TENNESSEE WARBLER (Vermivora 
peregrina) 
Range: Breeds in Canadian Zone from up- 
per Yukon Valley, southern Mackenzie, cen- 
tral Keewatin, southern Ungava, and Anticosti 
Island south to southern British Columbia, 
southern Alberta, Manitoba, northern Minne- 
sota, Ontario, New York (Adirondacks), 
northern Maine, and New Hampshire; winters 
from Oaxaca to Colombia and Venezuela. 
The Tennessee warbler is by no means as 
local as its name would imply, but is likely to 
be found in migration almost anywhere in 
eastern United States, although it is much 
more numerous in the Mississippi Valley. Un- 
pretentious both in dress and character, this 
little bird seems to possess no very salient 
characteristics. It is, however, not likely to be 
mistaken for any other species save the Nash- 
ville, which it resembles rather closely. Dur- 
ing spring migration the Tennessee is apt to be 
overlooked, since it is prone to keep in the 
tree-tops. In fall, however, it is found lower 
down, usually in company with flocks of other 
warblers, among which it becomes conspicuous 
by reason of its very inconspicuousness and in 
contrast with its more gaudy fellows. 
Its song has been variously described and 
may be said to be a simple trill not unlike the 
chippy. It appears to be certain that the Ten- 
nessee, like the Nashville, nests on the ground, 
but apparently the nesting habits of the bird 
are comparatively unknown, or at least have 
not as yet been very fully recorded. 
NORTHERN. PARULA WARBLER 
(Compsothlypis americana usnez) 
Range: Breeds mainly in Transition and 
Austral Zones, from eastern Nebraska, north- 
ern Minnesota, central Ontario, and Anticosti 
and Cape Breton Islands south to central south- 
ern Texas, southern Louisiana, Alabama, Vir- 
ginia, and Maryland; winters probably in the 
Bahamas and West Indies to Barbados, and 
from Vera Cruz and Oaxaca to Nicaragua. 
The northern parula, smallest of our war- 
blers, with prevailing colors blue and yellow, 
is generally distributed during migration and 
usually found in company with other war- 
blers in leafy trees, which it explores from the 
lower to the topmost branches. It is one of 
the most active of the tribe, and is untiring 
in its pursuit of the minute insects which form 
its food. Its habit of hanging head down- 
ward as it explores a cluster of blossoms sug- 
gests a chickadee, and the little fellow is a 
combination of warbler, kinglet, and chickadee. 
It is very: partial to nesting in usnea moss 
and so is found in summer along streams or 
in swampy localities where long streamers of 
the usnea festoon the trees. The preference 
of the parula for this moss as a site for its 
nest is exemplified by a nest I once found in 
-if not the letter of 
86 
Maryland on the bank of the Potomac, which 
had been built in the frayed end of an old 
rope hanging to a sapling and which a short 
distance away looked to me—and no doubt 
to the bird—exactly like a clump of usnea. 
As no usnea occurred in this locality, the bird 
accepted the frayed rope as a _ satisfactory 
substitute, and in so doing followed the spirit 
family tradition. How- 
ever, the parula is not strictly limited to usnea 
for a nesting site and I once saw a pair 
carrying shreds of bark into a juniper on an 
island in the Potomac River, the nest being 
already far advanced toward completion. The 
parula has a short, buzzing song of which it 
is prodigal enough, but it is weak and can be 
heard at no great distance. 
CAPE MAY WARBLER (Dendroica 
tigrina) 
Range: Breeds in Canadian Zone from south- 
ern Mackenzie, northern Ontario, New Bruns- 
wick, and Nova Scotia south to Manitoba, 
northern Maine, and New Hampshire, and in 
Jamaica; winters in the Bahamas and the West 
Indies to Tobago. 
Not only is the Cape May one of our most 
beautiful warblers, but its rarity adds greatly 
to the zest with which one hails the discovery 
of even an individual. This species, however, 
is far more numerous even in New England, 
especially in fall, than it used to be, and in 
time the bird may even be listed in many of 
the Eastern States as among the more common 
migrants. 
Although the bulk of the species undoubtedly 
migrates north through the Mississippi Valley, 
rarely a spring passes that a few individuals 
are not reported about Washington, D. C., and 
I have seen several in a day. At this time of 
year the Cape May often forsakes the wood- 
lands and appears in orchards or even in city 
parks, and probably not a season passes that 
one or more do not visit the Smithsonian or 
Agricultural Department grounds. Chapman 
tells us that in Florida he has seen the species 
“actually common feeding in weedy patches 
among a rank growth of pokeberries.” 
The bird is a rather sluggish, but persistent, 
insect hunter, though it adds to its bill of fare 
one item, grapes, which is bringing it into ill 
repute in parts of Pennsylvania and Virginia. 
The sharp-pointed bill of the Cape May enables 
it readily to puncture the skin, its apparent 
purpose being to satisfy its thirst with the 
sweet juice. 
The Cape May is a persistent songster, but 
its song is weak and squeaky and by no means 
worthy of so superb a creature. Comparatively 
little is recorded of this bird’s nesting habits. 
It is known to summer from northern Maine 
northward. A nest found by Banks at St. 
Johns, New Brunswick, was built in a cedar 
less than three feet from the ground. 
