WOOD WARBLERS 175 



when the food question is rather a difficult one 

 to solve, especially since they are not seed 

 eaters at this season of the year. 



Their nesting grounds are to the north, and 

 they are seen in the Northern and Middle 

 States only during migration, except in northern 

 Maine. But while journeying northward they 

 are numerous, and often are in the company of 

 Myrtles. They are restless little fellows, now 

 darting into the air to snap up a fly, now walk- 

 ing sedately about the fields in search of tiny 

 insects and grubs hidden in the grass, but always 

 with a lifting motion to the tail which becomes 

 very monotonous to the observer, if not tire- 

 some to the bird itself. Their note of alarm 

 is a sharp ''chip, chip,'' their usual call note a 

 fainter, rather lisping 'Uchip.'' The song heard 

 on the nesting ground is a daintily warbled 

 *' tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee, tsee'' a simple but 

 characteristic strain. 



The name suggests the chief color of the bird, 

 for the under parts are bright yellow with fine 

 lines of brown on the sides of the throat. A 

 streak over the eye and the eye ring are yellow. 

 The back is brownish olive-green, brighter on 

 the rump. The wings and tail are clove brown. 

 The outer tail feathers are dashed with white, 

 plainly seen as the bird moves about. The 

 Yellow Palm is a small bird, less than five and 

 one-half inches long. Their nesting habits have 

 been observed by few persons in Maine. Mr. 

 Knight found them nesting on the ground at 

 the foot of a tree in a moss-covered bog. The 

 nests were built of fine grass and sedges, lined 



