WARBLERS 369 



were taken at Orange Beach, January 24 and 30 and at 

 Whistler February 5, 1912. At the latter place the bird was 

 numerous. It was common, also, at Bayou Labatre, in Febru- 

 ary, 1912, and December, 1916 ; and at Ashf ord, in November, 

 1916. Saunders observed only a few individuals of this form 

 at Woodbine (March 16 and 17, 1908). Brown took speci- 

 mens at Coosada in winter and early spring, and I took one 

 on Sand Mountain, near Carpenter, April 12, 1914. Avery 

 noted the subspecies only once at Greensboro — April 21, 1890. 

 Dean records palm warblers to the number of 75 at Annis- 

 ton, December 25, 1916,J but from what we know of the win- 

 ter distribution of the two races doubtless most of the birds 

 seen there were of the present form. 



PRAIRIE WARBLER: Dendroica discolor (Vieillot). 



State records. — The prairie warbler is a common summer 

 resident in nearly all parts of the State; it is known to breed 

 at Florence, Stevenson, Sand Mountain, Squaw Shoals, Gun- 

 tersville, Anniston, Ardell, Erin (Clay County), Greensboro, 

 Autaugaville, Seale, and Abbeville. The first migrants in 

 spring were noted at Woodbine, March 26 (1908) ; Coosada, 

 March 27 (1878) ; Autaugaville, March 30 (1913) ; Sand 

 Mountain, April 3 (1913) ; Tuscaloosa, April 4 (1914) ; and 

 Greensboro, April 6 (1890). Fall migration takes place dur- 

 ing September and October ; one bird was seen by R. H. Dean 

 at Anniston, October 15 (1916). Nests with eggs have been 

 found at Florence, May 9; Woodbine, May 15; Greensboro, 

 June 1 ; and Autaugaville, May 12 and June 18. 



General habits. — This warbler might more appropriately be 

 called the "bush warbler," for it lives in bushy pastures and 

 in second-growth sprout lands rather than on prairies. It 

 seems to prefer rather barren, sandy regions and always 

 avoids dense forests. It feeds in the bushes and the lower 

 branches of the trees and is a rather expert flycatcher. It 

 is a retiring bird, attracting little attention either by its habits 

 or by its song, which is a characteristic and rather pleasing 

 little ditty, consisting of a series of drawled, shrilling notes 



JDean, B. H., Bird-Lore, vol. 19, p. 29, 1917. 



