BIRDS OF INDIANA. 1037 



begin to reach the northern part of the State the very last of August, 

 and sometimes have nearly reached the Ohio River hy the end of the 

 first week in September. Then they pass leisurely for five or six 

 weeks, being found almost up to the middle of October. The follow- 

 ing give the dates of earliest appearance and last record, respectively, 

 for the fall: Chicago, 111., August 31, 1895, October 9, 1896; Lake 

 County, Ind., September 3, 1884; September 28, 1879; Greencastle, 

 Ind., September 15, 1890; Greensburg, present September 22 to Oc- 

 tober 11, 1896; Bicknell, September 8, 1896, September 19, 1894; 

 Brookville, September 6, 1886, October 13, 1882. At this time of the 

 year they may be seen associating with Sparrows and Redpoll Warblers . 

 in the more open ground, and, when in the woods, with Wilson's and 

 Nashville Warblers. Some autumns they are very abundant. While 

 they, on the whole, are quite destructive to insects, yet in the fall there 

 are two habits that are against this little green Warbler. It some- 

 times eats the fruit of the Poison Vine (RJius toxicodendrori), and 

 becomes a distributor of, its seeds; the other is a habit it has formed 

 of puncturing grapes. This has been reported to me on several occa- 

 sions, but I have never seen it myself. Prof. King also refers to it. 

 He examined 33 stomachs. Two had eaten 2 very small hymenoptera 

 (probably parasites); 7, 13 caterpillars; 3, 15 diptera; 6, 13 beetles; 3, 

 42 plant lice; 3, 35 small heteroptera, and 1, 11 insect eggs (Geol. of 

 Wis., I., pp. 501, 502). 



157. GENUS COMPSOTHLYPIS CABANIS. 



a 1 . Size smaller, bill longer. C. americana (Linn.). 262 



a 2 . Size larger; bill shorter. C. americana usneee Brewst. 263 



*262. (648). Compsothlypis americana (LINN.). 



Parula Warbler. 

 Synonym, BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER. 



Male in Spring. Above, blue, back with golden-brown patch; 

 throat and breast, yellow, with a rich brown or blackish patch, the 

 former sometimes extending along the sides; belly, eyelids, two wing 

 bars and several tail spots, white; lores, black; upper mandible, black; 

 lower, flesh-colored. Female in Spring. With the blue less bright; 

 back and throat patches not so well defined. Immature. With these 

 patches obscure or wanting, but always recognizable by the other 

 marks and very small size. "Averaging slightly smaller, but with a 



