8 IN THE HEMLOCKS. 



belly. From his habit of keeping near the ground, 

 even hopping upon it occasionally, I know him to be 

 a ground-warbler ; from his dark breast the ornithol- 

 ogist has added the expletive mourning, hence the 

 mourning ground-warbler. 



Of this bird both Wilson and Audubon confessed 

 their comparative ignorance, neither ever having seen 

 its nest or become acquainted with its haunts and 

 general habits. Its song is quite striking and novel, 

 though its voice at once suggests the class of warblers 

 to which it belongs. It is very shy and wary, flying 

 but a few feet at a time, and studiously concealing 

 itself from your view. I discover but one pair here. 

 The female has food in her beak, but carefully avoids 

 betraying the locality of her nest. The ground-war- 

 blers all have one notable feature, — very beautiful 

 legs, as white and delicate as if they had always worn 

 silk stockings and satin slippers. High tree warblers 

 have dark-brown or black legs and more brilliant 

 plumage, but less musical ability. 



The chestnut-sided belongs to the latter class. He 

 is quite common in these woods, as in all the woods 

 about. He is one of the rarest and handsomest of the 

 warblers ; his white breast and throat, chestnut sides, 

 and yellow crown show conspicuously. But little is 

 known of his habits or haunts. Last year I found 

 ihe nest of one in an uplymg beech-wood, in a low 

 bush near the road-side, where cows passed and 

 browsed daily. Things went on smoothly till the 

 cow-bunting stole her egg into it, when other mishapn 

 Allowed, and the nest was soon empty. A character 



