Vol i907 IV ] General Notes. 345 



square, I came to a swampy hollow with some depth of standing water 

 almost surrounded by large willows and with small willows and other 

 brush growth rising out of the water. Here clearly distinguished from 

 familiar warbler songs which at once reached my ear from Parula, Myrtle 

 and Yellow Warblers, Redstart and Northern Water-Thrush was heard a 

 clear, bright, rather loud song in dissyllabic rhythm which I had never 

 heard before. Before coming in sight of the bird which gave it, it was my 

 happy experience to realize that I was looking upon and hearing the song 

 of a Kentucky Warbler (Oporornis formosa). The song was many times 

 given at intervals during the half-hour which I remained. There were 

 generally five repetitions of the dissyllable without notes of introduction 

 or finish. It might be put into the word, wheeter-wheeter-wheeter-wheeter 

 wheeter, as Mr. Allison suggests in Mr. Chapman's 'Warblers of North 

 America,' or other dissyllables such as others suggest therein, or into the 

 words, cherry-cherry-cherry-cherry-cherry, rapidly repeated, as it came to 

 my ear. The fulness and brightness of tone were like the Mourning 

 Warbler's cheery song, which, however, is given with more fulness and 

 deliberation and with three repetitions of cheery only. Under my observa- 

 tion the Kentucky Warbler moved back and forth in a quite limited area, 

 often about the roots and stems of the bushes just above the water, a 

 very beautifully plumaged bird. Mr. Bradford Torrey's expressions of 

 admiration for the simplicity and richness and good taste of its costume 

 seemed none too enthusiastic. 



Passing on from this point the first Blackburnian and Black-throated 

 Blue Warblers of the season were noted, the first Yellow-throated, Blue- 

 headed and Red-eyed Vireos were seen, and the Prairie and Golden-winged 

 Warblers were found in their breeding haunts. The morning of May 14 

 had opened with light southwest winds and a temperature of 56°, which 

 had been carried in the middle of the forenoon to 78°. It was under 

 these conditions that I found the Kentucky Warbler active and freely 

 singing. Presently a sudden change was inaugurated in five minutes' 

 time, the wind came fresh from the east, and the temperature dropped 20°. 

 This had a quieting effect upon all of the birds, and when I passed on the 

 Kentucky was no longer singing. At four o'clock in the afternoon I 

 returned to this same spot and could not see or hear anything of him. So 

 it was again the next forenoon when I sought him. The other birds of 

 the day before were there, but he was not. 



Messrs. Howe and Allen in 'The Birds of Massachusetts,' 1901, do not 

 include the Kentucky Warbler in their list, but in a note make reference 

 to a bird of this species being included in Dr. Holder's 'List of the Birds of 

 Lynn,' 1846, as then in the collection of the Lynn Natural History Society, 

 adding, "as we have been unable to see this specimen we make but this 

 mention of it." Dr. Charles W. Townsend in ' The Birds of Essex County,' 

 1905, does not include this species in his list, remarking, "Dr. Holder in- 

 cludes this bird in his Lynn list, 1846, stating that there is a specimen in the 



