AMTilRICAN WARBLEKS. 21^ 



Nests and Eggs. Nests usually placed in low evei-frreen trees, com- 

 posed of small twigs and rootlets, lined with feathers and horse hair. 

 Eggs, four in number, ashy white in color, generally with a partly conflu- 

 ent ring of spots around the larger end, of brown, umber, and lilac, and 

 the remainder of the surface is more sparingly marked with pale brown. 



General Habits. In spring the Yellow-rump War- 

 blers, or, as they are often inappropiately called, Myrtle 

 Warblers, are to be looked for in groves of deciduous 

 trees, especially in swampy localities. They come early 

 among the first of the warblers, and the reason for this 

 early appearance can be seen by studying their winter 

 range. Many of them have never, in fact, been far away. 

 In moving about through the naked branches of the trees, 

 these little warblers feed both among the topmost branch- 

 'es or again descend almost to the ground. 



In autumn when they move in straggling flocks they 

 occur everywhere, in woodlands, low thickets, and orch- 

 ards. Although lively little birds, they are not especially 

 restless, at least when compared with some other members 

 of the family. Although they usually feed upon insects, I 

 found them feeding upon the berry-like fruit of a species 

 of palm near Nassau, Bahamas. 



Breeding Habits. In its summer home in Northern 

 New England, the Yellow-rump appears to prefer low 

 evergreens, and place its nests in them, often not more 

 than three or four feet from the ground. The feather- 

 lined nest is peculiar for a warbler, and is thus easily rec- 

 ognized. As stated, the usual habit is to build low, but 

 I once found the nest of a Yellow-rump, containing five 

 small young in a spruce twenty feet from the ground. 

 This was on July twenty-second, an exceptionally late time 

 for the young to be in the nest, the usual time for depositing 

 the eggs being the first or second week in June, and 

 by the middle of July all the fledglings have left the 

 nest. 



Migration and Breeding Range. Its winter range 

 appears to be extending northward year by year. It is now 



