10 



THE IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



mon in opfln woods in Mahaska county; 

 builds an open nest, resembling that 

 of the Mourning Dove," [W. A. 

 Bryan.] "Very common in Jackson 

 county; has greatly increased in the 

 past fifteen years; it was formerly 

 quite rare," [H. J. Giddings.] "Com- 

 mon in Van Buren county; nesting 

 in trees fifteen or twenty feet high," 

 [William Savage] Nests in May and 

 June; eggs three to five, bluish- green, 

 dotted with brown. 



S^9S — {2i)i>.) Passerina cyanea. (Linn.) 

 INDIGO BUNTING. 



Common throughout the state; May 

 to September; "summer resident; 

 common in Winnebago county," (R. 

 M. Anderson.) "Not a common sum- 

 mer resident in Mahaska county" [W. 

 A. Bryan.] "Very common in Van 

 Buren county ; nesting in low bushes,'' 

 [William Savage.] "Common sum- 

 mer resident in Poweshiek county," 

 [Carl Kelsey.] "A very common Finch 

 in Van Buren county; arrives early in 

 May and departs early in September; 

 nests are placed about two inches 

 from the ground in small bushes; if 

 disturbed they will build the second 

 and third in a season; has a very 

 pleasing song, which is uttered from 

 the top of some tree or bush; not shy; 

 BO netimes nests very near the abode of 

 man," [W. G. Savage.] Eggs three 

 to five, usually four, white, with a 

 bluish tinge, 



604:— {287.) Spiza americana. (Gmel.) 

 DICKCISSEL. 



Also called Black-throated Bunt- 

 ing; common; throughout the state; 



May to August; formerly rare; 

 •'abundant summer resident in Min- 

 nebago county; nests in June, July 

 and August," ]R, M. Anderson.] 

 "Common in Lyons county; nesting 

 in hedges, bushes and tall grass," 

 [Oarleton R. Ball.] "Very common 

 in Mihaska county," fM. A. Bryan.] 

 "Common summer resident in Van 

 Buren county; nesting in hedges or 

 on the ground in the prairie," [Will- 

 iam Savage.] Eggs four or five, 

 greenish-blue, nearly the size and 

 color of the eggs of the Blue Bird; 

 usually nests on the ground in Henry 

 county; sings in the night sometimes. 



FAMILY MNIOTILTIDAE 

 WARBLERS. 



Small birds; often sweet singers; 

 usually beautiful; mostly insectivor- 

 ous; eggs almost always bluish white 

 or cream colored specked with brown. 



036—192,91] Mniotilta varia. (Linn.) 



BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. 



Common; throughout the state; 

 migrant. "Secured a specimen of this 

 species September 11, 1894 in Dallas 

 county" [J. Eugene Law,] "Common 

 migrant in Winnebago county; May 

 and August," [R. M. Anderson.] "Not 

 common in Mahaska county," (W. A. 

 Bryan,] "Tolerably common migrant 

 in Van Buren county" [William Sav- 

 age.] "Song very low but sweet and 

 resembles the words, "See-thte, see- 

 thee, see-dee," and as slender to the 

 ear as hair-wire to the eye, but so 

 peculiar, so tender, so musical, as 

 even to soften and sweeten surround- 

 ing nature. This species remind one 



