Birds of Indiana. 1063 



Four specimens were examined by Prof. F. H. King. They had 

 eaten a caterpillar, 3 beetles and, it was estimated, 13 other insects. 

 They are also said to eat canker-worms. 



273. (•HJ2). Dendroica blackburniaB (Gmel.). 



Blackburnian Warbler. 



Adult Male. — Above, including wings and tail, black; wing patch, 

 white; back, variegated with white; several lateral tail feathers, mostly 

 . ■vyhite; crown spot, eyelids, line over the eye, throat and breast, bril- 

 liant or flame color, contrasting beautifully with the black surround- 

 ings; sides, streaked Adth black. Female. — Black of upper parts re- 

 placed by brownish-olive, with black streaks; flame color replaced by 

 yellow; two white wing bars. Immature. — With the markings still 

 paler, almost buffy, the crown patch very faint; above, brownish. 



Length, 4.25-5.50; wing, 2.50-2.80; tail, 1.90-2.10. 



Range. — America, from Ecuador north over eastern United States, 

 etc., to Labrador; west to Manitoba, Utah and New Mexico. Breeds 

 from South Carolina north along the Alleghany Mountains, and Mas- 

 sachusetts and Minnesota, northward. Winters from Bahamas and 

 eastern Mexico, southward. 



Nest, in pine or hemlock tree, 8 to 60 feet from ground, 1 feet out 

 from trunk, on horizontal limb; of hemlock twigs, rootlets, bark, pine 

 needles, moss, loosely woven, lined with horsehair, feathers and grass. 

 Eggs, 4; greenish- white, spotted and blotched everywhere, but most 

 thickly at larger end, with different shades of purple and brown, 

 almost black in some instances; .69 by .51. 



This beautiful warbler is a regular migrant, varying, as all the 

 Warblers do, in numbers. They are generally common, some years 

 abundant. This is one of the second early Warblers, coming as the 

 maples and elms are putting forth small leaves, and while the hickories 

 and oaks are still bare. They frequent trees, usually spending most 

 of their time among the higher branches, but at times with other 

 Warblers, busying themselves lower down among the foliage. They 

 are frenerally associated with Black-throated, Green and Chestnut- 

 sided Warblers. The earliest record I have of its spring arrival at 

 Brookville is April 15, 1887, the latest May 7, 1875 and 1892. For 

 the following places: Richmond, April 22, 1897; Greensburg, April 

 27, 1885, May 14, 1893; Greencastle, May 6, 1873; Bloomington, 

 April 21, 1885, April 27, 1886; Carroll County, April 28, 1885; Lafay- 

 ette, April 29, 1893, May 8. 1897; Watcrioo, April 30, 1897; Chicago, 

 111.. April 29, 1886. May 18, 1897: Petersburg, Mich.. Mnv 5, 1889, 

 May 16, 1888. 



