600 CAPE MAY WAUr.LEi:. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed on trees composed of strips uf bark, nmss and fibrous stems of plants, lined with finer 

 materials. Eggs, oval in form, dull white in cnlor with blotches (jf lilac, spots and occasional sci-aggy lines 

 of black around the larger end. Dimensions, .7.-1 by ..-|."i. 



HABITS. 



I'poii visitiiiL;' tlu' <'\t(.'usi\'(' conii'orous fuix'sts (if ii()i'tli(.'i-ii MniiK' in sin.iiiiicr. I \v;is 

 iiiucli .surpi'lsc'd t(j (ind tliese' lieiiutiful little \v;irl)l(.'rs iil)iiii(l;iii( tlicre. They IViMjiU'iit tlie 

 to[)s uftlie huge spruces ami pines often more than one hundred feet in. air. The Iduls 

 were ev'er busy in searehinu' for insects anionu' the thick t'ohage so that it wa.s almost ini- 

 p()ssil)le to see one. lint the lix'cdy and \'aried soiii^s of the mak's, w kiidi came doatinu' 

 downward through the perfumed air;ind mingled with other harmonious sounds wdiicli are 

 constanth heiu'd in these svlvan retreats dui'ing the jileasant Jinie Aveather, infoiined us 

 of theii' presence, even thougli we couk] not see the autliors of t'lc melodious strains. 



The Ca])e May Warblers (k)ul)tless breed in the tops oftliese densely ioliagcd trees, 

 for we shot se\i'ral lemales \vhicii boiv signs of incubation. We also observed a femak' 

 that appeared extremely uneasy whenever we a])])ro:!clicd a, ceibiin spruce tree; but, al- 

 tliouii'h we ascended it and searclied carei'uUy aiiKnig tiie bra.nclies, we were unable to 

 discover the nest. This warbler is extremely rai-e in Ersstern Massachusetts, ])a8sing 

 througli the interior during the migrations. 



They were very al)nn<!ant at Key Vy"e:-t, iii Novembei-, fre-(iueuting the gardens near 

 tlie houses where they were st'arching among the ti'op'ical trees a.nd shridjs for insects. 

 The l)irds were very unsuspicious, often (dinging to bi'anches which overliung the side- 

 walks within a few feet of ]rissengers. They appeared to prefer the inhabited portioii of 

 the Ke\', for I rarely found them in wooded districts. The majority ka't tlie island befiire 

 the first of Decend)er, but a few remained all wintei'. They are common, hov.cver, 

 tln'ouu'liout the State in the s])ring and may then be found in almost any hannnock in 

 company with other warblers. 



These birds are akso conmion on all of the northern JJ.ahamas whicdi 1 have N'isitcd, 

 occurring in the thickets about gardens as well as in the dense send). I found tlain 

 ill )undant on Inagua in February, 18S8. Here they weiv feeding upon the juices of a 

 liirge tnbukir flower of a peculiar species of vine, in com])any with the Bahama Honey 

 Creeper and the Lyre-tailed Humming Bird. I found a uumlicr of their skins in the 

 collection of birds at the Museum of the Institute of Jamaica a.t King.4on, but I did not 

 find them at all on the Caymans in i^SS. I have always considered it probable that a 

 few remain in the Baliatnas to breed, but have no proof to offer of this, in fact I find tliat 

 1 have no actual I'ecord of tlieir apjiearance in the Bahamas later than the last weeic 

 in April. On the 27th of this month, 1884, I found them migvating witli other warblers 



