NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 433 



Better known as the Blue-yellow-backed Warbler. Breeds in suitable localities 

 throughout its United States range. It has been observed rearing its young in 

 various parts of Nebraska and Illinois, and its nest and eggs have been taken in 

 Missouri. Mr. Nehrling saw old birds feeding their young in July and August in 

 Southern Texas, and Colonel Goss makes note of the same fact occurring near 

 Neosha Falls, Kansas, in July, 1879. This species is a summer resident in Northern 

 Ohio, but not common. It seems to be more abundant during the breeding season 

 in the States bordering the Atlantic coast, especially from New Jersey northward. 

 The Parula Warbler loves to make its summer home midst swampy groves, whose 

 trees and bushes are draped in festoons of a long, light green moss, with fine, hair- 

 like filaments the pendulous tree moss the wswc..of the botanists. In the bunches 

 of this thread-like lichen the Parula usually makes ijts nest with an entrance at one 

 side. "J. M. W.," (Mr. C. L..Rawson), who is well acquainted with the habits of 

 this species in New London county, Connecticut, says that the bird simply gathers 

 together the lower strands ot the nsnca, felting it with the same material, and the 

 nest is done. This very accurate naturalist and charming writer also observes that 

 at first sight the nest might indicate a greater degree of skill than the little archi- 

 tect possesses. Such is doubtless the case with the one represented in our illustra- 

 tion, which is a faithful picture of a specimen selected from five beautiful nests, 

 furnished by Mr. W. W. Worthington, of Shelter Island, New York, where the birds 

 breed abundantly. The nests are situated in low trees and bushes at heights rang- 

 ing from three to forty feet, usually from six to twelve feet. Mr. Worthington and 

 Mr. Griffing both found nests in the moss attached to the sides of the trunks of large 

 trees. Sometimes one or two horse hairs are woven into the nest, and occasionally 

 a piece of fine grass. In regions destitute of tree moss, in which this species can 

 make its nest, it frequently adapts itself to circumstances by nesting in the bunches 

 of dead leaves, caught on branches during freshets. Dr. C. Hart Merriam records 

 a nest of this kind taken near St. Louis, Missouri, June 8, 1885. Mr. William 

 Brewster makes note of an unusual nest of the Parula Warbler, which was made by 

 the birds and suspended by the upper edges to the drooping boughs of. a live hem- 

 lock. In general style of construction it closely resembles a wide-mouthed nest of 

 the Baltimore Oriole open at the top. It is composed entirely of usnca, closely 

 woven or felted with a scanty lining of fine grasses and pine needles. The breeding 

 season is in May, June and July. The usual number of eggs laid by this species is 

 four, sometimes five. Mr. Rawson and Mr. Worthington have both taken sets con- 

 taining seven, and one of that number taken by the former collector is in Mr. 

 Norris' cabinet, which contains thirty-nine sets of the eggs of this species. The 

 ground-color of the eggs is white or creamy-white, more or less glossy, and speckled 

 with reddish-brown, cinnamon-rufous, chestnut and in some gray tintings. Many 

 eggs are wreathed near the larger ends. Ten selected specimens before me offer the 

 following sizes: .62x.42, .67x.46, .64x.*6, .65x.47, .65x.45, ,69x.48, .67x.47, .69x.43, .70x 

 .45, .66x.46. 



648o. NORTHERN FARTJLA WARBLER. Compsotlilypis americana usnca; 

 Brewster. Geog. Dist New England New York and westward along the northern 

 tier of States, and northward into the Maritime Provinces and Ontario, migrating 

 southward beyond the United States. 



So far as the nesting, eggs and general habits of this subspecies are concerned 

 they are substantially the same as those described under C. americana; many of the 

 references in the text refer to the present bird. 



29 



