I90 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER 



abouts. Its 'beat' lies between the ground and the tops of small 

 deciduous trees. The few nests I have seen have all been between two 

 and five feet from the ground, in bushes. The adults' peculiar mark- 

 ings and droop-winged, perk-tailed, and deep-chested attitudes are too 

 well known to bear dwelling on here. Though potentially quick mov- 

 ing, the Chestnut-side is by no means restless, as Warblers go, — 

 often spending many minutes at a time in one small tree, — and it is 

 one of the tamest of the tame." (Thayer, MS). 



Herrick's'' detailed studies of the nesting habits of the Chestnut- 

 side show how little we know as yet of the more intimate, personal side 

 of the home-life of Warblers. 



Song. — "The Chestnut-side, a full-voiced Warbler, has at least 

 two main songs, both of which, but particularly the more liquid 

 and less articulate one, are subject to wide variation. Both types 

 of song are too liquid to be well suggested by English syllables, 

 except for the clearly enunciated ending of one of them, — wee-chew. 

 Twit-a-wit-a-wit-a-wit-wee-chew! is something like the phrasing of 

 the whole of this song, except that it fails to express the soft fluency 

 of the first part. The other song is an elaboration of this initial roll- 

 ing warble, with the tvee-chczv left off. Hardly any two Chestnut- 

 sides sing this inarticulate song alike, and almost every individual 

 plays noticeable variations on his own version of it. In addition to 

 all this, the Chestnut-side is a mocker. One we used to hear, that 

 regularly began his wee-cheiv song with a loud, long, rattling trill, 

 almost indistinguishable from the more fluent song of the Sparrow ; 

 almost indistinguishable from the more fluent song of the Sparrows ; 

 and another, that lived near Catbirds, used several unmistakable notes 

 of Catbird song. One of the Chestnut-side's two or three or more 

 small call-notes is characteristic, — the others scantily so, if at all." 

 (Thayer, MS.) 



Miss Paddock writes that the first two of the songs given below 

 are usual. They are uttered with much energy and decided accent. 

 The last two songs are more like the Redstart's but are without accent, 

 and sound as if sung with closed mouth. 



""'r^} } ij^ ^ J' i-i- 



