LAND BIRDS. 609 
7, 1896, and in 1888 it did not arrive until May 20. At Petersburg Mr. 
Trombley noted the first arrival on May 28, 1889 and April 30, 1894, while 
other dates range from May 1, 1887 to May 14, 1890. At Palmer, Marquette 
county, Mr. O. B. Warren recorded it on May 17, 1894 and May 4, 1895, 
while specimens were killed on Spectacle Reef Light, Lake Huron, May 
15 and 19, 1891, and May 28, 1892. 
The nest is built between the middle of May and first of June, and is in- 
variably placed in a bush or thicket, seldom more than three or four feet 
from the ground. It is composed of various soft vegetable fibres and lined 
with rootlets and hairs. The eggs are three or four, white, with brown and 
lilac specks about the larger end and sometimes a few black dots. They 
average .65 by .49 inches. 
According to MeclIlwraith, this species rears two broods in a season, 
but we have not been able to verify this statement for Michigan. The 
bird is regularly imposed upon by the Cowbird and undoubtedly is often 
obliged to make several attempts before it succeeds in rearing a brood. 
It seems likely therefore that these later nests may have been mistaken 
for second broods. Certainly the majority of these warblers do not rear 
second broods, and the species is far from common in the late summer, 
although it is occasionally a rather abundant migrant during the last 
half of August and the first half of September. Probably all leave the 
state before the first of October. 
In regard to its song Seton Thompson says: “It is somewhat like that 
of the Orange-crowned Warbler. I can recall it to mind by the aid of the 
syllables chip-e, chip-e, chip-e, chip-e, wai-chip, the single emphatic syllable 
near the end being the most tangible difference” (Birds of Manitoba, p. 619). 
Apparently its food does not differ widely from that of the other members 
of the genus. In Forbes’ historic study of the cankerworm infested orchard, 
two-thirds of the food of this species was found to consist of cankerworms, 
in addition to which there was 10 percent of caterpillars, a few ants, 5 
percent of plant-lice and 11 percent of beetles. Like all our warblers 
this species is a hearty feeder on plant-lice during its migrations. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult male: Upper parts mainly black, streaked with white or greenish-white, the 
entire top of head yellow of varying intensity; lores and half of cheek black, remainder 
of cheek and part of the side of neck white; chin, throat, breast, belly and under tail-- 
coverts, pure white; a conspicuous stripe of rich chestnut running along each side from 
lower neck to flanks; two white or yellowish-white wing-bars; three outer pairs of tail- 
feathers largely white on inner webs. Female similar, but the crown greenish-yellow 
or even clear green, and the back olive-green, streaked with black; less black on the cheeks, 
and the chestnut stripes reduced to spots and streaks, or sometimes almost wanting. 
Length 4.60 to 5.25 inches; wing 2.40 to 2.65; tail 1.95 to 2.10; female slightly smaller. 
277. Bay-breasted Warbler. Dendroica castanea (JJ"ilson). (660) 
SS) s: Bay-breast.—Sylvia castanea, Wilson, 1810.—Dendroica (or Dendreeca) 
dicinee ot tie cakhores Sylvis autumnalis, Wils., Bonap., Aud., and others (for speci- 
mens in fall plumage). 
Figure 158. 
Distinguished by the dark chestnut or “bay” crown and the throat and 
sides of the breast a lighter shade of the same color. Perhaps the most 
77 
