THE CONNECTICUT WARBLER. 179 



Kentucky Warbler, has also acquired, tho in a lesser degree, that strange 

 bobbing motion of the tail peculiar to many ground-haunting species. 



Interest in this bird is heightened by the fact that it is exceedingly 

 shy, not only keeping to the wilder glens and out-of-the-way places, but 

 carefully avoiding exposure of its golden plumage when found. More than 

 once the bird-man has crept on hands and knees through a thicket to obtain 

 a glimpse of this demure beauty, thus rendering an homage which a less modest 

 bird could not have compelled. Like most birds, however, the male Kentucky 

 lays aside inconvenient scruples during the season of song, and his voice 

 is one of the boldest as well as sweetest in the woods. At this time he mounts 

 a low branch, and, standing lengthwise, pours out at frequent intervals a 

 clear, rich, ringing strain of three or four similar notes. "Pee-U-dle, pce-u-dlc, 

 pee-u-dle," he seems to Mr. E. J. Arrick of McConnellsville to say; while 

 other birds less commonly accent the last syllable of each phrase, tit-oo-reet, 

 tit-oo-reet, tit-oo-reet. So intent docs the bird become upon his music that if 

 frightened from one perch he will immediately resume his song upon another. 



As in the case of all ground-nesting warblers, the nest is rather difficult 

 to find, since it is committed to the protection of some obscure weed-clump 

 or sapling. The surest method of discovery is to spy upon the female while 

 the nest is a-making. According to Messrs. .Morris and Arrick, who have had 

 great success in finding the nest of this Warbler, they are to be sought upon 

 the bottoms of the glades rather than upon the hillsides, where the birds other- 

 wise spend the greater portion of their time. 



CONNECTICUT WARBLER. 



A. O. U. No. 678. Geothlypis agilis (Wils.). 



Description. — Adult male: Whole head and neck and fore breast grayish 

 slate, deepest on fore breast and crown ; a white orbital ring; remaining upper parts, 

 including wings and tail, olive-green unmarked ; below from breast, pale yellow, 

 the sides tinged with olive; bill dark above, light below; feet light brown. In 

 highest plumage the fore breast is almost, but never quite, black. In autumn the 

 ash of nape is obscured by olive-green skirtings. Adult female and immature: 

 Similar to male, but brownish olive-gray instead of slaty on head and neck ; the 

 olive of upper parts browner, not contrasting with crown, and thence shading on 

 sides of neck into the browner grav of throat; below dingier yellow, and more 

 heavily shaded by brownish olive on sides. Length 5.20-6.00 ( 132.1-152.4) ; wing 

 2.80 ('71. 1 ) : tail 1. 9 1 (48.5) ; bill 43 (10.9). 



