472 



KORTH AMERICAN FAUNA. 



[NO. 27. 



Dendroica magnolia (AYils.) . Magnolia Warbler. J 



The magnolia warbler is a rather common summer resident north ■ 

 to Great Slave Lake and the upper Mackenzie. In 1901 a male was j 

 taken at Fort Chipewyan, May 23. During the same season it was 

 elsewhere detected only on the Athabaska about 10 miles above Peli- 

 can Portage, where one was shot August 25, but was not preserved. 



In 1903 this warbler was first noted at Grand Rapid, May 22, Avhen 

 a single one was seen. Another was seen at Cascade Rapid on the 

 . morning of May 28, and the species was rather common on the lower 

 Athabaska, May 30 and 31. During their trip to the Mackenzie my 

 brother and Gary found it rather common, noting numbers nearly 

 every day at Fort Providence, July 3 to 8, and at Fort Simpson, 

 July 10. A number, including nearly fledged young, were seen daily 

 on the lower slopes of Mount Tha-on'-tha, July 13 to 15, and the 

 species was common also on the mountain between 1,200 and 2,000 

 feet altitude on the latter date. Old and young individuals were 

 seen near the base of the mountain, July IT and 18, and one was noted 

 near the mouth of ISTahanni River, July 19. Several specimens, in- 

 cluding old and young, were taken at Fort Providence and on the 

 Nahanni Mountains. On their return trip up the Athabaska my 

 brother and Gary saw a female near Brule Rapid, August 18. 



In 1904 I saw the first one at Fort Simpson on May 31. I did not 

 observe the species farther north, and on my return trip noted it only 

 at Gascade Rapid, where I saw one August 16. 



This pretty species was first recorded from the region by Richard- 

 son, who listed a specimen from Fort Simpson ; « he afterwards noted 

 its arrival at Fort Franklin late in May, 1849.^ Baird recorded the 

 bird from Fort Resolution and Fort Simpson.^ Eggs were collected 

 at Lesser Slave Lake by Strachan Jones in 1868 and sent to the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. The earliest date recorded in the bird catalogue 

 of the National Museum for Fort Simpson is May 23, 1860. Macoun 

 states that Spreadborough observed only two at Edmonton — on May 

 22 and 25, 1897.^ 



Dendroica castanea (Wils.). Bay-breasted Warbler. 



In 1901 we detected this species but once, taking a male in mixed 

 woods at our camp near Point La Brie, 12 miles northeast of Fort 

 Ghipewyan, May 28. 



On August 21, 1904, while ascending the Athabaska, Merritt Gary 

 shot a female at Grand Rapid. It was in a migrating flock of 

 blackpolls and redstarts. These records seem to comprise the sum 



« Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., XI, p. 484, 1843. 

 * Arctic Searching Expedition, II, p. 108, 1851. 

 c Rev. Am. Birds, p. 206, April, 1865. 

 ^ Cat. Canadian Birds, Part III, p. 609, 1904. 



