240 



KENTUCKY WARBLER 



Nest. A nest from Englewood, N. J., is very bulky. An outer 

 wrapping of several layers of dead leaves encases a wall of weed 

 stalks while the heavy lining consists of black rootlets. A nest from 

 Wheatland, Indiana, essentially agrees with this New Jersey speci- 

 men. 



"A rather bulky and loosely constructed nest, outwardly of some- 

 what ragged dead leaves of the chestnut, beech, cherry, maple, white, 

 black, and chestnut oak, a few weed or grass stems, an occasional 

 strip of wild grapevine bark, and, once, many green leaves of the 

 dogwood, and, in another example, several oak blossoms; usually fol- 

 lowed by an inner layer of bright, clean dead leaves of the beech, 

 lined with black rootlets and in fully half of the nests examined, a few 

 long black horse-hairs. In one instance the lining was of light-colored 

 rootlets. Another nest, so well hidden in a patch of woodplants that 

 I accidentally trod upon it while actually searching for it, was a most 

 frail affair built exclusively of grasses, lined with black rootlets, how- 

 ever. 



"During the nest building period the birds are so extremely 

 jealous and watchful, deserting the site rather than be spied upon, that 

 I have been unable so far to follow this interesting period to a finish. 

 The male unquestionably aids his mate." (Burns, MS.) 



Eggs. 4 or 5, in about even proportions. Ground color white, 

 in some cases very glossy, spotted and specked, rarely blotched, with 

 burnt umber, cinnamon-rufous and lilac-gray, seldom if ever showing 

 under shell markings; in most cases the markings are heavier 

 at the large end, sometimes in a mass, sometimes well wreathed, 

 and in other types evenly distributed over entire egg. Size; average, 

 74X.58; extremes, 79x.6o, .6o.x.57, 73X.54. (Figs. 100,101.) 



Nesting Dates. Buncombe Co., N. C, May 23 (C. W. C.) ; West 

 Chester, Pa., May 27 (Jackson} ; Chester Co., Pa., June 25 (J. P. AT.) ; 

 Waynesburg, Pa., May i8-June 10 (Jacobs} ; New York City, June i- 

 June 12 (F M. C.} ; Dunklin Co., Mo., May 15 (C. W. C.}. 



BIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES 



(i) WM. BREWSTER, Observations on the Birds of Ritchie County, West 

 Virginia, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y., XI, 1875, 137- (2) F. T. JENKS, Kentucky 

 Warbler, its Nesting Habits, [in Ind.], Orn. and O61., VI, 1881, 49. (3) D. E. 

 L[ANTZ], The Kentucky Warbler, [in Kansas], Orn. and O61., X, 1885, 19. (4) 

 T. A. JACKSON, Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler [in S. E. Pa.], Orn. and O61., 

 XII, 1887, 43. (5) J. P. NORRIS, JR., Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler in Ches- 

 ter County, Penn., Orn. and O61., XIV, 1889, 104. (6) Ibid., XV, 1890, 145. 

 (7) Ibid., Nidologist, I, 1894, 165. (8) J. P. N [ORRIS], A Series of Eggs of the 

 Kentucky Warbler, Orn. and O61., XVII, 1892, I. 



