ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 357 



lyce — "common migrant" (Currier). Van Rurcn —" spring 

 migrant; rare" (W. G. Savage). 



310. (672). Dendroica discolor (y\€\\\.). Prairie Warliler. 



The Prairie Warbler is not, as its name implies, a true prairie 

 bird, but usually inhabits bushy clearings, thickets and old fields. 

 It is a bird of the eastern United States, chiefly the middle and 

 southern districts, and only occurs in Iowa as a rare straggler. 

 The species has been accredited to Iowa b}^ various authors, from 

 W. W. Cooke (Bird Migr. in Miss. Val., 1884-85, p. 255) to R. 

 Ridgway (Birds of N. and Mid. Araer. , ii, 1902) on the strength of a 

 specimen said to have been taken by Dr. E. H. King at West Lib- 

 erty, Iowa. Through the kindness of Dr. B. H. Bailey, I exam- 

 ined the original mounted specimen in the Coe College collection 

 at Cedar Rapids and found it to be a female Kentucky Warbler 

 {Gcothlypis fonnosa). The original label on bottom of stand reads, 

 ^' Dendroica discolor, Prairie Warbler, West Liberty, Iowa, May 21, 

 188 [i(?), last figure blurred] ; L. 5.25; W. 1.75; Ts. .75; Toe .75." 



Morton E. Peck writes: " I once spent several hours trying to 

 secure one of these birds while collecting in Linn count}' in 1896. 

 While I did not succeed in taking it I could not have been mis- 

 taken as to its identity, as I have observed the species in abund- 

 ance in southern Missouri." G. H. Berry states that he has never 

 seen the Prairie Warbler in Linn county, but in 1893 found both 

 old birds and newly-fledged young in June, near Des Moines. 



In Nebraska, "Bruner has noted it at West Point and Omaha, 

 and L. Skow at the latter locality also" (Rev. Birds Neb., p. 104). 



Genus Seiurus Swainson. 

 312. (674.) Seiicrus mirocapillns{Jj\nx\.). Oven-bird. 



The Oven-bird is a common summer resident in all parts of the 

 state wherever there is natural woodland. Its loud, ringing chant 

 may be heard in almost any secluded bit of timber during the 

 nesting season. The nest is built on the ground, usually among 

 fallen leaves, and is neatly roofed over like an oven . The species 

 arrives from the south about the first of May and remains until 

 the middle of September, nesting in June. The Oven-bird is 

 rather difficult to observe in late summer and fall, as it becomes 

 silent and spends most of the time on the ground in dense under- 

 brush. 



[Proc D. a S.. Vol. XI. 1 48 [Dec. 29, 1906.] 



