Vol. XXIVI 

 1907 J 



General Notes. 



445 



was the familiar zee, zee, zee, zee of chrysoptera varied at times by dockmg 

 one or two of the last notes. The second song may be represented thus : — 

 ti-ti-ti-ti-ti-ti, zee, the preUminary notes (sometimes increa^ili to as many 

 as eight) delivered rapidly and without any of the buzzing quahty of the 

 long, higher, final note. This song also was indistinguishable from the 

 second song' of the Golden-winged Warbler. 



Let us now compare the song of this bird with what has hitherto been 

 recorded concerning the song of Brewster's Warbler. The type specimen 

 (NewtonviUe, Mass.) was singing the first song of chrysoptera when it was 

 shot (test Brewster and Maynard). The Arnold Arboretum bird recorded 

 by Miss Granger in the last number of 'The Auk,' usually sang the same 

 song {zee, zee, zee, zee) but on one occasion it was heard singing the second 

 song, described above, several times in quick succession (Miss Granger, 

 in Utt.). The intergrade between H. pinus and H. leucobronchialis shot 

 by Mr. Higbee in Hyde Park, Mass., on June 13 of this year (see Mr. Higbee's 

 note above) sang the first, ordinary song of chrysoptera. In brief, the few 

 observations on the song of Brewster's Warbler in Massachusetts disclose 

 no differences between it and the Golden-wing. Connecticut observers, 

 on the contrary, find that in that State Brewster's Warbler sings sometimes 

 Mke chrysoptera, sometimes hke pinus, while Mr. Eames (Auk, VI, 309) 

 and Mr. Sage (Auk, X, 209) aver that at times it utters notes peculiar to 

 itself But are Mr. Eames and Mr. Sage familiar with the second, less 

 often heard song of chrysoptera? If not, the "pecviliar" notes may prove 

 to be those of the Golden-wing. 



In this connection it may be worth while to complete the account of the 

 musical repertory of H. chrysoptera. One bird, observed last June, varied 

 his score by combining the first and second songs into one long and varied 

 melody,— 266, zee, zee, zee, ti-tUi-ti-ti-ti-zee; another, discovered by Dr. 

 Tyler near the Lexington Golf Links, sang in addition to songs 1 and 2, 

 a third peculiar song, two long-drawn notes, zee, zee-e-e-e, the second note 

 higher than the first and delivered with a quaver. This song No. 3 sing- 

 ularly suggested the ordinary song of H. pinus, though the relative pitch 

 of the first and second notes was reversed. 



On one occasion we heard the second song given when the bird was on 

 the wing, and modified by that rapturous delivery which goes with the 

 flight songs of birds. The author of this song was probably the Brewster's 

 Warbler, though the proximity of two Golden-wings at the time made this 

 a little uncertain. 



It was my intention to secure the Brewster's Warbler at last, but 1 

 delayed shooting so long in the hope of finding through him his mate, 

 nest, or young, that he eluded me by lapsing into silence. 



This is the fourth specimen of Brewster's Warbler in Massachusetts. 

 The other records are, Hudson, May or June, 1858, c?, Sam'l JiUson, now 

 in the collection of Williams College (Purdie, B. N. O. C, IV, 184); New- 

 tonviUe, May 18, 1870, c?, the type, W. Brewster (Amer. Sportsman, V, 

 Oct. 17, 1874, p. 33); Jamaica Plain, May 19, 1907, c?, Helen Granger 



(Auk, XXIV, 343). Of these the type specimen (in Mr. Brewster's col- 

 lection) has a very faint tinge of yellow on the breast, the others showed 

 no trace of yellow on the lower parts. Then there is the specimen recorded 

 in this number of 'The Auk,' Hyde Park, Mass., June 13, 1907, J", H. G. 

 Higbee which is midway between //. pinus and H. leucobronchmlis, heavily 

 washed with yellow from the base of the bill to tlje under tml coverts.- 

 WAI.TEE Faxon, Lexington, Mass. C^,m< OU~J^f./*.'i^3''(<^'»' 



