62 



IOWA ORNITHOLOGIST. 



any farther west than Iowa, being 

 considered rare in Kansas and 

 Nebraska. It is a rapid migrant, 

 the whole bulk of the species ap- 

 pearing aud disappearing within 

 two weeks. Its summer home is 

 north of the United States border. 

 Dendroica ca^rulea (Cerulean 

 Warbler.) Of all the North 

 American Warblers the Cerulean 

 is unquestionably the most beau- 

 tiful. It is in reality quite a com- 

 mon species during migrations, 

 and by no means a rare summer 

 resident, but its extreme shyness 

 and habit of keeping exclusively 

 in the tops of the tallest trees 

 prevent it from being often ob- 

 served, but its sharp, monoto nous 

 song may be heard almost con- 

 stantly during the whole summer. 

 The nest is a very small structure 

 placed among the slender upper 

 branches of some tall tree in the 

 open woods, " and is rarely to be 

 found. Though, as Dr. Coues 

 says, the Cerulean Warbler has 

 no warm colors, none of the 

 gaudier species can compare 'with 

 this in the exquisite azure blue of 

 the back, bordering the snowy 

 white of the under parts, the nar- 

 row collar of deep, blue-black 

 spots and the very long and beau- 

 tifully banded tail. It is a small 

 species and extremely active and 

 restless. The spots on the breast 



cause it to be frequently mistaken 

 for the female of the Black- 

 polled Warbler. 



Dendroica pensylvanica (Chest- 

 nut-sided Warbler). A common 

 and well known species, very 

 dainty and debonnaire. The pre- 

 vailing color is unusually light, 

 which makes it quite conspicuous. 

 It is most frequently observed 

 among small trees and bushes, 

 along the borders of woods and 

 about houses. Breedsquite com- 

 monly in many localities in the 

 state, though the main body of 

 the species passes northward. It 

 is much more abundant in east- 

 ern than in western Iowa, and is 

 quite rare wt-st of our borders. 



Dendroica castanea (Bay- 

 breasted Warbler). This curiously 

 marked Warbler is one of the 

 less common species. It is fre- 

 quently .=een in company with the 

 Cape May and closely resembles 

 the latter in its habits as well as 

 in general color. Its western 

 range is about the same as the 

 Chestnut-sided, though it does 

 not breed within our borders. 



Dendroica striata (Black-poll 

 Warbler). One of the very com- 

 mon birds of this family. It is 

 the last to migrate, often linger- 

 ing in our woods till the last days 

 6f May or even far into June. No 

 other Warbler has so extreme a 



