418 WOOD WARBLERS 



under parts white, sides spotted ; wing and tail as in fall birds, but wing 

 bars brownish buff. Male : length (skins) 4.40-4.70, wing 2.57-2.73, tail 

 1.83-1.94, bill .37-41. Female : length (skins) 4.25-4.60, wing 2.48-2.58, 

 tail 1.82-1.87, bill .38. 



Remarks. The young may be distinguished by buffy superciliary and 

 throat. 



Distribution. Breeds in Canadian and Transition zones of the southern 

 British Provinces, northeastern United States, and mountain regions south ; 

 casually to Utah, western Texas, and New Mexico ; migrates to the Ba- 

 hamas, and through eastern Mexico to South America ; accidental in 

 Greenland. 



Nest. In evergreen trees, bulky, composed of downy materials, espe- 

 cially cat-tail down, lined with fine lichens, and horsehairs. Eggs : 4 or 5, 

 greenish white or pale bluish green, speckled or spotted chiefly on or 

 around larger end with brown, reddish brown, or lilac gray. 



Food. Largely winged insects. 



664. Dendroica gracise Baird. GRACE WARBLER. 



Adult male in spring and summer. Superciliary, spot on lower lid, throat 

 and chest bright yellow ; rest of under parts white, streaked with black ; 

 upper parts including ear coverts and sides of neck ash gray ; crown and 

 back narrowly streaked with black ; wings with two white bands ; two 

 outer tail feathers largely white on inner webs. Adult female in spring and 

 summer: like male, but duller, gray of upper parts tinged with brown, 

 black streaks indistinct, wing bars narrower, yellow paler, white of under 

 parts duller. Adult male in fall and winter : upper parts slightly tinged 

 with brown, streakings on back more or less concealed; under parts 

 brownish buffy. Adult female in fall and winter : like winter male, but 

 washed with olive brown above, wing bars brownish buff, and white of 

 under parts strongly buffy. Young male in first fall and winter : upper 

 parts strongly tinged with brown, black streaks on back concealed, and 

 flanks strongly brownish buff. Young female in first fall and winter : colors 

 duller, streaking indistinct or obsolete. Male : length (skins) 4.33-4.60, 

 wing 2.52-2.60, tail 1.85-1.97, bill .39. Female : length (skins) 4.45-4.53, 

 wing 2.37-2.44, tail 1.81-1.85, bill .39. 



Distribution. Southwestern United States and adjacent parts of north- 

 western Mexico, breeding from Colorado to Chihuahua and Sonora, Mexico ; 

 casual in southern California. 



Nest. By two specimens, in pines, 50 to 60 feet from the ground, 

 made of vegetable fibers, straws, and horsehair ; also, in one case, strings, 

 oak catkins, bud scales, wool, vegetable down, and insect webbing. Eggs : 

 8 or 4, white, lightly spotted with reddish brown. 



The Grace warblers are birds of the coniferous forests of the south- 

 western mountains. In the Guadalupe Mountains, Texas, we met 

 a small flock of them passing through the pines at about 8000 feet. 



665. Dendroica nigrescens (Towns.). BLACK-THROATED GRAY 



WARBLER. 



Adult male in spring and summer. Whole head, throat, and chest black, 

 except for white streaks on side of head and along throat, and bright yellow 

 spot over lores ; breast and belly pure white ; sides streaked with black ; 

 back gray, more or less streaked with black ; wings with two white bars ; 

 tail with inner webs of two outer feathers mainly white. Adult female 

 in spring and summer: similar, but colors duller; crown usually gray, 



