82 BACHMAN'S WARBLER 



above it was entirely hidden by branchlets of latest growth and the 

 hand could not be inserted without first cutting several vines." A 

 second nest, was taken by Mr. Widmann, in Dunklin County, May 

 13, 1898 and is recorded by Short^'' as similar in structure to the type 

 nest and like it placed in a blackberry bush, where it was not "attached 

 to the branches but simply supported between half a dozen of them." 



Since the above was written Bachman's Warbler has been found 

 breeding by Wayne on April 17, 1906 and later dates, near Charles- 

 ton, S. C, and by Embody, on May 14, 1906, in Logan County, Ky. 

 In both instances the birds inhabited heavily timbered, swampy land 

 with more or less stagnant water. The nests were in low bushes, 

 briers, or canes and were one to three feet from the ground. 



Nest. — ^The first nest found by Widmann is described by Ridg- 

 way* as a "somewhat compressed, compact mass composed externally 

 of dried weed and grass-stalks and dead leaves, many of the latter 

 partly skeletonized; internally composed of rather fine weed and 

 grass-stalks, lined with black fibers, apparently dead threads of the 

 black pendant lichens (Ramalina, species?) which hang in beard-like 

 tufts from button-bushes (Cephalanthus) , and other shrubs growing 

 in wetter portions of the western bottom lands. The height of the 

 nest is about three and one-half inches; the greatest breadth is about 

 four inches, its width in the opposite direction being about three Inches. 

 The cavity is about one and one-half inches deep and one and one- 

 half by two inches wide." Six nests found by Wayne are described as 

 being chiefly constructed of fine grass, cane leaves, and skeletonized 

 leaves of other kinds, and some contained Spanish 'moss'. 



Eggs. — Both the nests discovered by Widmann contained three 

 eggs which, as they were left until the bird began to sit, evidently 

 constituted a complete set. Wayne, however, found two nests each 

 with four eggs. The eggs of Widmann's first set are described by 

 Ridgway* as "of very regular ovate form and entirely pure white 

 in color." They measured .63X.48; .64X.49; .63X.49. The eggs of 

 the second set are described by Short* as "pure china white and 

 glossy." In size they agreed with those of the first set. 



Nesting Dates.— DurMin County, Mo., May 13 and 17 (Wid- 

 mann) ; Lagan Co., Ky., May 14 (Embody) ; Charleston, S. C, 

 April 17; May 13, two young, juvenal plumage (Wayne). 



Biographical References 

 (i) Geo. N. Lawrence, The Rediscovtry of Bachman's Warbler in the 



