NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 385 



They vary from .84 to 1.02 in length by .62 to .70 in breadth. The 

 average size of ten specimens is .92 x .71. 



683a. Icteria virens longicauda (Lawr.) [123a.] 



Iiong-tailed Chat. 



Hab. Western United States from the Great Plains to the Pacific; south into Mexico. 



The general habits, nests and eggs of this Western sub-species 

 are the same as those of Icteria virens. Col. Goss says it is not an 

 uncommon summer resident of Western Kansas and Mr. Lloyd gives 

 it as an abundant breeder in Tom Green and Concho counties, Texas. 



684. Sylvania mitrata (Gmel.) [124,] 



Hooded ^^arbler. 



Hab. Eastern United States, west to the edge of the Great Plains, north to Southern portions of 

 Michigan, New York and New England; south in winter to Cuba, Jamaica; through Eastern Mexico and 

 Central America. 



The Hooded Flycatching Warbler breeds throughout its United 

 States range. Col. Goss mentions it as a rare summer resident of 

 Eastern Kansas where it begins laying the last of May. It is a 

 common resident in the cane-brakes and low shrubbery along the 

 Lower Wabash in Southern Illinois. In Georgia the Hooded Warbler 

 deposits its eggs about the middle of May. Mr. Arthur T. Wayne has 

 taken fresh eggs near Charleston, South Carolina, in the first week of 

 June. The bird is a rare summer resident of Ohio but I have no 

 recent records of its nest and eggs having been taken in the State. 

 Dr. Kirtland notices its breeding in the vicinity of Cleveland. For a 

 number of years the Hon. John N. Clark has observed this Warbler 

 breeding in Middlesex county, Connecticut, usually in the latter part 

 of May or first half of June. The bird is one of the liveliest of its 

 tribe and is very active in catching insects on the wing in the manner 

 of the true Flycatchers. It frequents thickets and undergrowth of 

 high and low lands, where it skillfully conceals itself when pursued. 

 It has a peculiarly graceful manner of closing and spreading its broad 

 tail, like the Redstart. 



The nest of the Hooded Warbler is built in the low bushes of 

 undergrowth, usually within a few inches or feet of the ground. It is 

 composed of leaves, shreds of bark, and scales of beech buds, all com- 

 pactly woven and secured together with spider webs ; the lining in 

 some nests is entirely horse or cattle hair, others are found lined with 

 fibres of grape-vine bark, or mixed with both. 



The eggs are four in number, rarely five. The usual ground- 

 color is white, or creamy-white, and the markings are generally specks 

 and spots of chestnut or burnt umber and lilac-gray, principally near 

 the larger end, and often forming wreaths. In a series of sixteen sets 



26 



