July, 1889.] AND OO 
Nesting of the Kentucky Warbler 
in Chester County, Penn. 
Messrs. Samuel B. Ladd, Thomas H. .Jack- 
son, and Hoopes Matlack have all found the 
nest of the Kentucky Warbler (Oporomin for- 
mom) quite frequently in both Chester and 
Delaware Counties. It probably breeds more 
abundantly in these two counties than any- 
where else in its entire habitat. 
On June 25, 1888, I found my first nest of 
this Warbler. I was walking through a large, 
swampy woods, when I noticed a Kentucky 
Warbler acting as if it had a nest. This I 
soon found, and just as I was going to look in 
it the young birds fluttered out. The nest 
was placed on the ground at the foot of a 
small bush, in a little glen or hollow well 
sheltered by trees, about twenty or more feet 
above a stream of running water. Altogether, 
it was about as pretty and cosy a situation as 
one could well imagine. 
Tlie nest was a beautiful - structure, large, 
and composed externally of dead beech and 
other leaves, and prettily lined with fine black 
rootlets. 
I determined to go back to this woods this 
year, and in accordance with this determina- 
tion, on the 21st of May, 1S89, I went there 
and looked through part of the woods without 
success. On the 25th of the same month I 
returned there, and this time was more suc- 
cessful, for before I had been in the woods ten 
minutes a Kentucky Warbler flew out of a 
clump of “Skunk Cabbage,” about fifteen 
feet from where I was. After a short search 
I found the nest. It was placed between the 
forks and at the foot of a “Spicewood” bush, 
and among the “Skunk Cabbage.” It con- 
tained one egg of the Warbler and two Cow- 
bird’s eggs. 
Owing to the presence of the Cowbird’s 
eggs in the nest 1 was afraid the female would 
not lay a full set, and 1 very foolishly took the 
two eggs of the Cowbird out of tlie nest. Al- 
most as soon as I had done this 1 regretted it, 
and the result showed my mistake, for when, 
on the 30th of May, I returned my worst ex- 
pectations were realized. The bird had not 
only deserted the nest but had broken the egg 
also! 
Thinking that the bird might have begun to 
build another nest in the same woods I looked 
about, and after awhile I found another which 
I at first supposed was the second nest of the 
pair whose nest was deserted, but I found 
afterwards that I was mistaken. Although I 
was very careful not to touch this nest it was 
deserted also. 
On the 2d of June, in another woods I found 
my fourth nest. It contained one egg. This 
nest was placed on the ground between the 
forks of a small bush, like the others, but it 
was on a hillside about thirty feet above a 
stream. 
I thought that I would certainly get a set 
from this nest, but another disappointment 
was in store for me, for on returning on the 
6tli of June I found the nest deserted and the 
egg broken. 
Going on from this woods to the other where 
I had found nests Nos. 1, 2, and 3, I found 
that as I mentioned before the birds had de- 
serted nest No. 3 also. By this time I was 
beginning to get disgusted as I had found 
three nests, and all of them had been deserted. 
1 was looking through the woods for the 
last time before going home, when suddenly a 
Kentucky Warbler got up almost under my 
feet and ran rapidly along the ground. Looking 
down I soon saw the nest and was delighted 
to find it contained five beautiful eggs which 
were perfectly fresh. It was evidently the 
second nest of the pair that built nest No. 2, 
as the egg in that nest was exactly similar to 
the five I had now found. 
On June 7th, I went to another woods and 
after looking around for over two hours with- 
out success I began to get tired and sat down 
for a few minutes. Suddenly a Kentucky 
Warbler got up some distance from me (about 
fifteen or twenty feet, I should say). I soon 
found the nest. It was placed in a similar 
position to the others, and contained five 
slightly incubated eggs. The bird, while I 
was packing up the nest and eggs, flew from 
• twig to twig uttering cries of distress. This 
nest was on a slight hillside. 
