i86 THE BLACK- 11 1K( ).\TED GRAY W^^RBLER. 



•\ccoi(ling ti> Mr. l>i>wk>, AikIuIxjii Warblers fvincf a great fondness tor 

 llicir chosen nesting iiannts, and will return to tliein year after year, often to 

 the same tree, and sonielinies to the same branch. "They are the most solicit- 

 ous of all the Washington Warblers concerning their eggs, sometimes coining 

 to meet the intruder as he climbs toward the nest. At such times the alarm note 

 of the female soon brings the male, when, should the nest contain incubated 

 eggs or young, both birds crawl among the branches, frequently within reach, 

 with wings and tail spread, in absolute forget fulness of their own safety." 



Incubation is accomplished in twelve days; and one or two brornls are 

 raised, according to locality and length of season. 



We lose sight of most of the birds, esixTially the smaller ones, after the 

 heyday of s|iringlime. but here is one who, because he has forsworn wander- 

 ing, is making delicate overtures of contidcnce toward mankind. This year, 

 especially, now that the dense tract of woods north of the University has been 

 cut out, thev linger alxnit our neighl)orhood with the matter-<jf-factness of 

 Bluebirds. The young ones |)lay about the eaves or make sallies at i)assing 

 tlies from the window-sills, and yawn with childish insouciance if mamma 

 suggests, by a sharp liltil^. that enemies may lurk behind the curtains. They 

 know it's only habit with her, and she doesn't Ixdieve it herself. The adult 

 attire is duller now, and only the yellow rump-jjatch remains for recognition 

 by a friend. The year is waning, no doubt of that, but October sunshine is 

 g(jod enough for us — or November rains. Let them flit who will! Wash- 

 ington is good enough for us, you in your fir house and I in mine. 



No. 76. 



BL.ACK riiR().\'ri:i) (.r\v warhihr. 



.\. O. L'. No. f/j^. Dendroica nigrescens (Tuwu^. i. 



Description. — Adult male in sf'riiK/ oiid summer: .\ supraloral spot of yel- 

 low ; remaining plumage black, wliitc and bkic-gray ; head, throat and dicst l)lack 

 interniptol by superciliary stripes and broad malar stripes of white: remaining 

 upperparts bine-gray, marked with black in inverted wedge-shaped spots on 

 back. sca])nlar'i and ujjper tail-covert •i : wings and tail black edged with bluish 

 ash, tlic midillc and greater coverts tijiiied with white, forming two cons])icuons 

 wing-bars, the four outer rectrices blotdud witii white on inner webs in sharply 

 decreasing area, the outermost chiefly white, the fourth merely touched ; sides 

 white streaked with black or striped black-and-white ; remaining nnilerparts white. 

 Adult female: Like male but ilnlkr. the l>!ack of crown i>artly veiled by bhie- 

 grav skirting, that of throat reduced by white tips of featiiers. Youmi birds 

 resemble the female but the black of crown and throat is almost entirely hidden 

 by blue-gray anri white respectively, and the area of the tail blotches is much 

 reduced. Length aliont 5.00 (iJ-'l : wing j.44 (^>J): tail i.<»- (50); bill .36 

 (9.2) ; tarsus .60 (17.31. 



