Birds of Indiana. 1013 



Tail spots at end of nearly all the feathers; no definite yellow 



anywhere . • rara. 



Throat, breast and sides black ; sides of head with diffused 



yellow; outer tail feather white, edged externally . virenn. 



Throat yellow or orange ; crown with at least a trace of a cen- 

 tral yellow or orange spot ; outer tail feather white edged 

 externally . . ■ • . blackburnii. 



Bill ordinary, and with none of the foregoing special marks- stria(<i, or radanea. 



Subgenus Perissogi.ossa Baird. 



264, (650). ' Dendroica tigrina (Gmel.). 



Cape May Warbler. 



Adult Male. — "Bill xery acute, conical and decidedly curved; back, 

 yellowish-olive, with dark markings; crown, black; abdomen and tail 

 coverts, yellow; rump, rich yellow; an orange-brown ear patch; a black 

 loral line; under parts, yellow; streaked with black on breast and 

 sides; large white patch on the wings; three pairs of large white tail 

 blotches. Female. — Similar, but lacking distinctive head markings; 

 small wing patch and tail blotches; under parts, paler; bill and feet, 

 black." (Nehrling, N. A Birds). 



Length, 4.70-5.65; wing, 2.85; tail, 2.15. 



Eange. — Eastern North America, from West Indies to Hudson 

 Bay Territory. Breeds from Maine, northern Michigan and Minne- 

 sota, north. Winters in West Indies. Eesident in" Jamaica. 



Nest, in coniferous trees, on tip of large limb, pendent; of evergreen 

 twigs, grass or vines, fastened with spider's web, and lined with horse- 

 hair. Eggs, 4; dull white, slightly ashen, irregularly dotted and 

 spotted, usually most about larger end, with yellowish, reddish-brown 

 and lilac; .67 by .49. 



The Cape May Warbler is generally considered a rare bird every- 

 where. While this is true, and some years it is altogether absent, 

 there are years when it is common and even abundant. In Indiana 

 it appears as a migrant, perhaps more numerous in fall than spring. 

 Its peculiar distribution is very interesting. It generally breeds 

 farther north than the United States, yet, like the Myrtle Warbler, it 

 is a resident in Jamaica and Hayti, where they breed among the 

 mountains. With us, they appear with the later Warblers, seldom 

 arriving before April 25, and usually after May 1, and some years re- 

 maining until the close of the latter month. The dates here given 

 explain the early and late first arrivals: Bloomington, April 24, 1885, 

 1886, remained to May 5, 1886; Brookville, May 4, 1886, and 1892, 

 May 6, 1897; Madison, May 23, 1888; Knox County, May 9, 1885; 

 Tetre Haute, May 4, 1887, May 11, 1890; Indianapolis, May 7, 1878; 



