566 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



The first record of its nesting I am able to find a description 

 of was taken by our late fellow worker, Clarence H. Morrell, 

 at Pittsfield, although reference to its nesting in the State is 

 made in Walter's " Birds of Androscoggin County," page 9, 

 and Batchelder, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, Vol. 7, p. 110. Mr. 

 Morrell found two nests of this bird, one on June 12th, 1892, 

 the other June 4th, 1897. For these descriptions I can do no 

 better than to quote his notes published in The Osprey, Sept., 

 '99, page 5, (although his sister. Miss Ethel B. Morrell, has 

 kindly given me access to her brother's copious notes at any 

 time). 



" Wilson's Warbler may be safely classed as one of the 

 rarest Warblers which breed regularly in this State. It is 

 nowhere common, even as a migrant, arriving during the 

 second week in May with the main army of migrating War- 

 blers. I always see it singly or in pairs, never in flocks, at 

 this time. They are birds of the bush, never going into large 

 woods as do the Black-throated Green and Blackburnian 

 Warblers, but spend the summer in knolly, bush-grown pas- 

 tures bordering young growths. The males are in full song 

 when they arrive, and not much time is spent before nest- 

 building commences. The nest is placed under a tuft of grass, 

 or at the base of a shrub, and so well concealed that it is 

 seldom found, unless by accident. If two nests are sufficient 

 data to warrant conclusions, it would seem that they differ 

 principally from those of other ground-building Warblers in 

 the simplicity of material used and in their small size. 



A nest found June 12, 1892, was placed at the base of a 

 small shrub, and was mainly constructed of short pieces of 

 grass, fairly well woven together, with a very few hairs 

 mingled with the grass lining, and some moss and leaves 

 exteriorly. This nest contained four nearly fresh eggs, and 

 measured as follows: Outside top diameter 3.00 x 3.50 inches; 

 inside top diameter 1.75, inside depth 1.25. 



A second nest found June 4th, 1897, was in the side of a 



