ii8 
thk condor 
I Vol. IV 
being scarcely more than a shell and 
almost flat, very diflferent indeed from 
most of the new ones I have examined. 
They usually show more art in con- 
struction than those of other raptores, 
being made of smaller and thinner 
sticks and twigs and are more smoothly 
put together, showing fewer projecting 
ends from the sides. The lining is 
usually of leaves of the tree the nest is 
in; sometimes a little grass or some wil- 
low bark or rabbits’ or squirrels’ fur. 
Nesting begins in April. My earliest 
record is April 15. Fresh eggs may be 
taken until the middle of May, but the 
later ones are second sets Third sets 
are very unusual and show an amount 
of perseverance in the birds that should 
be respected. 
Almost all the sets from this section 
that I have seen are lightly marked. 
One set in my collection shows only a 
few very small “pen splashes’’ of black; 
another shows “pin point’’ spots of 
lavender almost all over one egg, while 
the other is practically spotless This 
set is a modified pyriform in shape, an- 
other set with a creamy ground color 
has the markings, shape and size of a 
certain phase of Brdeo lineatus elegans 
and if I had not seen Mme. Swainsoni 
leave the nest I should have mistaken 
it for that species. 
I find sets of two and three in about 
equal numbers never anything more, 
but on May 26, 1901, I found a nest 
containing one newly hatched young 
and no trace of another egg. This is 
the only case of one that I have met 
with. 
The Audubon Warbler in Washington. 
BY J. H. BOWLES, T.A.COMA, WASH. 
A udubon Warbler {Dendroica 
aiidiiboni) is Ihe largest, handsom- 
est and hardiest of all the warb- 
lers found in the state of Washington, 
where it is a fairly common summer 
resident. In their habits and general 
appearance they are exceedingly like 
their close relative of the east, the yel- 
low-rumped or myrtle warbler {Dend- 
roica coronata), which also occurs on 
the Pacific coast in limited numbers. 
It is, perhaps, unnecessary to add that 
the yellow throat of auduboni easily dis- 
tinguishes it from the white throat of 
coronata. 
It would be difficult to say just 
when the first of them make their ap- 
pearance from the south, or when they 
return, as I have strong suspicions that 
a few remain with us throughout the 
year. The main force of the migration 
occurs about the middle of April, and 
by the second week in May all have 
passed northward excepting such as in- 
tend to nest. The return trip occurs 
about the last of September. They are 
essentially birds of the prairie regions, 
where scattering clumps of fir are plen- 
tiful, seldom being seen in the deep 
woods. 
The food supply consists of small in- 
sect life of all kinds, and they are most 
expert in the art of flycatching in mid- 
air. Sociall}^ inclined toward mankind, 
spending much of their time on and 
around houses in cities, beautiful in 
plumage, and graceful on the wing, 
their song is the only disappointing 
thing about them. It is a short, though 
pleasing, little warble, surprisingly 
feeble for so large a bird, and in no 
way equal to that of its smaller rela- 
tive the yellow warbler {D. csstiva.) 
It is in their nesting habits, however, 
that a.ndiiboni show their most interest- 
ing and original traits, as the first nests 
are built before any but the most care- 
ful observers know that the birds have 
arrived from the south. My earliest 
nesting date is April 22, when my 
brother, Mr. C. W. Bowles, found a nest 
containing four eggs within a day of 
hatching. As the period of incubation 
for these birds is twelve days, this 
would have made the first egg laid not 
later than Aprd 8. Nor is this such an 
