DEND]&(ECA PINUS, PINE-CREEPING WARBLEK. Gd 



DENDECEOA PINUS, (Wils.) Ed. ' 



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Pine-creeping Warbler. 



SyMa pinus, WiLS., Am. Ora. iii, 1811, 25, pi. 19, fig. 4.— Bp., Syn. 1828, 81.— Nutt., 

 Man. i, 1832, 387.— AuD., Oru. Biog. ii, 1834, 232, pi. 111. 



Thryothorus pinus, Steph., Shaw's G. Z. xiv, 194. 



Sylvicola pinus, Jakd. ; Rich. & Bp., Lists. — AuD., Syn. 1839, 54. — Auc, B. Am. ii, 1841, 

 37, pi. 82.— WooDiL, Sitgr. Rep. 1833, 70 (Texas).- Tmppe, Pr. Ess. Inst, vi, 

 1871, 114 (queries it from Minnesota). 



RMmamplins pinus, Bp., Consp. 1, 1850, 311. 



Vendrwca pinus, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 277 ; Rev. 18G5, 190 (not of CoTiES, Pliila. Acad. IPfil, 

 220, which — striata .').— CouES & PnENT., Smiths. Rep. 1861, 407 (Washington, 

 D. C., breeding, but not wintering). — Mclr.wji., Pr. Ess. lust, vi, 1860, 86 (Ham- 

 ilton, C. W.).— CoUES, Pr. Ess. Inst, v, ie:j8, 272 (Kow England, breeding, not 

 -wintering). — CoUBS, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 18G3, 109 (South Carolina, resident). — 

 Tdenb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 18 (migratorj-').— Allen, Bnll. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 268 

 (Florida, resideut). — Mayn., Guide, 1870, 103 (Massachusetts, migratory, a few 

 breeding) ; B. Fla. 1872, 49.— CouES, Key, 1872, 104. f i'-" 



Syhia vigorsii, AuD., Orn. Biog. i, 1832, 153, 30. /'.; ,, . ,/ 



Vireo vigorsii, Nutt., Man. i, 1832, 318. , , a 



Hab. — Eastern United States to the Lower Missouri. North to Canada and Newn , , ' 



Brunswick, but not to Labrador. Bermuda (Jones, Nat. in Berm. 1859, 59 ; only extra- ° ^ 



liraital record). Breeds throughout its United States range ; resident from the Caroli-2 i' " ;' 

 nas southward. 



Like the Palm Warbler, with which it is often found associated, the J 3^' -c 

 Pine-creeping is a migrant betimes in the spring, and a loiterer in the,, ^ 

 fall. The range, as well as the movement of the two species, is some-„ , ■'- 

 what coincident, but that of the present bird is more restricted, not ex- 

 tending into the West Indies, nor reaching so far north. The quotation-' ■ •' 

 "Labrador" originated in an error of mine some years since On a re- ^ 

 examination lately of the specimen I thought was pinus, I find that it is ' 

 a newly-fledged Black-poU Warbler, in the spotted plumage common toj-j^J, _ ; 

 very young birds of many species of Warblers and Thrushes, corre-/^ r \ 

 spending to the equally early and transient streaked stage of many '", 



Sparrows. The earliness of the vernal movement is attested by the^,)/' '-^ 

 bird's presence in New England by the end of March, sometimes when . ,. " 

 the ground is still covered with snow. Audubon affirms that it winters" ' 

 in the Middle States, but I think the alleged fact has not been since (!0U- '* ' 

 firmed. Dr. Turnbull does not so state; and for my own part I could ?2-L.« 

 never detect the species in Maryland or Virginia between October and^J-f - i 

 March. I found it, however, at all seasons in South Carolina, where itW 1 S 

 is extremely abundant, and one of the very few species breeding there.^ i>~3 

 It nests there remarkably early for a Warbler, the first broods being 

 abroad by the second week in April. The northward migration of tiiac 

 portion of the great body of birds that winter in the Southern States 

 begins in March, about the time that tho;=e not intending to move off set 

 about mating and nesting. The return movement is delayed in its com- 

 pletion until November by the stragglers. 



The nest is built of a variety of soft vegetable substances, plant-down, 

 &c., usually mixed with fine rootlets, and often with hair or feathers, 

 and set on a foundation of coarse fibrous and weedy material. It mea- 

 sures about three inches across by two deep, and generally presents a 

 pretty firm brim of circularly disposed fibres. It is i)laced on trees. 

 The eggs are commonly four in number, about 0.70 by 0.50, of tlie usual 

 shai)e, white, speckled and spotted with diflerent shades of brown, 

 usually tending to wreathe around the larger end, sometimes generally 

 distributed. 



As its name implies, the Pine-creeping Warbler is partial to coniferous 

 woods, but by no means confined to such forests ; in fact I have observed 

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