ECONOMIC RELATIONS OF OUR BIRDS.


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35. DENDRZCEA CCERULESCENS (LINN.), BD. BLACK-THROATED BLUE
WARBLER. GROUP I. CLASS a.
Migrant. I have not found it common. Its favorite haunts are among the
heavy timber, but it also visits groves, low, damp thickets, and village
shade-
trees. A considerable portion of its food is gleaned from the bark of the
larger branches of trees. It poises itself, upon the wing, humming-bird-like,
to
remove insects from the under sides of large limbs, and I have seen it light
upon the trunks of trees for the same purpose. Dr. Brewer states that it
is an
expert catcher of small-winged insects. One of these birds canme into the
school-room at Berlin in May, 1875.
Food: Of six specimens examined, all had eaten insects; one, two ants; five,
beetles; and one, two caterpillars.
Larva3, the eggs of insects and spiders (Brewer).
36. DENDRCECA CCERULEA (WILS.), BD. C(ERULEAN WARBLER. GROUP 11.
CLASS a.
Mr. Nelson, in his " Birds of Northeastern Illinois," says of this
species: " A
regular but rare migrant. May 12th to 20th, and the first of September. Prefers
high woods. Rare summer resident here, but near Detroit, Michigan, I am in
-
formed it is one of the common species at this season." Of its occurrence
in
Wisconsin, Dr. Hoy says: '; Not common. A few breed."
37. DENDRECA CORONATA (LINN.), GRAY. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER.
GROUP I. CLASS b.
This Warbler, like most of its genus, is only a migrant. A few may breed
in
Northern Wisconsin, for I obtained a male at Elk Lake in Chippewa county,
July 26, 1876.
During the fall, from the middle of September until well along toward No-
vember, it is extremely abundant, when it may always be seen in dry open
fields,
along fences and roadsides, and often in orchards and gardens about dwellings.
On cold, windy days it often hops and flits about porches and windows in
quest
of flies. It also occurs in groves, woods, and tamarack swamps. It is an
adept
at catching insects on the wing, but it secures more of the steady flying
coleop-
terous forms than those which have a jerky, zigzag flight.
Food: Of twenty-one Yellow-rumped Warblers examined, one had eaten a
moth; two, twenty-one caterpillars - mostly measuring-worms; five, fourteen
diptera, among which were three tipulids; fifteen, forty-eight beetles; one,
four
of the Ichneumonidae; one, a caddis-fly; one, a spider; and one, fifteen
tipulid
eggs. As these eggs were found in the stomach with the tipulids, they, beyond
question, were not eaten separately. From the stomach of one bird was tak
n
a single tamarack seed.
Five specimens examined by Prof. Forbes gave evidence of having eaten
hymenoptera, among them ichneumons; caterpillars; beetles, among which were
leaf-chafers and long-horns; diptera, hemiptera, spiders and seeds.
Larve, and berries of wax myrtle (Wilson). Caterpillars and berries of wax
myrtle (De Kay). Spiders, insects and their larvae (Audubon).
38. DENDRCECA BLACKBURNIXE (GM.), BD. BLACKBURNIAN        WARBLER;
HEMLOCK WARBLER. GROUP I. CLASS a.
This beautiful species, while among the uppermost branches of high open
woods, reminds one both of the Redstart and the Black-and-white Creeper,
whose