294 HABITS OF grace's waebler 



where it was said to be common. These specimens, however, 

 were afterward described as representing a different variety, to 

 which the name decora was applied by Mr. Robert Ridgway. 



While journeying through New Mexico, era route to Fort 

 Whipple, Arizona, in July, 1864, I found Grace's Warbler on 

 the summit of Whipple's Pass of the Eocky Mountains, not far 

 from the old site of Fort Wingate, and secured the first speci- 

 men on the second of the month just named. I saw no more 

 of the bird — though it certainly must live in the pine-clad San 

 Francisco Mountains which I traversed — till the following 

 spring, when I ascertained that it was the most abundant bird 

 of its kind, excepting Audubon's Warbler, in the pineries in 

 the midst of which Fort Whipple is located. I have not yet 

 learned of its occurrence anywhere beyond New Mexico and 

 Arizona, nor indeed outside of the pine belt that indicates a 

 certain elevation of the surface in these Territories ; but as it 

 is a migratory bird, and has never been found in the United 

 States in winter, there is no doubt that it retires to Mexico in 

 the fall, to return in the spring. The extent of its movements, 

 however, remains to be ascertained. I secured a fine large suite 

 of specimens at Port Whipple, illustrating the variations of 

 the plumage under the different conditions of sex, age, and 

 season, and latterly my friend Henshaw has taken many more. 

 His were all procured in the White Mountains of Arizona, at 

 and near Camp Apache, excepting one which he took at Inscrip- 

 tion Eock, New Mexico, which is within an easy day's march of 

 the spot where my original specimen was procured. During 

 two seasons he found it to be one of the commonest of the 

 summer Warblers in the White Mountains, where the young 

 birds just from the nest were observed during the second week 

 in July. His observations confirm my own in regard to the 

 pine-loving character of the birds ; he found them almost inva- 

 riably in coniferous forests, passing swiftly along the smaller 

 branches of these tall trees, or darting into the air to capture 

 passing insects ; and even in August, when various families had 

 united into small flocks, and were lingering in company with 

 other insectivorous birds, before their departure for the South, 

 their preference for their native pines was still evident. 



In the spring of 1865, I noted the arrival of these Warblers 

 in the vicinity of Fort Whipple on the 20th of April, and they 

 continually fell under my observation from this date until the 

 third week in September, about which time I suppose they left 



