DESCRIPTIVE LIST 295 



Little is known at this time of the distribution of this species in eastern North 

 Carolina. At Lake Ellis, in Craven County, we have observed it in May of three 

 different years, and in each case up to the last day of our stay, which in 1908 was 

 on May 30. These acted like breeding birds, rather than migrants; but of four 

 males killed only two had fully developed sexual organs. At White Lake, in 

 Bladen County, Sherman and H. H. Brimley found these warblers singing every 

 day of their stay from May 18 to May 22, 1909, and finally Smithwick reports see- 

 ing the species feeding young on the banks of the Neuse River near LaGrange, in 

 Lenoir County, in the latter part of June, 1905. The question of its breeding in 

 the eastern part of the State was further settled beyond question in mid-June, 1910, 

 when H. H. Brimley observed one at Lake Ellis carrying food to its young. The 

 bird was seen at the distance of only a few feet, so that there can be no doubt as 

 to its identification. 



It may be noted that there is a cool, dense shade in the primeval forests about 

 the lakes in Craven County, which may serve the birds quite as well as more boreal 

 conditions. 



298. Dendroica vigors! vigors! (Aud.). PINE WARBLER. 



Description. Yellowish olive above; underparts and superciliary line dull yellow; no sharp 

 markings anywhere; female sometimes much like male, but far more often dull brownish olive 

 above and dirty whitish, little if at all tinged with yellow, below. One of the largest and dullest 

 of the Dendroicas. Extreme measurements of 123 Raleigh specimens: L., 5.25-5.85; W., 2.65 

 3.12; T., 2.00-2.35. 



Range. Eastern United States, wintering in more southern States. 



Range in North Carolina. Common resident east of the mountains; summer resident in the 

 mountains. 



FIG. 238. PINE WAEBLBE. 



This is one of our most abundant warblers, being found in the woods of loblolly, 

 short-leaf and long-leaf pines throughout the State. It is only a summer visitor 

 in the mountains, but elsewhere in the State it is a permanent resident. Cairns 

 stated that it arrived in Buncombe County early in February. 



The nest is built in early April, frequently on the horizontal limb of a pine, but 

 sometimes among the terminal twigs. Usually it is found at a height of from 

 twenty-five to thirty feet from the ground, although nests have been taken as low 

 as ten and again as high as seventy feet. The structure is generally composed of 

 strips of grapevine bark and weed stems, lined with horsehair and feathers. Often 

 the outside is decorated with cobwebs. The eggs are four, of a grayish white 

 ground color, speckled and spotted with chestnut and lilac, the markings sometimes 

 forming wreaths about the larger end. 



