BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER 

 (Mniotilta varia) 



Length, about 4I4 inches. Easily known by 

 its streaked black and white plumage. 



Range : Eastern North America. Breeds 

 from central Mackenzie, southern Keewatin, 

 northern Ontario, Newfoundland. Nova Scotia, 

 and New Brunswick to eastern Texas, Louisi- 

 ana, central Alabama, and northern Georgia, 

 west to South Dakota; winters in Florida and 

 from Colima and Nuevo Leon to Colombia, 

 Ecuador, and \ enezuela. 



A warbler in form and general make-up, a 

 creeper by profession and practice, this readily 

 identified species, in its striped suit of black 

 and white, may be observed in any bit of east- 

 ern woodland. Here it flits from tree to tree 

 or climbs over the trunks and branches, scan- 

 ning every crack and cranny for the insects 

 that constitute its chief food. Though not a 

 lover of open country, it frequently visits the 

 orchard, where it performs its part in the task 

 of keeping insect life within due bounds. It 

 nests on the ground and hides its domicile so 

 skillfully that it is not often found. None of 

 the warblers are noted as songsters, but the 

 black and white creeper, as I like best to call 

 it, emits a series of thin wiry notes which we 

 may call a song by courtesy only. In scramb- 

 ling over the trunks of trees it finds and de- 

 vours many long-horned beetles, the parents of 

 the destructive root-borers ; it also finds weev- 

 ils, ants, and spiders. 



YELLOW WARBLER (Dendroica aestiva 



and races) 



Length, little more than 5 inches. Mostly 

 yellow, breast and belly streaked with reddish 

 brown. 



Range: North America, breeding generally 

 throughout its range south to California, New 

 Mexico, Missouri, and northern South Caro- 

 lina ; winters in Central and South America. 



The "yellow bird," or wild canary, as it is 

 sometimes called, is one of the commonest of 

 the warbler tribe and ranges over a vast extent 

 of tcrritor}-, lieing found here and there from 

 ocean to ocean. Unlike some of its relatives, 

 it prefers open thickets, especially of willows, 

 to thick woodland, and often builds its pretty 

 nest by the roadside or in garden shrubbery. 

 Though not an expert musician, the yellow 

 warbler sings early and often, and in zeal 

 makes up what it lacks in quality of voice. 

 I'ecause its nest is easily foun(l by the initiated, 

 this warl)ler is often victimized by the infa- 

 mous cowbird, and is forced to bring up one, 

 or even two, young cowbirds in place of its 

 own rightful progeny. It is pleasant to be able 

 to record the fact that sometimes the clever 

 warbler knows enough — how it knows it is an- 

 other matter — to evade the unwelcome respon- 

 sibilities thus thrust upon it, and builds a plat- 

 form over the alien egg, and then continues its 

 domestic affairs as originally planned. Indeed, 

 cases are on record when two cowbirds' eggs 

 have been found in a nest, each covered up by 

 a separate layer of nest material. 



(Sec P.iol. Surv. Bull. 17, p. jo cI scq.; also 

 Bull. 29.) 



AUDUBON'S WARBLER (Dendroica 

 ■*■■ auduboni) 



Length, about 5 inches. Much like the yel- 

 low-rump, but with yellow crown and throat 

 patch. 



Range : Breeds from central British Colum- 

 bia, Alberta, and southwestern Saskatchewan 

 to our southern border, east to South Dakota 

 and Neliraska; winters from California and 

 Texas south to Guatemala. 



No member of the wood- warbler family is 

 more characteristic of 'the group than this 

 1)eautiful bird, .in voice, coloration, and habits 

 it is almost the counterpart of the yellow-rump 

 of the Eastern States, for which indeed it 

 might easily be mistaken were it not for its 

 yellow throat, the corresponding area in the 

 yellow-rump being white. It summers in the 

 mountains and shows off to advantage against 

 the dark foliage of the pines. It seems to have 

 little fear of man and in winter frequents 

 orchards, gardens, and dooryards. Wherever 

 it may be, it keeps up an incessant hunt for its 

 insect food, in the pursuit of which, like many 

 others of its family, it sometimes essays the 

 role of flycatcher, being very expert and nimble 

 on the wing. This warbler also devours large 

 numbers of ants, flies, scale and plant lice, and 

 noxious bugs. 



(See Biol. Surv. Bull. 30, pp. 43-46.) 



REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla) 



Length, nearly sVj inches. To be distin- 

 guished from other warblers by its coloration 

 and its motions. (See below.) 



Range: Breeds from central British Colum- 

 bia and eastern Canada to Washington, Utah, 

 Colorado, Oklahoma, and North Carolina ; win- 

 ters in the West Indies and from ^lexico to 

 Ecuador. 



Its beauty of form and plumage and its 

 graceful motions place this dainty bird at the 

 Iiead of our list of wood warblers — a place of 

 distinction indeed. The bird appears to be the 

 incarnation of animated motion and fairl> 

 dances its way through the forest. Spanish 

 imagination has coined a suggestive and fitting 

 name for the redstart, iniidclila, the little 

 "torch-bearer." The full appropriateness of 

 the name appears as the graceful creature flits 

 through the greenery, displaying the salmon- 

 colored body and the bright wing and tail 

 patches. The redstart is not unknown in some 

 parts of the West, but it is essentially a bird 

 of the Eastern States, where it is a common 

 inhabitant of open woodland districts. While 

 it builds a rather neat and compact structure 

 of strii)s of bark, plant fibers, and the like, 

 filacing it in a sapling not far from the ground, 

 the nest is not the tlung of beauty one might 

 be led to expect from such a f.iiry-like crea- 

 ture. Ornamental as the redstart is. it pos- 

 sesses other claims on our gratitude, f<->r it is 

 a most active and untiring hunter of insects, 

 such as Epittlc insects, tree-hoppers, and leaf- 

 hoppers, and both orchard and forest trees are 

 benefited bv the unceasing warfare it wages 



(See Bi.il. Surv. Bull. 17. p. -'o cl scq.) 



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