THE YELLOW-BUMPED WABLLEB. 127 



to the eggs of the yellow warbler (Z). cestiva) , but as being smaller, with the 

 ground-color of a different shade of greenish-white. On calling Dr. Brewer's 

 attention to the discrepancy between his description and the set of eggs above 

 described, he was led to reexamine the subject, and also to compare his egg 

 with the set obtained by Mr. Bryant. As a result, he writes me that his 

 egg corresponds exactly with those obtained at Mount Carmel. He further 

 states that while they seem to resemble the eggs of D. (estiva, a comparison 

 shows that while the spots on the eggs of the last-named species are " oliva- 

 ceous brown," those on the eggs of D. ccerulea are " decidedly red-brown." 

 He still further observes, "In my egg and in Mr. Bryant's the ground- 

 color is very conspicuous, the spots sparse. In yours the spots are large and 

 confluent, obscuring all the ground-color." In the eggs collected at Penfield 

 the blotches are probably exceptionally large and heavy, but the differences 

 between these eggs and the others are not greater than occur not uncommonly 

 between different sets of eggs in most species of birds that lay spotted eggs. 

 There consequently appears to be no reason for doubting .the authenticity 

 of either of the sets of eggs here attributed to D. ccerulea, which, in two of 

 the instances at least, were identified by the capture of the parent bird. 



78. THE YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER. 



DENDRCECA CORONATA (Z,.) Gr. 

 Yellow-crowned 'Wood-'Warbler; Myrtle-Bird {South); 



The yellow-rump is one of the most common and most widely 

 distributed of the wood-warblers, occurring over the whole of 

 North America, except the southwestern territories. This is a 

 peculiar distribution and its wintering range also appears anomalous : 

 " while some individuals are at that season in subtropical and tropical 

 America, others are wintering in the middle states if not also in 

 southern New England." Although its regular breeding place is 

 far to the north, it has been known to nest in Jamaica. Yellow- 

 rumps pass through New York state between the first and middle 

 of May on the way northward and all disappear unless it be from 

 the mountainous portions near Canada; but it has rarely been 

 known to breed in Massachusetts, thence northward, becoming 

 abundant in British America, where it spreads even to Alaska and 

 the shores of the frozen sea. The nest is built in northern Maine 

 early in June, fresh eggs having been obtained by Mr. H. B. Bailey 



