TENNESSEE WARBLER. 261 



BACHMAN'S WARBLER. 



Helminthophila bachmanii. 



Char. Male : above, olive ; head dull ashy ; tail grayish with white 

 patches ; black band across crown ; forehead and underparts yellow, with 

 large patch of black on the breast ; yellow band on wing. Female : 

 similar, but duller and grayer ; under parts paler. Length 4^ inches. 



Nest. In a low tree. 



Eggs. 4 ; dull white, heavily wreathed around larger end with dark 

 brown and spotted with lilac ; 0.74 X 0.60. 



This species was first obtained a few miles from Charles- 

 ton, S. C, in July 1833, by Dr. Bachman, after whom it is 

 named. It appears to be a lively, active species, frequenting 

 thick bushes, through which it glides after insects, or occasion- 

 ally, mounting on wing, it seizes them in the air. Several 

 individuals were seen in the same neighborhood. 



Nothing more was heard of this interesting bird than the little 

 told by Audubon and Nuttall, until 1883, when Mr. H. B. Bailey 

 described the nest and eggs from examples collected in Georgia, 

 by Dr. S. W. Wilson, somewhere between 1853 and 1865. The 

 male and female secured by Dr. Bachman were the only specimens 

 taken until 1886, when a third was shot by Charles S. Galbraith, 

 in Louisiana, and announced by Mr. George N. Lawrence in "The 

 Auk" of January, 1887. A fourth, taken in Florida in March, 

 1887, was announced by Dr. Merriam, and during that year others 

 were reported. Since then the bird has been discovered to be 

 fairly common in the South Atlantic and Gulf States. 



It is described as an active, quarrelsome bird, wary and difficult 

 to approach. Its manner, when searching for food, is described as 

 rather leisurely. The song is somewhat similar to the Parula. It 

 frequents both shrubbery and high trees, but shows a preference 

 for the latter and for a rather thick growth. 



TENNESSEE WARBLER. 



Helminthophila peregrin a. 



Char. Male : above, olive, brightest on rump, shading to ashy on 

 head ; wings and tail dusky ; beneath, white, with faint tint of yellow ; 

 sides tinged with gray. Female : similar, but crown tinged with olive 

 and under parts with more yellow. Young : similar to female, but crown 

 olive and under tail-coverts white. Length 4>^ to 4^ inches. 



Nest. On a low bush in open woodland ; made of grass, moss, and 

 vegetable fibre, lined with hair. 



