MORTALITY AMONG WARBLERS 



35 



little effect on them, but as soon as they reached the crest of a 

 wave it would catch them up and in an instant they were blown 

 hundreds of yards back or else into the water and drowned. 



"A great many flew on to the deck of the vessel to be washed 

 about by the next wave that came over the side. Although I made 

 no attempt to count the number of specimens that came aboard, I 

 should estimate them at considerably over a hundred, and a great 

 many more struck the sides and tumbled back into the water. It 

 was sad indeed to see them struggling along by the side of the 

 vessel in trying to pass ahead of her, for as soon as they were clear 

 of the bows, they were invariably blown back into the water and 

 drowned. Most of those that came aboard were washed into the 

 sea again, but the next day we found about a dozen dead bodies 

 that had lodged underneath the galley. The following is a list of 

 the species recognized, and if more time could have been given to 

 observation, I undoubtedly could have made out others." 



Among the twenty-three species here recorded by Mr. Frazar, 

 twelve are Warblers, as follows: "Black and White Creeper, abun- 

 dant ; Prothonotary Warbler, large numbers ; Worm-eating Warb- 

 ler, large numbers; Yellow-rumped [=Myrtle] Warbler, a few; 

 Chestnut-sided Warbler, quite a number; Golden-crowned Thrush 

 [=Oven-bird] , a few ; Kentucky Warbler, large numbers ; Mourn- 

 ing Warbler, large numbers; Maryland Yellow-throat, very abun- 

 dant; Hooded Warbler, large numbers; Yellow Warbler, quite a 

 number; Redstart, the most abundant." 



It is, however, not only when migrating over water that War- 

 blers are subject to death by severe storms. Writing from Rock- 

 port, Texas, H. P. Atwater says (Auk, IX, 1892, 303) : 



"Thousands of Warblers undoubtedly perished here last week 

 during the 'norther', which lasted three days commencing on 

 March 16. 



"In the evening of that day flocks of Warblers were noticed 

 around the gardens and houses here, and the next day many were 

 found dead or were caught in a half-perished condition. About 

 fifty per cent, of them were Black and White Warblers. (Mniotilta 

 varia). The remainder were about equally divided between Parulas 

 (Compsothlypis americana) and Sycamore Warblers (Dendroica 

 dominica albilora). Many Sycamore Warblers and Parulas were 

 captured alive in the houses. 



"On the 19th, among many dead Warblers which were brought 

 to us were a specimen of the Louisiana Water-Thrush {Seiurus 



