BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER 



129 



swampy thickets, where it feeds either on the ground or in 

 the trees, gleaning among the twigs, or flying up to a bunch 

 of dried leaves to pick off an insect. 

 Its song is almost exactly like that 

 of a Chipping Sparrow ; in fact, if 

 one hears in dry woodland in the 

 region above denned what seems 

 to be a Chipping Sparrow singing 

 perhaps a bit faster than the aver- 

 age, the song should be followed to its source, and the singer 

 scrutinized. The clearly defined contrasting colors of its head 

 give it a trim appearance, and make it easy to identify. 



Fig. 24. Worm-eating 

 Warbler 



Black axd White Warbler. Mniotilta varia 

 5.30 



Ad. $ . — Streaked everywhere, except on the throat and belly, 

 with black and white ; a broad streak of ivhite through the middle 

 of the black crown. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts streaked with brownish- 

 black and white ; under parts white, with obscure streakings on 

 the sides ; bill slender, slightly curved. 



Nest, on the ground; generally in a depression. Eggs, white 

 with brown spots on the larger end. 



The Black and White Warbler, or Black and White 

 Creeper, as it was formerly called, is a common summer resi- 

 dent of most of New York and Xew 

 England, becoming less common in 

 the northern portion of the region and 

 infrequent in the deep northern for- 

 ests. It arrives in the latter part of 

 April, and leaves in September. It is 

 found in woodland, particularly where FlG - 25 - Black and White 

 trees and bushes grow near open spaces. 



Here the bird may be seen following each large limb to its 

 extremity, peering now over one side, now over the other, 

 searching for the insects even on the under side. 



