Wayne: Birds op South Carolina. 155 



tonized leaves, interspersed with leaves of the cane and with 

 pine needles, which appear at and around the rim. A deserted 

 nest, which contained three eggs, was found on May 9, in a bunch 

 of blackberry and canes (vertical shoots) , within one foot of the 

 ground, on the edge of the swamp and within twelve feet of a 

 nest of Swainson's Warbler containing four eggs. The founda- 

 tion of this nest is Spanish moss, while skeletonized leaves, a 

 few small twigs, and dead cane leaves constitute the other ma- 

 terials. The interior of the nest is 2^ inches in depth. On May 

 12 I found an exquisite nest, placed on a vine and within one 

 foot of the ground, from which the young had evidently but re- 

 cently flown, as I encountered them in the near vicinity. It is 

 constructed chiefly of a species of moss (Hypnum), which grows 

 on low bottom lands more or less covered with water. Inter- 

 spersed among this moss are dead leaves, partially skeletonized, 

 as well as a few dead cane leaves. This nest is almost a perfect 

 circle. The sixth and last nest (from which the young had long 

 since left) was found on June 2, in a low bush, within two feet of 

 the ground, in a dense thicket in the swamp. It is composed 

 of grasses, parts of skeletonized leaves, and pine needles. 



All of the six nests which I have found are lined with a pecu- 

 liar black fiber which may be the dead threads of the Spanish 

 moss {Dendropogon usneoides) or a black rootlet. The lining of 

 the nests taken on April 17, while very lustrous black, cannot 

 be the Spanish moss, which is very distinctly jointed, for 

 I cannot discover any joint whatever in this substance. The 

 nest taken by Mr. Widmann on May 17, 1897, was apparently 

 lined with the same material. In many respects the nest of 

 Bachman's Warbler is very similar to that of Swainson's War- 

 bler. 



Although I practically lived in the swamp from April until 

 June 19, in order to determine whether the birds raise two broods, 

 I am convinced that only one brood is raised, for this species 

 is a very early migrant after the breeding season, having been 

 taken at Key West by Mr. J. W. Atkins as early as July 17. 



During the month of March, 1907, I kept a sharp lookout in 

 suitable localities near my home for the arrival of this rare war- 

 bler, but although I was in the woods almost daily no birds were 

 observed until the breeding ground was visited, when six pairs 

 were located in various parts of the swamp where the first nests 



