12 0. II. Merriam — Birds of Connecticut. 



Family, MOTACILLID^E. 



24. Anthus LudOviciailUS (Gmelin) Licht. Titlark. 



Common along the coast during migrations. Have taken it as late 

 as Nov. 14. It passes north in the month of May (Dr. Wood). Dr. 

 Brewer says that he has " found it, sometimes in large flocks, in open 

 country near the coast, in Massachusetts, in midwinter."* 



Family, SYLVICOLID^. 



25. Mniotilta varia (Linne) Vieillot. Black-and-white Creeper. 



A summer resident ; breeds. Particularly abundant during migra- 

 tions. Arrives late in April or early in May (April 30, 1877, May 2, 

 1876), remaining till October (Oct. 2). Mr. J. II. Sage writes that, 

 in company with Mr. J. N. Clark, he took a nest containing five eggs 

 of this species, at Saybrook, Conn., May 30, 1877. I shot it at New 

 Haven on June 23, and have seen several others during the breeding 

 season. Mr. Sage also took another nest containing five eggs 

 (" young well developed"), at Portland, Conn., June 12, 1875. 



26. Parula Americana (Linne) Bonap. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler. 



A summer resident ; breeds. One of our commonest migrants. 

 Arrives early in May (May 2d, Osborne). In the fall it is very abun- 

 dant during the middle and latter part of September, and I have taken 

 it as late as Oct. 13th. Mr. W. W. Coe showed me a number of their 

 beautiful hanging nests, composed entirely of Usnea, which he had 

 found about Portland, Conn. It has also been found breeding near 

 New Haven (Maltby Park — Stadtmuller Brothers). 



27. Helmitherus vermivoms (Gmelin) Bonap. Worm-eating Warbler. 



A rare summer resident; breeds. As long ago as the year 1843, Dr. 

 J. D. Whelpley observed this species at New Haven (Linsley), and it 

 has since been taken in this vicinity by several collectors. In the 

 "Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club," (vol. ii, No. 1, Jan., 1877, p. 21), Mr. 

 H. A. Purdie states that " Mr. Shores shot a male at Suffield (Hart- 

 ford County), Conn., August 22, 1874. This is, I think, its most 

 northerly record in the Atlantic States yet noted." Also, in the 

 American Naturalist for Nov., 1873 (vol. vii, No. 2, p. 692), the same 

 author remarks that Mr. J. N. Clark, of Saybrook, Conn., writes him 

 that he has taken " in the nesting season, Helmitherus vermivoms, 



*Bull. Nutt. Ornith. Club, vol. i, No. 4, p. 92. Nov. 1876. 



