WARBLERS 523 



common summer resident of the deeper woods, especially along the Fish 

 River Valley and in the Woolastook Valley, (Knight). Cumberland; not very 

 common summer resident, (Brown, C. B. P. p. 8) ; common migrant, (Mead). 

 Franklin ; rare summer resident, (Swain). Hancock; local and where found 

 even a common summer resident, (Knight). Kennebec; very rare summer 

 resident, (Powers). Knox; rare migrant, (Rackliff). Oxford; breeds very 

 rarely, (Rackliff). Penobscot; some years common in migration, others 

 rare, breeds locally and where found even commonly, (Knight). Piscataquis ; 

 common migrant, (Homer) ; heard singing at Mt. Katahdin and elsewhere, 

 (F. H. Allen). Sagadahoc; rare, two specimens in spring, (Spinney). Som- 

 erset; not uncommon summer resident, (Morrell). Waldo; local summer 

 resident, (Knight). Washington; not uncommon summer resident, (Board- 

 man). 



The species arrives occasionally as early as May eighth, 

 more often about the twelfth, and remains until usually late 

 August, exceptionally until September fifth. Though found 

 in the rather open woods and groves in migration they prefer 

 even then the evergreen woods, and in the nesting season their 

 centers of abundance are the deeper evergreen woods of the 

 State. I have found them breeding in colonies as a rule, that 

 is to say, in a rather dense, mossy carpeted tract of evergreen 

 woods near the pond at Pittsfield, covering perhaps a square 

 mile, there were about ten pair of these birds to be found, and 

 in a tract of similar woods about half this size at Bangor there 

 are often six or eight pair nesting. In other words, in suitable 

 localities they tend to congregate in loosely scattered assem- 

 blies, while in less suitable spots, generally none, or at most 

 a single pair will be found. In similar dense, wooded, mossy 

 carpeted tracts of northern Maine, generally along some river 

 or about some pond, they occur likewise. 



They prefer to frequent the tops of the higher evergreen 

 trees, hopping about among the branches and sing more or less 

 constantly. In general the male accompanies the female while 

 she is building, singing constantly, and nests can be located 

 by watching the birds while building. The male seems to 

 take no part in nest construction, though doubtless his con- 

 stant singing encourages his mate. The song is almost exactly 

 as described by Mr. Minot, "wee-see-wee-see-wee-see" or "wee- 



