WARBLERS. 83 



C. AUROCAPILLUS. Golden-crowned " Thrush.'" " Oven- 

 bird.^'' " Wag tail. ^^ In Massachusetts a common summer 

 resident.* 



a. Q-^\ inches long. Olive above. Below, white. Breast 

 and sides, (darkly or) black-streaked. Croitm^ orange^ bor- 

 dered by black strijoes. (Details omitted.) 



b. The nest is placed on the ground, in the woods. It is 

 usually lined with hairs, and is generally but not invariably 

 roofed. The eggs of each set — only one being commonly laid 

 in Massachusetts, and that about June first, or perhaps earlier 

 — are usually four, averaging between .90x.70 and .80X.62 

 of an inch. They are subject to considerable variation, but 

 are generally (creamy) white with either minute lilac markings 

 about the crown, or markings of reddish brown and faint lilac, 

 scattered (not very thickly) chiefly in blotches, either all over 

 the Qgg^ or only about the greater end. 



c. The birds of whom I am about to write are variously 

 called Golden-crowned " Thrushes," having formerly been 

 classed with the Thrushes ^^ (and their crown being dull 

 orange), "Oven-birds," because of the usual construction of 

 their nests, and " Wagtails," because of their habit of flirting 

 their tails, by which name I shall refer to them. They are 

 common summer residents throughout New England ; much 

 less so, however, in the northern parts, though known to breed 

 in arctic countries. They generally reach Massachusetts in 

 the first week of May, and leave it in September, sometimes 

 lingering almost until October, quite unobserved, because of 

 their rarely broken silence at that season. They frequent 

 woodland of various kinds, but pine groves are perhaps their 

 favorite haunts. In such places they are usually to be seen on 

 the ground, walking about quietly, silently, and with an amus- 

 ing deliberateness, and picking up their food from among the 

 fallen leaves ; but they betake themselves to trees (rather than 

 to bushes), when frightened, when engaged in their pretended 



* A summer resident of universal dis- New Hampshire, and Vermont. — 



tribution, breeding- abundantly in every W. B. 



suitable piece of woodland from south- ^^ Mr. Maynard adheres to this ar- 



em Connecticut to northern Maine, rang-ement. 



