Birds of Ikdiaxa. 1023 



McBride made a trip by boat from Pleasant Lake, Steuben Count}', 

 following Pigeon Creek to its month, thence down the St. Joseph 

 River to Elkhart, Ind. He passed through parts of Steuben, Lagrange 

 and Elkhart counties, and St. Joseph Count}-, Mich. May 9, 1891, 

 he savr the first Prothonotary \Yarbler, a male, about five miles west 

 of Angola. No others were seen in that county until the 13th 

 of the month, when they were found breeding abundantly along the 

 creek in Lagrange County, about six miles west of Lima. Except Red- 

 starts and Cat Birds, they were the most common bird in that locality, 

 actively engaged in nest building, over a stretch of territory two miles 

 long. In a distance of about a half mile by the creek, he found eight 

 nests without leaving his boat, none of which were quite completed. 

 For about five miles then none were seen, although the character of the 

 country and timber was the same. The nests were all in old Wood- 

 peckers' holes in stubs over the water, and were composed of rootlets, 

 grass and moss. He mentions one male takeii w^hich had a patch of 

 orange-red surrounding the base of the bill. They were next found 

 May 14, in Mattville Township, St. Joseph County, Mich., and for a 

 distance of three and a half or four miles from White Pigeon were to 

 be heard or seen all the time. Then no more were observed. They 

 were located in colonies in low, damp, heavily- timbered country. 



They arrive early in spring. Mr. Brewster noted them in Wabash 

 County, 111., and Knox County, April 19, 1878, and apparently all had 

 arrived April 27. Mr. Ridgway noted the first in Knox County, Ind., 

 April 18, 1881. Mr. A. H. Kendrick noted the first arrival at Ells- 

 worth, Vigo County, April 10, 1896; Davis Station, May 11, 1884, 

 more common May 18, 1884 (Coale). First arrival Elkhart County, 

 April 16, 1891; Frankfort, April 20, 1896, common April 27, 

 1896; Waterloo, April 29, 1896 (Feagler); Steuben County, May 9, 

 1894. 



When they first arrive they are silent and keep to the top of the 

 small trees. Before they begin to be seen commonly about the water 

 they commence singing. At a distance the song sounds much like 

 the notes of the Solitary Sandpiper, liut nearer at hand it resembles, 

 "peel, tsweet, tsiveef, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet, tsweet;' uttered in a ringing, 

 penetrating tone at a rather high pitch. This sounds through the 

 swamps morning, noon and night. Mating begins soon after arrival, 

 and then comes searching for Woodpeckers' holes, natural cavities, 

 and other suitable nesting places in stumps and dead trees. In such 

 places the nest is built, and almost always in or over water. The fe- 

 males construct the nest and incubate the eggs. After they are com- 

 pleted a few days elapse before laying begins. An egg is laid daily 



