Nest and Eggs of Swainsoti's Warbler. 5 



of the preceding season) proved so very scarce that we often 

 spent an entire day in their haunts without either seeing or 

 hearing one, and the search for a nest seemed so hopeless 

 that I soon abandoned it for a more promising undertaking 

 elsewhere. Mr. Wayne, however, continued it with unre- 

 mitting perseverance, and after many disappointments his 

 labours were finally rewarded ; for early in June he succeeded 

 in finding two nests, the first that have ever been taken. 

 His account of the interesting experience, kindly placed in 

 my hands for publication, is as follows : — 



" Feeling sure that a pair of these Warblers had a nest in 

 a swamp, I searched the place carefully many days in succes- 

 sion. The male was usually present, but he sang in so many 

 different places that I could not tell where his mate and eggs 

 were concealed. At length (on June 5) while forcing my 

 way through a dense tract of canes, I stopped to rest and 

 look about, feeling half disposed to give up the task altogether, 

 when my eye was suddenly arrested by the sight of a bird 

 sitting near at hand on what appeared to be a mass of rub- 

 bish lodged in the top of a cane. I saw almost immediately 

 that it was a Swainson's Warbler, and advanced, when it 

 flew and alighted on the ground, feigning lameness, but 

 keeping perfect silence. Upon examining the supposed 

 rubbish, I found, to my great delight, that I had at length 

 discovered the veritable nest of a Swainson's Warbler; but 

 to my disgust it contained only a single young bird about five 

 days old. I shot the male shortly afterwards as it w^as feed- 

 ing the young bird, but the female escaped. The nest was 

 built in a cane about four feet above a pool of stagnant 

 water. 



'' Having now some definite knowledge of the position of 

 the nest, I went next day (June 6) to a neighbouring swamp 

 where I had seen a pair of the birds. After a short search I 

 started the female, which sat very closely, merely dropping to 

 the ground as I brushed past the nest, and quickly gliding 

 out of sight, simulating lameness like the female of the first 

 nest. I waited fully half an hour before she returned 

 accompanied by her mate. Both birds chirped like a Panda, 



