94 



AMERIOAN ORNITHOLOGY 



this species is readily distinguished. Both the female and the j^oung: 

 possess the same markings but the orange is replaced by a more or 

 less bright yellow while all the black parts of the male are a greenish 

 brown. 



NESTING HABITS. 



"Nests of these warblers are found in coniferous trees usually well 

 'out towards the end of the limb and ten to thirty feet from the ground. 

 The nests are made of grasses and rootlets lined with hair and closely 

 resemble those of the Chipping Sparrow. The four eggs have a blu- 

 ish green ground, specked, spotted and blotched with several shades of 

 brown and gray. 



HABITS. 



Without doubt this is the most exquisite of North American warblers 

 and is the one most eagerly sought in the spring by all bird lovers. A 

 more beautiful combination cannot be imagined than that of the black, 

 white and intense orange plumage of these birds when set off by the 

 green leaves and pink and white blossoms of an apple tree for they al- 

 ways reach here when the latter trees are in bloom. Some years they 

 are especially abundant and I have seen as many as two dozen in sight 

 at once. One of the prettiest sights that I recall is that of several of 

 this species in a freshly plowed field together with a few Magnolia 

 Warblers, several Tanagers and numerous sparrows. Their brilliant 

 plumage stood out like gems in the midst of the dirt. 



