466 BULLETIN 2 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



made up only 0.4 percent. Orthopterous remains (2.17 percent) include a 

 walking stick, a grasshopper, and others. A caterpillar (0.5 percent) was 

 found in one stomach and spiders (2.33 percent) in three. Snails, in most 

 instances broken up in very small pieces, were eaten by eight birds and amount 

 to 30.17 percent. A single tree toad comprises 0.93 percent and miscellaneous 

 animal matter 3 percent. 



The oven-bird is wholly beneficial in its food habits and is remarkable for the 

 large number of ants eaten, as well as many weevils and other beetles. Snails 

 are much relished, and form nearly half the animal food. 



Of the vegetable matter contained in these stomachs 36.9 percent was composed 

 of seeds and 0.67 percent may be classed as rubbish. The oven-bird has a strong, 

 muscular gizzard and takes large quantities of sand, so that the seeds are broken 

 and ground until they are fit for digestion. None are of economic value. 



Voice. — The ovenbird has the reputation of being the noisiest and 

 least musical member of the warbler group. Its arrival in the spring 

 is made known to us by its loud, clear, sharply accented calls. It gen- 

 erally keeps well concealed in the dense cover of the woodlands and its 

 voice is frequently heard when we may not discover the singer. The 

 song is a ringing crescendo chant which Burroughs has aptly described 

 as "teacher, teacher, teacher, TEACHER", an interpretation that 

 will definitely distinguish it from that of any other bird. It has been 

 a question whether the first or the second syllable is accented, but now 

 this accent is known to vary. 



The call song commonly heard during the nesting season may be 

 termed the territory song, for it is an announcement of the singer's 

 presence to all other birds and a warning to all trespassers. During 

 mating it is often a challenge and may sometimes serve as a battle 

 cry when a rival appears. The birds sing regularly in definite locali- 

 ties and seldom wander, evidently having definite singing trees and 

 territorj^ The song can be heard throughout the period of incuba- 

 tion, but in my experience it practically ceases after the feeding of 

 the 3^oung demands the full attention of both parents. In Maine it is 

 seldom heard after the middle of July. A second period of singing 

 occurs in August or early September but the song at that time is tran- 

 sient and most irregular. In this supplementary period the song is 

 to be heard for only a few days, in the early morning hours, and never 

 reaches the precision and vigor of the true spring song. 



In correspondence from Aretas A. Saunders, he states : "The terri- 

 tory song consists of 2-note phrases, 6 to 12, and averaging 8. In each 

 2-note phrase one is longer than the other, and both are commonly a 

 tone apart in pitch. Each succeeding phrase is slightly louder than 

 the preceding one so that the song is a crescendo throughout. In my 

 24 records there are various variations from the normal. A few songs 

 vary only a half-tone in pitch, and a few more a tone and a half. Two 

 songs change in pitch in the middle of the song, finishing with phrases 

 a tone higher than those at the beginning. Two songs begin with 



