90 LAND-BIRDS AND GAME-BIRDS 



of '•Hsee-dee-dee" aud a song which has been variously de- 

 scribed, but which, from all accounts, does not seem to be a 

 very pleasing one. 



I regret that I am obliged to write brief, and on that account 

 less interesting biographies (if I may so far flatter myself) of 

 some of the warblers, about whom, because of their general 

 rarity here, I know little and cannot obtain much information. 



V. PROTONOTARIA 



(A) ciTR.EA. Protlionotary Warbler. 



(So far as I know, there is but one authentic instance of this 

 bird being captured in New England — then at Calais, Maine, 

 on October 30th!). 



(o). About 5j inches long. Golden-yellow. Back oliva- 

 ceous. Rump, light ashy-blue ; wings and tail darker. Tail- 

 feathers marked with white. 



(6). Dr. Brewer speaks of three nests. One of these " was 

 built within a Woodpecker's hole in a stump of a tree, not more 

 than three feet high ; " another " was built within a brace-hole 

 in a mill ;" and a third " in a hollow snag, about five feet from 

 the ground, in the river bottom." The eggs average '08 X "55 

 of an inch, and are cream-white with lilac, purplish-brown (and 

 black) markings. 



(c) . The Prothonotary "Warbler have little or no right to be 

 included in the list of the birds of Massachusetts, and I have 

 never seen them here (unless perhaps once a pair, at dark in 

 October). They prefer the borders of streams, and neighboi- 

 hood of water, to drier ground, and swampy thickets to the 

 woods and forests. Otherwise their habits are essentially like 

 those of the Worm-eating Warbler, and other allied species. 



((?). Their ordinar}^ note is said to be like the feeble tsip of 

 the White-throated Sparrow, but of more characteristic notes I 

 know nothing. The " Prothonotaries " strongly resemble the 

 Blue-winged Yellow Warblers, who are much more likely to oc- 

 cur in southern New England, and therefore should an inex- 

 perienced student meet either in his rambles through this State, 

 let him carefully note which it is. 



