\V()i;M-EATlN(i WAKBLER. 507 



middle feathers, and outer edy;e '•!' all the others, bluish ash. There is a \<m<f patch of white on the inner 

 webs of all but central pair of feathers, extending almost from base to tip, occupying a greater portion of the 

 web. Iris, bill and feet, brown. Adult females, similar, but dul- 

 ler, with the top of the head olive, and the ash of tail and wini^s less 

 pure. Youtig similar to the adult female. Nestlings have the yel- 

 low replaced by olive; wings and tail as in the young. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the bright general yollow color, large siz« ....^ . -w-'^ ^^ 



and absence of wing bars. Occurs in summer in the Mississii)pi -^t" 



Valley where it is coriimon, but is found regularly east to the Atlan- Fig. ^1. Head of Adult Protho- 



tic as far north as Georgia, then casually to jNIassachusetts or even notary Warbler and terminal spot 



to New Brunswick. In the west, north to Iowa and Nebraska. on outer tail feather. 

 Winters, in Cuba, Central Ameriea and nin-thern S'nith America. 



DIMENSION'S. 



Length, -^.'JUto r>.r,0: .stretch. S.CiOtu :i UD; wing, -JSr, to -J.UO: tail, 1 :).-, to .M-'i : bill, ..'lO t- .:>r< : tar- 

 sus, .1)0 to Xm 



DESCRII'TIi )N OF NESTS AND EUOS. 



Ne.STS, placed in woodpeckers'' holes or a nutin-al cavity of ii tree, or even occasionally in a hole about 

 buildings. Composed of mosses, grasses, straws, dry leaves, etc., lined with hairs. Eggs, five or si.x. some 

 times seven or eight in number, rounded oval in f ,'rm, creamy white in color, heavily and thickly sjiotted 

 and blotched with lilac, purple and dark i-eddish brown, the s])ots being often confluent on the larger end 

 Distinguished from the eggs of any of the other warblers by the roundivl firm and dark markings. 



HABITS. 

 With tills lurKHie species ainono' mu' \vaililiT.«, I ]]:[\v uvwr li.id am |)ims!Hi;i1 cnjic- 

 rieiice when living Tlie Prothoiutturv V^arhler appears to pivfcr s\vaiiip\- la, id in whicli it 

 lives. The .-lingular iiahit of })laeing tlieir nesls in h<)];-s of trees is. 1 think, as i'li' as known 

 j^liai'etl by one .-^jjecies only. 



GENUS IIELMITHERUS. WORM-EATING WARBLERS. 



Gen. Ch. Bill, large and stout, equal in length to the top of the head. Tarsus, not longer than the 

 middle toe and claw. Height of keel, exceeding one half the width of the sternum. Coracoid bones equal 

 in length to the toji of the keel. Wings, rather long. Tliis genus, as 1 have defined it, embraces two species, 

 both birds of dull plumage. Sexes, similar. 



HELMITHERUS VERMIVORUS. 

 Worm-eating Warbler 



DESCRIPTION. 



Sp. Ch. Form, rather stout. Size, not large. Rill, slightly oirved. Feet, rather large. Tail, short, 

 square and slightly emarginate. Sternum, stoutly built. Tongue, thick and fleshy, something like those 

 of the sparrows, not ciliated. 



