SYLVICOLID.'E — THE WARBLERS. 231 



western portion of Washington Territory. Near Fort Steilacoom it was 

 found principally among the oak-trees on the plains. 



Dr. Woodhouse found it abundant in New Mexico, confining itself to the 

 timbered and mountainous districts, and especially plentiful among the San 

 Francisco Mountains, feeding among the tall pines. Dr. Coues found it ex- 

 ceedingly common in Arizona, where some spend the winter, and a few pos- 

 sibly remain in the summer to breed. 



Dr. Heermann found them remaining in the Sacramento Valley throughout 

 the winter, and quotes Dr. Kennerly as finding these birds on the Boca 

 (Irande and at different points in Sonora. Mr. Ganibel found these Warblers 

 on all his route from New Mexico to California in great abundance, their 

 liabits greatly resembling those of the D. corotiata. They display a great deal 

 of familiarity, entering the towns, resorting to the gardens and hedge-rows, 

 and even the corrals of the houses, descending also to the ground in company 

 witli Blackbirds and Sparrows. 



This Warbler is thus shown to have a very extended distribution. It is 

 now known to be found, at different seasons, from Central America to British 

 Columbia, and from New Mexico to the Pacific. 



We are indebted to the late Mr. Hepburn for all the knowledge we possess 

 in reference to its nests, eggs, and breeding-habits. He procured their nests 

 and eggs in Vancouver's Island. Tliey were built in the forked branches of 

 small shruljs. Around these the materials of which they were built were 

 strongly bound, and to it the nests were thus securely fastened. They were 

 quite long and large for the bird, being four inches in height, and three and 

 a half in diameter. The cavity is small, but deep. The external peri- 

 phery of the nest is made of coarse strips of bark, long dry leaves of wild 

 grasses, and strong stalks of plants, intermingled with finer grasses, pieces of 

 cotton cloth, and other materials. The inner nest is also a singular combina- 

 tion of various materials, yet carefully and elaborately put together. It is 

 made up of fine grasses, feathers, lichens, mosses, fine roots, etc., all felted to- 

 gether and lined with a warm bedding of fur and feathers. Mr. Hepburn's 

 observations, so far as they go, seem to show that this bird does not usually 

 build in such lofty positions as Nuttall and others conjectured. 



According to Mr. Hepburn, they arrive in Vancouver's Island in the middle 

 of April, and generally frequent high trees, consti'ucting their nests in the 

 upper branches, though also frequently building in low bushes, a few feet 

 from the ground. The number of their eggs is four. These, he states, have 

 a pure white ground, and are spotted, usually chiefiy about the larger end, 

 with red markings. 



Mr. Salvin met with both this species and the D. coronata at San Geroni- 

 mo, November, 1859. They congregated together on the ground, where they 

 principally obtained their food. 



Dr. Cooper, in his paper on the fauna of Montana, mentions this Warbler 

 as the only one of the genus seen by him between Fort Benton ami Fort 



