BAY-BEEASTED WARBLEE. 255 



striata, that is sometimes impossible to distinguish them with certainty. Castanea is, 

 however, tiuged with buffy or ocbrey below, instead of ibn clear pale yellowiah of 

 striata, moreover, castanea is usually not streaked on the sides at all. Size of striata. 



Haliicat, Eastern United States; north to Hudson Bay; south to Guatemala aud 

 Uarien ; west to the Plains. 



Irregular migrant in spring, abundant and regular in the fall. I have 

 found this warbler the most decidedly irregular of all our spring migrants 

 which can be considered at any time common, having taken it but one 

 season, spring of 1874, when, as stated, it accompanied the Black poll 

 "Warblers in great numbers, and frequented beech aud mixed woodland. 

 It appears to be less active than most of the genus. Dr. Kirtland men- 

 tions having secured numbers of them, and does not mention any irregu- 

 larity. Mr. Read gives it as abundant, and states that he has " seen it as 

 late as the last of June." 



In the fall they are to be found in September and October, in great 

 numbers, remaining, with the Black- poll Warblers, later than any of the 

 genus, excepting the Yellow- rump. iSume fall specimens have the brown 

 of the sides redder than in spring, though not so extensive ; but by far 

 the greater number of our fall birds cannot be distinguished at any dis- 

 tance, from D. striata, and a cousiderdble proportion are difhcult to dis- 

 tinguish from the young of striata. In addition to the diagnostic marks 

 given in the above description, it may be stated that the greenish of the 

 breast of young striata often shows obsolete streaks, while no streaks 

 whatever are to been on the brownish or butfy-whitish of castanea, except 

 perhaps, dusky centres on the under tail coverts. Mr. Langdon, in his 

 Revised i^ist, gives the following injportant structural marks of distinc- 

 tion. " A comparison of specimens of both species shows that the chin, or 

 feathered space between the forks of the lower mandible, is considerably 

 wider in castoMta than in striata arguing a greater width of base of bill 

 in the former species. The bill of castanea is generally the larger in 

 every way, but its greater width at base is especially evident." 



This warbler has been found breeding only in the most northern Uni- 

 ted States and northward. The nest is placed in a tree, and is said to be 

 large for the size of the bird, and to resemble the nest of the Purple 

 Pinch. It, is described as composed of fine twigs and moss, lined 

 with rootlets, moss and hair. " The eggs varied in length from .71 to .65 

 of an inch, and in breadth from .53 to 50. Their ground color was a blu- 

 ish green, thickly spotted with brown, and generally with a ring of 

 confluent blotches of brown and lilac around the larger end." 



