194 THE CANADIAN WARBLER. 



■In spring it may be entirely missing, but in the fall it is pretty sure to be found 

 among the willows or in weed-thickets, keeping company with Nashville 

 and Tennessee Warblers. At all times it is somewhat confined to under- 

 growth or rank vegetation, especially that which grows along the banks of 

 streams. No bush or briar tangle, however intricate or strange, appears to 

 present any obstacle to this masterful bush-ranger. A bird dives into a bush 

 near at hand, and you are ready to take oath as to its near whereabouts, when 

 lo, it reappears rods away and at the other side of the patch. 



Only now and then is a migrant bird found singing, and we cannot be 

 quite sure that we ever hear the proper song, since the birds go so far north 

 to breed. One heard repeatedly from the center of a bush clump about three 

 feet high said, "Chi, chipitititity, chi, chi." "Its song is compared by Minot 

 to that of the Redstart or Yellow Warbler; while Nuttall writes it 'tsh-tsh- 

 tsh,tshea' and to Goss it sounds like 'zee-zee-zee-zee-e.' " These are all quite 

 unlike the breeding song of the allied form W . p. chryseola, to which I have 

 listened repeatedly in Western Washington; this is a rapidly uttered and em- 

 phatescent chip, chip] chip 1 1 chip] 1 1 chip!!!! 



No. 87. 



CANADIAN WARBLER. 



A. O. U. No. 686. Wilsonia canadensis (Linn.). 



Synonym. — Canadian Fi,y-catching Warbi^Ek. 



Description. — Adult male in spring : Above bluish ash ; whigs and tail un- 

 marked; crown marked with lanceolate black centers of feathers, the ashy 

 skirtings becoming obsolete on extreme forehead; loral spot, cut off in front, 

 connecting with broad cheek-patch, black; supraloral spot connecting with under 

 parts, yellow; under parts, except crissum, yellow, with a greenish cast; a broad 

 loose necklace of black spots on fore breast, and connecting with black of cheeks ; 

 lower tail-coverts white; bill black above, light below; feet light. Adult female 

 and immature : Like male, but v/ith black subdued ; necklace faintly indicated 

 by dusky spots; occasionally an olivaceous tinge on back. Male in autumn: 

 Richer yellow below ; yellow sometimes tipping spots of necklace. Length 5.00- 

 5.75 (127.-146.1) ; av. of six Columbus males: wing 2.56 (65.) ; tail 2.09 (53.1) ; 

 bill .39 (9-9) • 



Recognition Marlts. — Medium Warbler size; bluish ash of upper parts; 

 yellow of under parts ; necklace of black spots across breast ; rictal-bristles. 



Nesting. — Not known to breed in Ohio. Nest, of leaves, grass, moss, and 

 bark-strips, lined with fine rootlets, and placed on ground inside of bank, or under 

 protection of log, root, or bush-clump. Eggs, 4 or 5, white, spotted and dotted with 

 rufous brown, chiefly about larger end. Av. size .67 x .51 (17. x 13.). 



