PASSERES MNIOTILTID^. 179 



feeding upon the ground, when the white wing-spot is con- 

 spicuous against the blue-black wing. 



It reaches southern Ohio as early as the 15th of April in 

 favorable years, but seldom appears at Oberlin before the 

 first of May. It remains about two weeks, and returns 

 again early in September or even late in August, to remain 

 until about the first of October. 



249. (655.) Dendroica CORONATA (Linn.). 41. 

 Myrtle Warbler. 



Synonyms: Dendroeca coronata, Sylvia coronata, Sylvicola cor- 

 onata, Motacilla coronata. 

 Yellow-rump ed Warbler, Yellow-crowned Warbler, Yellow- 

 rump, Myrtlebird, Yellow-rumped Wood Warbler. 



Klrtland, Ohio Geol. Surv., 1838, 163, 181. 



This is an irregular warbler, sometimes being abundant 

 and again hardly even common. It is the earliest to appear 

 in spring and the latest to depart southward in autumn. It 

 does not breed in the state as far as known. In its north- 

 ward movement it is well distributed in the woods and 

 parks, but in its southward journey it prefers to travel in 

 the more open country, often with the Chipping Sparrow. 

 At such times it may be seen in the fields gleaning among 

 the weeds like a sparrow, or searching for insects in weed 

 stems. It derives its name from its fondness for the berries 

 of the myrtle (Myrica cerifera). 



During the spring passage of this species the insect food 

 is greatly in the prep^onderance, although even then myrtle 

 berries are eaten when they can be found, but during the 

 autumn passage southward, when the fruit of the myrtle is 

 abundant, it has been determined that fully 62 per cent, of the 

 food is the myrtle berries. It seems remarkable that a bird 

 supposed to be an insect eater should feed so largely upon 

 this particular fruit. The myrtle berries are good for noth- 

 ing, while the insects eaten are injurious. It is clear that 

 this warbler deserves protection equally with the other warb- 

 lers. 



The Myrtle Warbler appears in Lorain county about the 



