PINE WARBLER 205 



from grapevines, bits of dead weeds and the stems of dry oak leaves, 

 intermixed with a very fine silken web or cocoon which the bird 

 gathers from openings in the pine bark ; web of the caterpillar is also 

 often used. It lines freely with feathers using a respectable quantity 

 of horse-hair and dead tops of sedge also. The bottom consists mostly 

 of feathers, and, on the whole, the nest is quite warm and neatly built." 

 (M'Laughlin 1 .) "The time occupied in building the nest and laying 

 the four eggs is fourteen days provided the weather is favorable. 

 * * * The female Pine Warbler gathers material from the trunks 

 and limbs of trees and from the ground, and from both near the nest 

 and as far as several hundred yards. * * * The female does most 

 of the building but on one occasion we observed the male assisting 

 her. As a rule, however, he merely accompanies her in her journeys, 

 keeping a little way off and singing assiduously his own individual 

 song. * * * The nest is solid and deep. It is constructed of weed 

 stems, horse-hair and feathers. The dark-colored grapevine bark on 

 the outside gives it an appearance characteristic of this species. A 

 good deal of caterpillar's silk also is used, as well as small cocoons." 

 (Brimley*.) 



Nesting Dates. — Charleston, S. C, March 28-May 13 (Wayne) ; 

 Raleigh, N. C, March 24 (Brimley) ; New Haven, Conn., July 4, 

 young in nest. (Bishop) ; Cambridge, Mass., full sets, first laying, 

 May 20-30 (Brewster) ; Bangor, Me., June 2, seen taking food to in- 

 accessible nest, either for mate or young (Knight) ; Porcupine Mts., 

 Mich., July 19, adults feed young, Wood (Barrows). 



Eggs. — Usually 4, rarely 5. Ground color varies from a dull 

 creamy white to grayish or bluish gray-white, about 90 per cent, in a 

 large series, are heavily wreathed around large end but, in all cases, 

 the markings are bold and heavy; they consist of specks, spots and 

 blotches, in some cases much run together, of many shades of lilac- 

 gray, reddish brown, burnt umber, purplish brown and blackish with 

 under shell-markings of lavender and grayish. Size ; average .72X.54, 

 extremes measure -77x. 55, .64X.52, .71X.51, .65X.51. (Figs. 79-81.) 



Biographical References 



(1) R. B. M'Laughlin, Nesting of the Pine-Creeping Warbler, (in Nor. 

 Car.), Orn. and 061., XII, 1887, 171. (2) C. S. Brimley, Nesting of the Pine 

 Warbler in 1888, (in Nor. Car.), Orn. and 061., XIII, 1888, 89; (3) XIV, 1889, 

 IS7; (4) On the Breeding Habits of Dendroica vigorsii at Raleigh, N. C, Auk, 

 VIII, 1891. 199- (S) J- P- N [orris], A Series of Eggs of the Pine Warbler, 

 Orn. and 061., XIV, 1889, 130. (6) J. W. P. Smithwick, Nesting and other 

 Habits of the Pine Warbler in eastern North Carolina, Orn. and Ool., XVI, 

 1891, 119. 



