1022 Report of State geologist. 



The Prothonotarv \A'arbler is locally a summer resident and is in 

 some places common. Its route of migration is up the Mississippi 

 River to the Ohio, where a large number turn off to ascend the latter 

 stream. Others keep on up the Mississippi, some leaving it at the 

 Kaskaskia, the Missouri and the Illinois rivers, which they ascend a 

 greater or less distance, while others continue along the main stream, 

 ascending as far as Davenport, la. As they move along the Ohio 

 they spread over the lowlands of southern Illinois. The Ohio Valley, 

 above the mouth of the Wabash River, is unattractive to these swamp- 

 loving birds, and they turn aside at the latter stream, ascending it to 

 its source and crossing over into Ohio, where they have been found 

 breeding at St. Mary's Reservoir, and to the vicinity of Cleveland, 

 where it has been identified. It also occurs throughout the Kankakee 

 River Valley in this State, and reaches the vicinity of Chicago, 111., 

 southwestern Michigan to Elkhart, Lagrange, Dekalb and Steuben 

 counties, Ind. 



The first account of its occurrence in Indiana was published by 

 Mr. William Brewster in the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological 

 Club, 1878, p. 153, and details of a visit to the haunts of these birds 

 in Wabash Cou2ity, 111., and Knox and Gibson counties, Ind. In 1884 

 Mr. H. K. Coale found it common at Davis Station, Starke County, 

 and about the same time took a specimen on the shore of Lake Michi- 

 gan in Lake County, Ind. These observations have been supple- 

 mented by many notes which sliow that about the swamps, cypress 

 ponds and sluggish streams of the lower AVabash A^alley, in some 

 parts of the Kankakee Valley, notably at Water Valley, English 

 Lake, Davis Station, Kouts and locally in Lagrange County, it is 

 common and breeds ahundautly. Mr. J. W. Byrkit has taken one 

 specimen near Michigan City. Mrs. Jane L. Hine and Mr. J. P. Feagler 

 have seen it in Dekalb Coimty, and Hon. R. Wes. McBride took it in 

 Elkhart County. Prof. B. W. Evermann has taken it in Carroll 

 County (The Auk, Vol. VI., pp. 26, 27). Mr. Chauncey Juday 

 reports it from Alonroe County, where a specimen was taken at Har- 

 rodsburg, April 26, 1895. 



Mr. J. E. Boasley took it at J^ebanon, Boone County. May 23 and 

 29, 1894. In the remainder of the State, east and south of the valley 

 of the Wabash River, it is practically unknown. The only two records 

 are one given by Mr. Loucks in the publication refeiTed to. upon the 

 authority of Mr. J. H. Hitt, of Indianapolis, from Newcastle, where 

 he mentions one nest having been found, and one specimen taken by 

 by Mr. E. L. Guthrie at Adams, Decatur County, and identified by 

 Mr. John W. Shorten, of Cincinnati. In May, 1891, Mr. H. W. 



