396 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 



were again soon added, and the young brood, I believe, 

 reared without any accident. 



The nest was scarcely distinguishable from that of the 

 Summer Yellow Bird, being fixed in a trifid branch (not 

 pensile), and formed of strips of inner red-cedar bark 

 and Asclepias fibres, also with some caterpillars' silk, and 

 thickly lined with cud-weed down {Gnaphalium planta- 

 gineum) and slender tops of bent-grass (Agrostis — sp.) 

 The eggs, 4 or 5, were white, rather sharp at the lesser 

 end, marked with spots of lilac-purple, and others of two 

 different shades of brown rather numerous at the great 

 end, where they appear almost collected together into a 

 circle. The nest, according to Audubon, like that of 

 the Vireos, is j>endulous from two twigs, or 3 or 4 blades 

 of grass, and is coated externally with grey lichens. The 

 great difference in the nest, described by Wilson and 

 Audubon, is to me unaccountable ; my opportunity for 

 examination, so long continued, seemed to preclude the 

 possibility of error in the investigation ; neither can I 

 compare the slender note of this species to any^ lohirring 

 sound, which would more nearly approach to the song 

 of the Pine Warbler. They visit this part of Massachu- 

 setts about the first or second week in May, and, ac- 

 cording to the observations of my friend Mr. Cooper, are 

 seen probably about the same time in the vicinity of New 

 York, in small numbers, and in pairs, and retire to winter 

 in the West Indies, about the middle of September. 



The Prairie Warbler is about 5 inches in length, and 7 in alar ex- 

 tent. Above yellow-olive, inclining to green, and considerably 

 brighter on the crown ; a few pale bay spots mingled with the olive 

 on the upper part of the back. From the nostrils, over and under 

 the eye, yellow. Lores black. Below rich yellow ; vent pale yel- 

 low. Wings dusky ; coverts edged and tipt with pale yellow ; quills 

 and dusky tail edged with yellow olive. 



