

 Juvenal plumage is well described by 

 Dr. Dwight in his most excellent pa- 

 per entitled "The Sequence of Plu- 

 mages and Moults of the Passerine 

 Birds of New York" and detailed de- 

 scriptions can be consulted in his 

 article. He states that the juvenal 

 plumage is acquired by a complete 

 postnatal moult. The first winter 

 plumage is acquired by a partial post- 

 juvenal moult which takes place in 



eastern Canada in August. The first 

 nuptial plumage is acquired by a par- 

 tial prenuptial moult; the adult win- 

 ter plumage by a complete post- 

 nuptial moult; and the adult nuptial 

 plumage by a partial prenuptial 

 moult. 



In the nesting season the species 

 may be confidently looked for in any 

 sphagnum-hackmatack bog with 

 open stretches within the Canadian 

 faunal sections of the State. So far 

 as known the birds are found in what 

 may be perhaps termed loosely ag- 

 gregated colonies. From their ar- 

 rival until well into June the song of 

 the male is frequently uttered. It 

 consists of a series of trills which 

 may be rendered "Tsee tsee tsee 

 tsee tsee," and the call and alarm 

 notes are mere "chips" uttered with 

 various intonations. 



Though diligent watching through- 

 out May has yet failed to reveal the 

 birds in the act of building, yet owing 

 to well fledged young being found as 

 early as the second of June it is very 

 evident that some individuals must 

 begin nest building so that eggs are 

 deposited at least as early as May 11, 

 and consequently the birds in some 

 instances are quite likely to begin 

 building approximately May 1, or 

 soon after their arrival. The nesting 

 season is prolonged until well into 

 June. The parent birds are usually 

 in the vicinity of the nest which may 

 be found after it contains young by 

 watching the birds carrying food. 

 Before the young have hatched the 

 only way yet successful of finding 

 nests is by flushing the sitting bird, 

 but with precautions the birds should 

 be detected in the act of nest build- 

 ing. While the female is incubating 

 the male sings frequently from the 

 top of some low tree or bush near at 

 hand, and by thoroughly searching 

 the immediate vicinity the female 

 may sometimes be flushed from the 

 nest. 



The food of this species consists 

 largely of insects and among the con- 

 tents of stomachs of birds taken in 

 spring and summer have been found 

 small beetles, gnats, mosquitoes, flies 

 and the general run of small insects 

 found on the trunks of trees or flying 

 in the air in localities which the War- 

 blers frequent. In late summer and 

 fall some small amount of vegetable 



