BIRDS OF KANSAS. 579 



in the timber. A shy, retu-ing bird, that seldom visits the 

 open woodlands, and being preeminently terrestrial, rarely ever 

 mounts into the upper branches of the trees, and is only to 

 be looked for in the low bushes and on the ground; and were it 

 not for its sharp "Tsip," and oft-repeated loud song of three 

 notes, "Tweedle, tweedle, tweedle," (that sounds much like 

 the Maryland Yellow-throat, ) its presence would be largely over- 

 looked, even where very abundant, as it generally is through- 

 out its range in the Mississippi valley. 



The birds are very active and restless, running about over 

 the ground, hopping among the bushes, climbing the weed 

 stalks, examining the old moss-covered logs and fallen trees, in 

 quest of insect life, occasionally eating pokeberries and other 

 small berries in their season. In habits they are much like the 

 Oven-bird and have the same tilting motions. 



Their nests are placed on the ground and artfully concealed 

 in the thick growths. The outside or base is composed of a 

 loose structure of leaves, stems and wide blades of grass, upon 

 which a more compact inner nest is built of the finer grasses, 

 stems and rootlets, and lined with horse hair. Eggs, usually 

 four or five, occasionally six, .72x.o6; white, or creamy white, 

 finely dotted with umber, reddish brown and pale lilac, thickest 

 about the larger end; in form, oval. 



Subgenus GEOTHLYPIS Cabanis. 



Tail not decidedly shorter than wing (often longer), with less than basal half 

 concealed by the coverts; first quill shorter than fifth (often shorter than sixth); 

 outstretched feet falling far short of tip of tail. (Ridgway.) 



Geothlypis Philadelphia (Wils.). 



MOURNING WARBLER. 

 PLATE XXXIII. 



Migratory; rare. Arrive about the middle of May; return 

 early in September, and leave the latter part of the month. 



B. 172. R. 120. C. 142. G. 57, 296. U. 679. 



Habitat. Eastern North America; accidental to Greenland; 

 west to the Great Plains; breeding in the higher Alleghanies 

 and from New England and eastern Dakota northward; south 



