BIRDS OF NEW YORK 433 



commonest in the southeastern part of the State and on Long Island. Its 

 nest and eggs have been reported from Long Island, Oyster Bay, common 

 (Roosevelt " Birds of Oyster Bay," 1879), still common in 1907 (Scribner's 

 Magazine 42, 387); Millers Place, common (A. H. Helme); Shelter Island, 

 common (W. W. Worthington) ; Long Island, rather common (Braislin). 

 It is reported as rare or uncommon at Highland Falls, 1877, by Doctor 

 Mearns; and at Ossining by Doctor Fisher. According to DeKay, this 

 species was abundant near Lake Erie in 1844. We have always suspected, 

 since DeKay published this on hearsay evidence, that he was mistaken; 

 nevertheless, the local distribution and erratic habits of this warbler render 

 it possible that it was abundant there 70 years ago and has since disappeared. 

 During the last 30 years it certainly has been a rare summer resident in 

 central and western New York. I have met with the species on only four 

 occasions and these were in migration time. Baird, Brewer and Ridgway 

 (Land Birds i, 276) report a nest and eggs from central New York. D. W. 

 Soule and M. R. Crockett report a nest and eggs June 2, 1899, from Sandy 

 Creek, Oswego county. E. H. Short reports a nest from Orleans county 

 June 16, 1904, collected by J. A. Ritenburg, and C. F. Stone two from 

 Branchport. The spring migration of this warbler near New York City 

 begins from the ist to the 6th of May, the average date being May 4. In 

 the fall it disappears from Long Island between the ist and the 13th or i8th 

 of September. Migration dates for western New York are May 3,9, 11 and 

 12, birds observed near Rochester and Geneva by the author. The late E. S. 

 Woodruff reports an adult female taken at Paul Smith's in the northern 

 Adirondacks, May 17, 1908. As the birds which the author saw near 

 Rochester were evidently migrating eastward along the shore of Lake 

 Ontario, it is probable that a thin line of migration has been estabhshed 

 through Oswego county and down the St Lawrence valley. 



Haunts and habits. The Prairie warbler is not a bird of the grass- 

 land, as might be inferred from its name, but prefers dry hillsides, partially 

 covered with a scrubby growth of bushes and saplings. In eastern Massa- 

 chusetts Brewster speaks of it as preferring hilly pastures partially over- 

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