lliOS.l 



BIRDS. 



473 



of our knoATledge regarding the distribution of this warbler in the 

 region. 



Dendroica atricapilla Landbeck. Black-poll Warbler. 



The black-poll occurs in summer throughout the region north to 

 the ver}^ edge of the wooded country. It arrives on its breeding- 

 grounds late in May, and some individuals are on their way south 

 again in late July, molting, as they travel, into the olivaceous plumage 

 common to old and young in autumn. 



In 1901 this bird was first seen at Fort Chipewyan, May 23, when 

 a female was collected. It was next detected at Trout Rock, wdiere 

 it was oljserved July 16. It was common at Fort Eae, being noted 

 almost daily, July 19 to 29. Birds of the year taken July 19, 23, 

 and 29 are in the spotted juvenal plumage, but with the yellowish- 

 green of the fall plumage appearing on the back, throat, chest, and 

 sides ; the change was about half completed in most of the specimens. 

 An adult male taken July 26 also is molting, the yellowish-green 

 forming a patch on each side of the breast. 



In the spring of 1903 we first observed black-polls below Poplar 

 Point, on the lower Athabaska, on May 30. We found it common 

 near the mouth of Peace River, June 9, and at Smith Landing, June 

 12. My brother and Gary noted the species almost daily at Fort 

 Providence, July 2 to 7, collecting several, including old and young. 

 On their return trip they found it common at Grand Rapid, August 

 21. While crossing Great Slave Lake to Fort Rae I observed it near 

 Gros Cape, July 23, and 10 miles south of Trout Rock, July 24. 

 While voyaging northward fi'om Fort Rae I noted the species on 

 Grandin River, August 1 and 5, and took specimens in the transition 

 from the breeding to the autumnal plumage near Lake St. Croix, 

 August 14, when the species was abundant. It was last seen on the 

 shore of Great Bear Lake, east of Leith Point, where a single bird 

 was noted on August 29. 



In the spring of 1904 Mills and Jones took a series of specimens 

 near Fort Providence, noting the species first on May 18, and finding 

 it common during the next few clays. At Fort Simpson I failed to 

 detect it until Ma}^ 23. I noted it next on an island in the Mackenzie 

 8 miles below Fort Wrigley on the morning of June 8, when migrants 

 were common. I saw a few individuals at Fort McPherson on July 

 2, 4, and 7. On my return trip I noted a few migrants near Little 

 Red River on August 9. J. ^Y. Mills collected a male at Fort Provi- 

 dence on May 19, 1905. 



Ross recorded this bird as common in the Mackenzie River region 

 north to La Pierre House.® MacFarlane found it rather plentiful on 

 Anderson River, where in a few cases nests were found on the ground,^ 



«Xat. Hist. Rev., II (second ser.), p. 279, 1862. 

 ^ Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., XIV, p. 444, 1891. 



