113 jVBSTS AiYD eggs OF BIRDS. 



19, 1873, under tlic loose bark of a dead me/.quite a few feet 

 from the ground, after the manner of a creeper. Although 

 this is against the analogy of the genus it seems unquestionable, 

 and must be accej^ted until refuted. Dr. Cones knew that 

 they bred in the neighborhood of Fort Whipple, since he got 

 young, nearly fledged, early in May, but was unable to secure 

 a nest. This tamily was reared in the bushes along a stream. 

 The four eggs Capt. Bendire described as •• nearly globular 

 in shape, and hardly larger than those of a hununing bird [.'^4 

 by .45], white, with five red spots on the larger end." They 

 contained large embryos. (p\. xi. Fig. 65.) 



66. VIRGINIA'S WARBLER: 

 HELMINTHOPHAGA VIRCilNLE Bair^. 



Rocky Mountain Warbler. 



Not much is known of the habits of this pretty warbler, v/hose 

 home is in the mountain ranges frcjm Colorado and Utah south- 

 ward. In 1S69 Mr. R. Ridgway observed it breeding^ the 

 scrub-oak thickets on the East Humboldt and Wahsatch moun- 

 tains, Utah, and on June 19, came upon its nest at Sidt Lai- . on 

 the side of a ravine in the foothills among dense oak-bi 'sh. 

 It was embedded among the decaying leaves on the ground. 

 The materials were fine strips of inner bark, loosely interlaced, 

 fine stems of grasses, roots and mosses, and a lining of \egeta- 

 ble fragments, fur and hair ; its diameter was 3 1-2 inclies. its 

 depth, 3 inches. In v;irious parts of Colorado it has since 

 lieen reported by Mr. C. E. Aiken, and although sh\ and timid, 

 it seems abundant in favorite haunts, and is \ei\ nnisical 

 during the nesting se:ison. "Xo bird with which I ;!in ac- 

 quainted," sa\ s ]Mr. Ai!;en . " conceals its nest more e^Vectiialh- 

 than this warbler. I'lhs is placed at the base of a tussoci-; of 

 grass, among the o;'.k bushes, being sunk in a hollow scr;itjl'.ed 

 in the earth, so that the rim of the !iest is 0:1 a L'\el wit'i tlic 

 surtace. The overhaiiging grass of tlie ti'.ssoc!-: hides all so 

 completely that the nest is only to be discovered by the most 



