48 Bulletin of the 



ing Warblers, Three-toed Woodpeckers, Chestnut Sided Warblers, Yellow- 

 bellied Sapsuckers, and Maryland Yellow-throats. Spruce Grouse followed 

 by their young trailed over the spagnumn moss and Belted Kingfishers 

 sounded their rattle from the banks of the Au Sable. Mr. Frothingham 

 states that the bird reminded him very much of the Yellow-rumped Warbler 

 in action, moving sideways on the smaller limbs and keeping up a jerking 

 motion of its tail with a constant chipping as if concerned about its nest — 

 then with a sudden motion it would decend to the ground only to reappear 

 through the tangled mass of ferns and under-brush — perch himself on some 

 blackened stubb, and with head thrown back pour fourth a loud clear song 

 of liquid musical notes, the tones being very full. Mr. Frothingham likened 

 this song to that of the Maryland Yellow-throat, saying that both birds were 

 present and in full song, but that a difference was easily detected and that 

 he never mistook them. He also speaks of one instance wherein he had 

 discovered a nest containing young of the White-throated sparrow, the 

 mother sparrow was very solicitous in uttering her protests and was soon 

 joined by a varied company in which was included a D Kirtlandi who 

 became very much excited and with jerking tail and loud excited chips, 

 uttered rapidly, attempted to drive the intruder away. This record adds 

 one more link to verify my prediction of some years ago that Kirtlandi 

 would be found nesting in the Canadian Zone of Lower Michigan. At Ann 

 Arbor, on May 15th, 1875, I took my first specimen of Kirtlands Warbler, 

 the condition of this bird's ovaries showed that the eggs would have been 

 laid in about two weeks. If the bird had traveled at the rate of forty miles 

 a day and had taken a direct line north about four days would have been 

 consumed in making the journey to the Canadian Zone of Lower Michigan 

 which is about 160 miles direct north from this point. It is a wel knov/i 

 fact that birds do not travel in direct lines, but have well established path- 

 ways that usually follow river valleys. My studies go to show that all of 

 the specimens of Kirtlandi (with one exception — that of Battle Creek) taken 

 in the state entered from the basin of old Lake Erie (or as Mr. Frank Leverett 

 terms it, Lake Maumee), coming up the valley of the Huron river, crossing 

 in Livingston county to the headwaters of the river Saginaw, thence down 

 the valley of that river to the mouth of the Tittabawasse river, ascending 

 the valley of that river to Lakes Houghton and Higgins. These Lakes being 

 in the southern portion of the Canadian Zone. From Houghton Lake the 

 birds enter the valley of the headwaters of the south branch of the Au Sable, 

 preceding down the valley of that river until they reach the main stream. 

 1 k-re a portion find their summer home, others pass on up the valley of the 

 Au Sable to its headwaters, crossing here to the valley of the Indian river 

 in Otsego county, descending the valley of the Indian river through the Caro- 

 linian Zone of the northmost point of Lower Michigan, crossing the Straits 

 of Mackinaw to the Canadian Zone of the Upper Peninsular. Let us take 

 my first specimen, she was passing this point (Ann Arbor), May 15th the 

 condition of her ovaries showed that in about fourteen days her eggs must 

 be laid, to follow the route of these river valleys she must travel about 280 

 miles. If she traveled at the rate of forty miles per day seven days would 

 be consumed in making the journey, she would arrive at her nesting place 

 May 22. Now give her seven days to build her nest and it brings the date 

 May 29, four days are consumed in laying the eggs, this brings our date 



