The Mourning Warbler in Warren Co., Pa. 



BY THOMAS H. JACKSON 



I have never met with the Mourning Warbler in my home 

 county of Chester during its spring and fall migrations, although 

 there are a few records of its having been taken here. It was 

 with a good deal of pleasure then, that I found myself listening 

 to the charming song of this bird among the mountains of 

 Warren county. Pa., on the 30th of May last. 



Mr. R. P. Sharpies and myself reached Warren about 9 

 o'clock on the morning of that day, and in company with our 

 friend, Mr. R. B. Simpson, started up the valley of Morrison's 

 run, a clear mountain stream that empties into the Allegheny 

 river east of the town. The trees and bushes were dripping 

 from frequent showers, between which the sun occasionally 

 shone with a sultry heat. 



As we entered the ravine a song entirely new to me came 

 from a clump of ferns and blackberry bushes. At first I took 

 it to be the well-known melody of the Kentucky Warbler ; the 

 first three bars of its song were a reproduction of that bird's, 

 but the latter part of its performance was the liquid melody of 

 the House Wren's song. Mr. Simpson assured us that it was 

 the Mourning Warbler. On this occasion we tried our best to 

 get a good glimpse of the singer, but all we could see was an 

 occasional shadow flitting near the ground, and if approached 

 too nearly the song would cease, and possibly a glimpse of the 

 bird would be had as he disappeared in another part of the 

 thicket. 



We found these birds in full song in nearly every favorable 

 locality— with just such surroundings as the Maryland Yellow- 

 throat would choose for its nesting-place — in thickets near the 

 edge of woods, among briar-patches along the roadside, and 

 among the nettles and weeds in the partly wooded bottoms 



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