370 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Resident locally in the coastal mangrove swamps. 



The golden warbler is probably more common than present 

 records indicate since it lives in mangrove swamps that few observ- 

 ers enter except to skirt the edges of the interlacing growth of roots 

 and stems that stand in mud and water. Here in a humid atmos- 

 phere, cut off from cooling breezes, with the heat at times almost 

 suffocating there may be heard a sudden outburst of song that often 

 comes from such dense tangles that the singer may not be seen. At 

 some alarm however a beautiful golden yellow bird may appear for 

 a few seconds, gleaming amid the heavy green of the leaves behind 

 which it disappears as soon as its curiosity is satisfied. 



Peters, the first to record this bird in the Dominican Republic, se- 

 cured three near Monte Cristi February 16 and 17, 1916, these being 

 the only ones seen. Wetmore collected a male May 11, 1927, in 

 mangroves at San Lorenzo Bay. Danforth says that in 1927 golden 

 warblers were fairly common in mangroves at Monte Cristi, and in 

 a dry creek bed near the sea between Monte Cristi and Dajabon. 



Two of the older descriptions by Brisson, namely his Ficedula 

 Dominicensis, and Ficedula Dominicensis minor are of uncertain 

 geographic assignment as they are based on birds sent by Chervain 

 to de Reaumur marked simply " S. Domingue." They may have 

 come from the area known now as Haiti but this may not be cer- 

 tainly said. Vieillot, who confused this species with the yellow 

 warbler of North America, also listed it from " Saint-Domingue " 

 without giving certain locality. 



The first specimen definitely assigned to Haiti is one listed by 

 Ritter in 1836. There are two in the United States National Mu- 

 seum taken at Port-au-Prince March 3, 1866, by A. E. Younglove. 

 Bartsch found the golden warbler near Jeremie April 15 and 16, 

 1917, and collected one near St. Marc April 21, and four near Port- 

 au-Prince April 25. Beebe recorded it in 1927 without definite 

 locality, and in that same year Wetmore saw one at Sources Puantes 

 March 29, and found the bird common at Aquin April 3 and Caracol 

 April 27, collecting an adult female at the latter locality. Abbott 

 secured two at Port a l'Ecu June 26, 1917. Danforth in 1927 found 

 a few near Port-au-Prince and numerous individuals near Les 

 Salines. Bond records the golden warbler from Port-au-Prince, 

 "Sulphur Springs" ( = Sources Puantes), Caracol, and Fort Lib- 

 erie and Tortue Island. Poole and Perrygo secured an excellent 

 series on Tercero, Ratas, Toruru and Monte Chico Islands in the 

 Seven Brothers group from January 29 to February 4, and col- 

 lected one at Fort Liberte February 8, 1929. 



The differences between the golden warblers of Hispaniola and of 

 Jamaica, which according to J. L. Peters is to be know as Dendroica 



