SYLYICOLID.E — THE WARBLERS. 



183 



The eggs vary in shape from a rounded to an oblong oval, and in size from 

 .69 to .75 of an inch in length, and from .51 to .53 of an inch in breadth. 

 Their ground-color is a creamy- white, to which the deep red markings impart 

 an apparently pinkish tinge. They are marked more or less profusely with 

 ])right red dots, points, and blotches. These vary in number and in distribu- 

 tion. In some tliey are very fine, and are chiefly confined to the larger end. 

 In others they are larger, more diffused, and occasionally there are inter- 

 mingled marks and blotches of slate-color. The effect of these variations 

 is, at times, to give the appearance of greater differences to these eggs than 

 really exists, the ground-color and the shade of the red markings really pre- 

 senting but little modifications. 



The color of the young nestlings is closely assimilated to that of the 

 (tbjects that usually surround the nest, and helps to conceal them. Mr. 

 Burroughs once came accidentally upon a nest with young of this species. 

 He says : " A Black and White Creeping Warbler suddenly became much 

 alarmed as I approached a crumbling old stump in a dense part of the forest. 

 He alighted upon it, chirped sharply, ran up and down its sides, and finally 

 left it with much reluctance. The nest, which contained three young birds 

 nearly fledged, was placed upon the ground at the foot of the stump, and in 

 such a position that the color of the young harmonized perfectly with the 

 bits of bark, sticks, etc., lying about. My eye rested upon them for the 

 second time before I made them out. They hugged the nest very closely, 

 but as I put down my hand tliey all scampered off with loud cries for helj), 

 which caused the parent birds to place themselves almost within my reach." 



Section VERMIVORE/E. 



Genus PROTONOTARIA, Baird. 



Protonotaria, Baird, Birds N. Ain. 1858, 239. (Type, Motacilla citrea, Bodd.) 



Gen. Char. Characterized by its long, distinctly notched bill, and long wings, which are 

 an inch longer than the slightly graduated tail (the 

 lateral feathers about .12 of an inch shorter). The 

 under tail-coverts ai-e very long, reaching within half 

 an inch of the tip of the tail. The tarsi and hind toe 

 are proportionally longer than in the true Warblers. 

 The notch and great size of the bill distinguish it 

 from the Swamp Warblers. Nest in holes; eggs much 

 blotched with reddish. 



The only North American species belong- 

 ing to the group appears to be the old Sylvia 

 protonotaria of Gmelin. 



Protonotaria citrea, Baird. 



