MOUKNING WARBLER. ^^^ 



records were made at the higher altitudes. In Costa Rica" it was 

 taken at San Jos^ (3,500 feet), and in Colombia at Sta. Elena* (above 

 6,000 feet), Medellin* (5,000 feet), Ocana^ (3,700 feet), La Concepcion 

 (3,000 feet), and Chirua'^ (7,000 feet). Four males and one female 

 were taken in January in Mapoto,' central Ecuador, on the east slope 

 of the Andes, at 7,000 feet. One specimen was taken at Papallacta^ 

 (11,500 feet), southeast of Quito. 



Spring migration.— The records all point to Texas as the region 

 where the species enters the United States and from which it departs. 

 Dresser says: " Early in May 1 shot five in the long weeds growing 

 in the Medina River bottom. They were abundant, but shy and diffi- 

 cult to get near." Sennett saw " several to many " on the lower Rio 

 Grande; Nehrling considers the species a rather rare migrant near 

 Houston; Merrill and Butcher took specimens in September on the 

 lower Rio Grande, and Lloyd calls the bird a tolerably common fall 

 migrant in southern Texas. , 



It seems probable that the line of migration of the species is from 

 the- highlands of Costa Rica northwestward along the mountains of 

 Honduras and Guatemala and then across the Gulf of Campeche to 

 northern Mexico and eastern Texas. Although along this whole 

 distance from Costa Rica to the Rio Grande but one occurrence has 

 lieen recorded, that of a specimen taken in the spring of 1901 in 

 Vera Cruz, Mexico, by Colburn, it is to be remembered that prac- 

 tically no collecting has been done during the spring and fall migra- 

 tions in the higher sections along this route. It is not to be supposed 

 that the birds cover this long distance at a single flight. Cherrie saj'S 

 that the bulk leave San Jos6, Costa Rica, by the 1st of April, and he 

 notes that the last seen in spring passed on April 24, 1889, and April 

 27, 1890. But the earliest date of arrival in Texas is April 24, 1890, 

 at San Antonio. This leaves nearly a month unaccounted for between 

 Costa Rica and Texas. It is probable that the species actuallj'' does 

 occur in the mountains between Texas and Costa Rica, but that up to 

 the present time it has been overlooked. 



The mourning warbler is one of the latest migrants to reach the 

 United States. It lingers long in its winter home, specimens having 

 been taken in Colombia, South America, as late as March 25, 1899; in 

 Panama, March 17 and April 7, 1901, and, as already noted, in Costa 

 Rica, April 27. The complete records of observation in Texas are: 



a Cherrie, Auk, VII, p. 336, 1890; IX, Higt. XIII, 176, 1900; Auk, XYII, 366, 



p. 22, 1892. 1900. 



iiSclaterandSalvin, P. Z. S., p. 404, 1879. f Taczanowski and Berlepsch, V. Z. 8., 



''Wyatt, Ibis, p. 322, 1871. p. 74, 1885. 



<«Bangs, Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., XIII, /Goodfellow, Ibis, p. 314, 1901. 

 p. 105, 1899; Allen, Bui. Am. Mus. Nat. 



6152— No. 18—04 8 



