WOOD WARBLERS 185 



on the center of the back. There are two white 

 wing bars and the outer tail feathers have a 

 white patch near the end. The throat and breast 

 are yellow with a band across the chest, vary- 

 ing in color from chestnut to brownish black. 

 The belly is white and the sides somewhat 

 washed with brown. The female has similar 

 coloring, but the band across the chest is duller, 

 sometimes altogether lacking, and the upper 

 parts are inclined toward greenish. 



The song of this really beautiful creature is 

 neither loud nor especially musical, an insect- 

 like ''ze-ze-ti-ti.^^ The alarm note is a sharp 

 "chip"' or "chick.'' 



As a nest builder, the Parula is one of the 

 most interesting of birds. In the trees which 

 border ponds and lakes, and along the sea- 

 shore, in fact, wherever in their nesting range 

 the long, gray usnea moss is abundant, their 

 nests are located. The nest is simply a hollow 

 in the center of the bunch of moss and no other 

 material enters into its structure. In this pic- 

 turesque and highly artistic nest are laid the 

 tiny white eggs, thickly spotted with brown. 

 The Parula ranges in summer from the moun- 

 tains of New York and Virginia, northward to 

 New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, wintering in 

 the tropics. This bird is slightly more than four 

 and one-half inches long. 



Chestnut-sided Warbler. Another brilliantly 

 dressed Warbler is the Chestnut-sided, whose 

 name reveals the most striking feature of its 

 handsome dress. The top of the head is bright 

 yellow, bordered on the sides with black, and a 



