—i5— 



servation. When the nest was approached later in the day, 

 however, she slipped away among neighboring stems, and gave 

 no opportunity of securing her. She succeeded in repeating the 

 trick several times the next day, but was finally taken for 

 identification. 



The nest was placed in a tuft of grass growing among fallen 

 branches and sprouts. It was about eight inches from the 

 ground, probably having been raised by the growth of the 

 grass after the construction of the nest, as frequently happens 

 to nests of the yellowfliroat and other birds that nestle in the 

 grass tufts. The outer wall of the nest was made of long stems 

 of dried grass; the inner of fine rootlets and horsehair. The cav- 

 ity was two and one-fourth inches in diameter, and one and 

 seven-eighths inches in depth. There were five eggs, far ad- 

 vanced in incubation. The ground color of the eggs is white 

 with a faint creamy tinge. The markings are specks and 

 blotches of dark brown, the heavier marks being generally ar- 

 ranged around the larger end. In situation and construction 

 of nest, and in the appearance of the eggs, the home of Mac- 

 gillivray's warbler is much like that of the yellowthroats, of 

 whom the former is a congener. 



Like the other ground warblers, the warbler under consider- 

 ation spends most of its time among the shrubbery, and in 

 its movements it is much shyer than the western yellowthroat. 

 In the nuptial season, however, the male frequently takes a 

 favorite position in the summit of one of the less lofty trees 

 of the neighborhood, and there utters at frequent intervals a 

 pretty though short and unvaried ditty, likely to be inter- 

 rupted by the approach of any meddlesome ornithologist, as 

 the performer then generally flits to a less prominent place of 

 recital. 



AUDUBON'S WARBLER, Dendroica auduboni (Towns.) 



Away from the willow swamps, in the coniferous trees of the 

 higher woods, Audubon's warbler is the most abundant repre- 

 sentative of its family in the Flathead region. Among the 

 firs, with pine siskins chattering in the lofty summits, Audu- 

 bon's warbler flits in the middle and lower stories, chanting 

 its joyous measures, sporting with its fellows, or attending to 

 the cares of its family ensconced in a tuft of the fir branch. 

 Upon our arrival at the Station, this warbler was quite notice- 

 able in the animated life among the higher trees, and our first 



