56 



PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA 



[No. I. 



secured. The nest was in a small spruce in a tract of larger growth, and only four 

 feet above the ground. It is a rather loose structure of fine dry grass-blades, lined 

 with ptarmigan feathers. The color of the eggs is an extremely pale creamy tint, 

 almost white, with wreaths about the big ends of large lavender blotches, and 

 smaller spots of drab, overlaid by a few of vandyke brown. The native name of 

 this bird is Se-lerook-sin. My six specimens of Dcndroica coronata Jwoveri from the 

 Kowak Valley confirm the distinctness of this subspecies, and also indicate its sum- 

 mer home. They show the following measurements: 



Dcndroica striata (Forst.). 

 Black-poll Warbler. 



Strangel}^ enough I did not detect this species, at all in the late summer of '98. 

 Possibly the Black-polls leave earlier than most of the other warblers. They did 

 not appear in the spring until many days after the arrival of Hoover's Warblers, 

 and Grinnell's Water-Thrushes. The first Black-poll Warblers were observed on 

 the 2nd of June near our winter camp on the Kowak. They were thereafter 

 found commonly in spruce tracts down the Kowak to the western tree-limit in the 

 delta. They were undoubtedly breeding though I failed to find a nest. The 

 male has a very peculiar song, if it can be called such^ different from that of any 

 other warbler I am acquainted with. It consists of a succession of very faint 

 "peeps," of such a quality as to confuse the hearer as to its direction. I have 

 listened to this oft-repeated song, straining my eyes for the author in some dis- 

 tant tree, when finally a swaying branch or flitting shadow would disclose his 

 presence witkin a few yards. Six skins of this species are identical^ as far as I 

 can see, with eastern specimens. 



Sciurtts novcboracensis twtabilis (Ridgw..). 

 Grinnell's Water-Thrush. 



For a few days after our arrival in August at the site of our winter quarters 

 on the Kowak this species was moderately connnon. It frequented the alder and 

 willow thickets along the streams and was shy and restless. A sharp loud call- 

 note like that of GambeFs Sparrow would generally be the only indication of its 

 presence for it was quite successful in keeping out of sight. I heard the song of 

 the Water- Thrush several times up to the day of its departure,. August 23rd. 

 This song^ was louder than, but otherwise closely resembled that of Hoover's 

 Warbler — a querulous trill. Grinnell's W^ater-Thrush arrived in the spring on 



