HOODED WARBLER 273 



"The first song-period of this species seems rarely to pass early 

 July — latest dates July 10 and 15. Perfect songs heard in the fourth 

 week of August locate the second song period." (Bicknell^.) 



"The usual note is a clear and nervous, but not metallic, chirp. 

 Little sound of any kind is made in the fall, when the chirp is more 

 subdued. There are two common songs, both uttered on every possi- 

 ble occasion in spring, when the woods are ringing with them. The 

 most frequent is a short one of four syllables, Se-whit, se-wheer; the 

 longer song may be rendered, Whee-ivhee-whee-a-whecr," accented as 

 marked. A sharper, very clear-cut chirp is sometimes to be heard late 

 in the evening, about dusk." {Allison, MS.). 



Nesting Site. — The nest is placed in a small bush or sapling at 

 from one to five, but usually about three feet from the ground. At the 

 southern limit of the bird's nesting range canes are generally chosen, 

 at the northern limit laurel is frequently selected. Where neither of 

 these growths is present various species of bushes or saplings are 

 used. 



Nest. — Nests from near New York are generally compactly built 

 with a well-woven rim and composed largely of soft inner bark and 

 sometimes plant-down with often an outer wrapping of dead leaves 

 and leaf skeletons, and are lined with fine grasses. 



Nests from South Carolina are described as made of cane leaves, 

 lined with dry weeds and rootlets or black 'moss,' possibly the dead, 

 inner fiber of Tillandsia. 



Eggs. — 3 to 5, usually 4, very rarely 5. Ground color white to 

 creamy white, well wreathed about the large end with spots and small 

 blotches of deep, rich chestnut red, purplish red and lilac-gray, with 

 under shell markings of pale lavender; sometimes the markings 

 extend very sparingly over the entire egg, but this is rare, and only 

 the lighter shades occur. Size; average, .73X.54, extremes, .80X.55, 

 .67X.52, .76X.58, .68X.48. (Figs. 113-115.) 



Nesting Dates. — Charleston, S. C, April 30- June 26, three eggs, 

 small embryos (Wayne) ; Bertie Co., N. C.„ May 9; Waynesburg, Pa., 

 June 6, only two records (Jacobs) ; New York City, May 26- June 15 

 (F. M. C.) ; New Haven, Conn., May 27- June 24 (Bishop) ; Kalama- 

 zoo Co., Mich., June 10, Gibbs — Macatawa, Ottawa Co., August 22, 

 feeding two young Cowbirds, Smith (Barrows). 



Biographical References 



(i) Wm. Brewster, Observations on the Birds of Ritchie County, West 

 Virginia, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist., N. Y., XI, 1875, 138. (2) J. N. Clark, Hooded 

 Warblers, Nesting in Southern Connecticut, Orn. and 061., VL 1881, 9, 102. 



