64 THE OOLOGIST a7(c,) \A\e 
dobon Society” we felt it our duty to 
confiscate the entire outfit and allow 
the owners of the nest to make a fresh 
start, trusting to their having wetter 
success the next time. They, as with 
all our other warblers, are quick to 
forget their troubles, and I have 
known a new nest to be started within 
a week of the time the first was de- 
spoiled. 
I think the Cowbird is largely re- 
sponsible for the restricted increase 
in numbers of very many of our smal- 
ler birds:—far beyond all other de- 
structive agencies combined—not ex- 
cepting the most enthusiastic oologist. 
The damages nature quickly and cer- 
tainly repairs; but those of the Cow- 
bird—never! 
While the Audubon Society is trying 
to assist all our states in framing bene- 
ficial laws for the protection of the 
birds. Why do they not recognize the 
real character. of the Cowbird and, at 
least remove from him the protection 
of the law? Instead, however here 
in Pennsylvania he is classed as a 
game bird, along with the Bobolink 
and Purple Grackle and any one who 
is reckless enough to kill a Cowbird 
“out of season” or take its eggs is 
open to trouble. 
THOMAS H. JACKSON. 
i 
The Black-Throated Blue Warbler. 
This pretty little warbler is a com- 
mon migrant and arrives early in May. 
Records that I have kept for over fif- 
teen years show that it has only var- 
ied from May 5th to 13th in date of 
its first arrival during that time. 
About May ist when the first of the 
warbler hosts begin to arrive vegeta- 
tion in this region is not much ad- 
vanced. In the river valley orchards, 
maple and thorn trees are just bud- 
ding into leaf while the mountains 
are still brown and cold. 
For this reason the small migrants, 
especially warblers, at first migrate 
along the valley and find food about 
the buds and startling leaves and at 
the same time some protection. 
The Black-throated Blue, is at first 
common in the valley with the other 
warblers. As the season advances 
and the mountains begin to take on 
their garb of green, the Black-throated 
Blue becomes much in evidence and 
when the migrations are over with, 
and summer sets in, the Black-throat- 
ed is found as a quite common sum- 
mer resident. 
During September it is common when 
the migration south is taking place. 
By October ist they have nearly all 
disappeared. I have seen one though 
as late as October 10th (1900), an un- 
-usually late date. 
In summer they are at home in 
heavy timber; also regions that have 
been partly lumbered over where are 
found plenty of timber and under- 
brush. They are also found in second 
growth and slashings but seem to pre- 
fer the deep shady woods. On the fire- 
swept barren ridges where is found 
only rocks, huckleberry brush, sweet 
fern and stunted brush, it is absent. 
The male spends most of his time 
well up in the trees and sings inces- 
santly. They have at least two dif- 
ferent songs during the breeding sea- 
son, one of which greatly resembles 
the ‘zee, zee, zee” of the golden- 
winged warbler. The female is rather 
shy and keeps close to the ground in 
laurel brush. 
Although a rather common breeder, 
the nests are hard to find. They are 
usually more or less concealed by 
foliage and being light colored, and 
close to the ground are easily overlook- 
ed. Almost every season I find a nest 
or two and in June, 1907, I was so for- 
tunate as to find seven nests. 
During the past fifteen years, I have 
examined quite a number, They are 
