12 



FA3ni,T MyiOTILTIDAE. 



Breeding Habits. The Black and White Creepers 

 begin to nest in New England the last week in May, and 

 the eggs are usually all deposited by the first of June and 

 in some cases earlier than this, as I have seen the young 

 flying about, but not fully fledged on June seventeenth. 



According to my experience, the nesting site chosen by 

 this bird is a hill side sloping up from swampy ground, and 

 the nest is placed near the base of a tree, beside a rock or 

 prostrate log, but doubtless the birds occasionally depart 

 from this rule, in fact, it is on record that they sometimes 

 breed in holes. Mr. Minot also says that he has found the 

 nest in a cavity of a tree cleft by lightning, five feet from 

 the ground, and again on the top of a low birch stump. 



Fjg. 19. 



Fig. 20. 



Black and White Creeper. 



Black-polled Warbler. 



The female Black and White Creeper is very solicitous 

 for the safety of her eggs and young, and like many species 

 of birds which deposit their eggs on the ground, feigns lame- 

 ness when disturbed. 



Song. The ordinan^- call note of the Black and W^hite 

 Creeper is a weak, lisping cr\-, which can be given harsher 

 and louder. The alarm note is louder, more metalic and 

 double. They have two Avays of singing, one, the ordin- 

 ar}' method, being a weak, lisping five-fold repetition of the 

 syllable, " wee see '' and a louder and longer lay in which 



