SWAIN SOlf WAEBtES. 27 



Nebr., are from August 25 to September 10, The last birds to leave 

 the United States depart late in September. The latest Florida record 

 is of a bird that struck the light at Sombrero Key, September 25, 1888; 

 the latest from New Orleans is September 24, 1903. The earliest 

 recorded arrival on the coast of southeastern Nicaragua, where the 

 prothonotary warbler is quite common in winter, was on September 

 2, 1892. The species has been reported as present at Valle Dupar, 

 northeastern Colombia, on September 25." Of the birds streaming 

 down the coast some turn westward and cross the mountains, as is 

 shown by the occurrence of the species on October 13 at San Jose, 

 Costa Rica. 



638. Helinaia swaiusonl Aud. Swainson Warbler. 



Breeding range. — The Swainson warbler is confined in summer to 

 the Austroriparian life zone, where it is strictly a swamp lover. 

 Along the Gulf coast from Louisiana to northwestern Florida it is not 

 uncommon in the few localities that seem suited to its habits. Thence 

 it ranges up the Wabash River to Knox County, Ind., which marks 

 the extreme limit of the Austroriparian zone in Indiiina, and to south- 

 eastern Missouri * on the Mississippi River. Along the Atlantic coast 

 its range extends to the upper limit of the same zone in the Dismal 

 Swamp of Virginia.'' The southernmost breeding record is the lower 

 Suwanee River in Florida. There is a record of the occurrence 

 (probably accidental) of the species in Navarro County, Tex., August 

 24, 1880; and a bird struck the lighthouse at Port Bolivar, Tex., April 

 17, 1904. 



Winter range. — So far as known the Swainson warbler is found 

 regularly in winter only in Jamaica, where it has been taken on vari- 

 ous dates ranging from October 1 to April 8.*^ A single bird, prob- 

 ably a straggler, was captured near Vera Cruz, Mexico, in the winter 

 ofl887-88.« 



Spritig migration. — In spring migration a single specimen was taken 

 in April at Habana,-'"one in the same month on the Bimini Islands, 

 Bahamas,'' and three struck the Cay Sal light-house, Bahamas, March 

 23-26, 1901.* 



The earliest recorded spring arrival in the United States was on 

 March 22, 1890, on the Lower Suwanee River. The same year the 

 species was taken at the Tortugas March 26 and 26 and April 5. The 

 other records of first arrival in spring are: Sombrero Key lighthouse, 



«Sharpe, Cat. Birds, Brit. Mus., X, p. «Salvin & Godman, Ibis, p. 236, 1889. 



641, 1885. /Gundlach, J. f. Orn., p. 412, 1872. 



6 Widnaann, Auk, XII, p. 112, 1895. g Cory, Auk, VIII, p. 296, 1891. 



c Fisher, Auk, XII, p. 307, 1895. ABonhote, Auk, XX, p. 171, 1903. 

 d Merriam, Auk, II, p. 377, 1885. 



