158 Brewster on the Prothonotary Warbler. 



long, inclining, half-submerged log, peeping into every crevice and 

 occasionally dragging forth from its concealment a spider or small 

 beetle, turning alternately his bright yellow breast and olive back 

 towards the light ; now jetting his beautiful tail or quivering his 

 wings tremulously, he darts off" into some thicket in response to a 

 call from his mate ; or, flying to a neighboring tree-trunk, clings for 

 a moment against the mossy bole to pipe his little strain or look 

 up the exact whereabouts of some suspected insect prize. 



This Warbler usually seeks its food low down among thickets, 

 moss-grown logs, or floating debris, and always about water. Some- 

 times it ascends tree-trunks for a little way like the Black-and-white 

 Creeper, winding about with the same peculiar motion. When 

 seen among the upper branches, where it often goes to plume its 

 feathers and sing in the warm sunshine, it almost invariably sits 

 nearly motionless. Its flight is much like that of the Water-Thrush 

 (either species), and is remarkably swift, firm, and decided. When 

 crossing a broad stream it is slightly undulating, though always 

 direct. Its food consists of insects, generally of such spiders and 

 beetles as are found about water. Audubon positively asserts that 

 he has discovered minute molluscous animals and small land-snails 

 in their stomachs. 



The nesting of the Prothonotary Warbler affords the most inter- 

 esting phase of its life history. Audubon's account of its nest, 

 "fixed in the fork of a small twig bending over the water," seems 

 in the light of our present knowledge open to serious doubts. At 

 least, it is not the mode of nidification used in the places where 

 it is best known at the present day. Mr. B. F. Goss of Neosho 

 Falls, Kansas, first brought to light the fact that in that locality 

 tin' bird invariably nested in holes of trees or buildings. Since 

 his discovery of the first nest in 18G3, others similarly situated 

 have been found by Dr. rainier ami Mr. Robert Ridgway, at the 

 Kiowa Agency, Indian Territory, and at Mount Carmel, 111. The 

 first nest collected the pasl Beason was found by Mr. Ridgway on 

 April 27. It contained four fresh eggs. This was probably an 

 exceptionally early date, as nearly a week elapsed before any other 

 eggs were taken ; and, indeed, the greater proportion of a large 

 number collected between May 8 and May 12 were freshly 

 laid. At least forty nests were examined altogether, about one 

 half of which contained eir^s. To give an account of all the vari- 

 ous situations in which these ne.-ts were placed, would entail a 



