PRAIRIE WARBLER. 243 



the Black-poll Warbler resembled the suppressed syllables 'tsh 

 'tsh 'tsh 'tshca', beginning low, and gradually growing louder, 

 having nearly the same slender whistle as that species, though 

 somewhat stronger. The pair were busily engaged collecting 

 flies and larvse from a clump of young locust-trees in the woods 

 of Mount Auburn, and occasionally they flitted among the 

 Virginian junipers ; the familiar visit of the male appeared for 

 the purpose of discovering my intentions near the nest, about 

 which he was naturally solicitous, though he made his ap- 

 proaches with the appearance of accident. The female was 

 more timid ; yet while I was still engaged in viewing this little 

 interesting and secluded pair, she, without any precaution or 

 concealment, went directly to the nest in the forks of a low 

 barberry bush near by, and when there, she sat and looked at 

 me some time before she removed. She made, however, no 

 pretences to draw me away from the spot, where she was sit- 

 ting on 4 eggs, of which I took away 2 ; her approaches to the 

 nest were now more cautious, and she came escorted and en- 

 couraged by the presence of her mate. Two eggs were again 

 soon added, and the young brood, I believe, reared without 

 any accident. 



The nest was scarcely distinguishable from that of the Sum- 

 mer Yellow Bird, and quite different from the nests described 

 by Wilson and Audubon. My opportunity for examination, 

 so long continued, seemed to preclude the possibility of error 

 in the investigation ; neither can I compare the slender note 

 of this species to any whirring sound, which would more 

 nearly approach to the song of the Pine Warbler. The Prairie 

 Warbler visits Cambridge about the first or second week in 

 May, and according to the observations of my friend Mr. 

 Cooper, is seen probably about the same time in the vicinity 

 of New York in small numbers and in pairs, and retires to 

 winter in the West Indies about the middle of September. 



This species is now considered common in Massachusetts, 

 though it has not been taken farther northward. It occurs in 

 Michigan, but not in Ontario, and breeds southward to Florida. 

 It winters in southern. Florida and the West Indies. 



