370 NOTES ON THE 



I have known them to rear their brood within twenty yards of 

 a lake cottage and within a yard of a c ommon pathway. The 

 early frosts hasten them away from our latitudes so unostenta- 

 tiously, that no one can tell just when they go. Mr. Chas. R. 

 Keyes and H. B. Williams, M. D., of Davenport. Iowa, report 

 this species common in that state. (Annotated Catalogue of 

 the Birds of Iowa, p. 39. ) 



SPECIFIC CHARACTERS. 



Olive-green above, tinged with ashy on the top and sides of 

 the head; a short line from the bill over the eye, and the region 

 around the lower eyelid, white; lores dusky; beneath yellowish- 

 white; sides of the body posteriorly, sulphur-yellow; two faint 

 bars of whitish across the wing coverts; inner tertiaries edged 

 broadly with whitish; third quill longest, the rest successively 

 shorter except the second, which is a little shorter than the 

 seventh; spurious primary about two-tifths the second, and 

 more than one-third of the third. 



Length, 4.25; wing, 2.25. 



Habitat, middle United States. 



Family MKIOTILTID^. 



MNIOTILTA VARIA (L.). (636.) 

 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. 



The Black and White Warbler, or Creeper, as it has been so 

 long called, is an abundant species in migration, and is fairly 

 common in nidification in restricted localities. It reaches the 

 extreme southern limits of the State, in the last days of April* 

 and this locality by the 3d to the 5th of May. A large island 

 in the Mississippi, in the centre of our city, has long been a 

 favorite resort of birds in migration, and specially so of this 

 beautiful species, which may be seen at such times as common 

 as Woodpeckers. After ten to twelve days, they move on 

 northward, but not without leaving at least a representation 

 behind, for they have not only been seen occasionally during 

 the summer, but the nest has been found. I have little doubt 

 that it will be found to be fairly common in its favorite haunts 

 during the breeding season when requisite observations have 

 been employed long enough to ascertain with certainty. Its 

 proclivities for the dark forests and shady ravines, and to 

 spend its time principally near the ground, renders its detec- 

 tion somewhat difficult to the hasty investigator, who will 

 scarcely be able to decide just where to look for its nest, as 



