Giddings, Notes on the Warblers of Jackson County. 9 



Geothlypis formosa. KENTUCKY WARBLER. 



This specie must be classed as rather rare but a few breed here ^very sea- 

 son. I know of a place where it can be found every season ; saw the first, last 

 spring, May 8th, next, May 16th and found a nest on May 29th containing 1 egg 

 and 2 Cowbird eggs, incubation begun. This nest was placed in a bunch of 

 ferns three inches above the ground and well concealed by the ferns hanging 

 over it, it was large and bulky, lower part entirely composed of oak leaves with 

 inner nest of fine twigs and roots and lined with hair. 



Geothlypis trichas occidentalis. WESTERN YELLOW- THROAT. 



A COMMON summer resident, but varies much in numbers in different sea- 

 sons. The present, it is one of our most common birds. Its nests are usually 

 placed in the edge of thickets, but I have found them in open pasture fields in 

 a slight depression of the ground by a bunch of grass. 



Icteria virens. YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT. 



This, our largest Warbler and a very handsome bird, is a common summer 

 resident. Upon its first appearance in spring it is very shy and not often seen 

 but as the nesting season approaches the male becomes very noisy and not very 

 hard to approach. In the latter part of the season they are hardly ever seen 

 and are all gone early in August. 



Sylvania mitrata. HOODED WARBLER. 



I have only one record of this species ; that was in the first of June, the 

 present season. 



Sylvania canadensis. CANADA WARBLER. 



This species is not very common, but not so rare as might be supposed, its 

 habits of keeping in the tree- tops causing it to be seldom seen. 



Setophaga ruticilla. AMERICAN REDSTART. 



A well known species of an unsuspicious nature, an abundant migrant and 

 quite common breeder. The nest of this species closely resembles that of the 

 Yellow Warbler. June 19th, 1896, I found a nest which, as far as position and 

 structure goes, could not be told from a nest of the Yellow Warbler. It was 

 placed in the crotch of a dog- wood, four feet above the ground ; composed of 

 grass and plant-down compacted together, lined with fine grass and feathers 

 and contained three eggs and one egg of the Cowbird. The nests of tliis species 

 which I have found have never averaged as high above the ground as is usually 

 stated, aU of them ranging in height from four to 15 feet and more at four feet 

 than any other height. 



In conclusion I would state that I seldom find a Warbler's nest without one 

 or more eggs of the Cowbird and as every one means the destruction of a brood 

 of Warblers would it not be a wise plan for the Association to declare war 

 against this parasite ? It appears to me that if every member would constitute 

 himself a committee of one to destroy both eggs and birds whenever possible it 

 might be the means of at least holding this species in check. 



