30 CHESTNUT-SIDED WABBLEE. 



thickets, but during migrations often wanders into low 

 woodlands, but prefers deciduous trees They are active 

 little warblers, moving briskly about among the foliage in 

 search of insects. 



Breeding Habits. The nests of the Chestnut-sided 

 Warblers are usually built the last week in May, and 

 the eggs are laid by the first of June. As a rule, I know 

 few birds which are so sensitive as are these w^arblers 

 in regard to their nests. They will usually desert a nest, 

 even if quite finished, if they perceive an intruder near 

 it. Upon occasions, I have simply looked at the nest, 

 not only without touching it, but from a few yards dis- 

 tant, yet when I returned a few days after, the nest w^as 

 abandoned. In spite of this experience, however, Mr, 

 Lawrence Mayo tells me that a Chestnut-sided Warbler 

 built within a short distance of his house, and that both 



Fig. 26. 



IB 



Head of Chestnut-sided Warbler; A, outer tail feather of same; B, outer tail feather ofBlacli 

 and Yellow Warbler. 



he and his boys constantly visited the nest, yet the birds 

 raised their young, and were apparently without fear of 

 the visitors. Undoubtedly in this case, the birds became 

 accustomed to the sight of the members of Mr. Mayo's 

 family before they began to build, hence they were not 

 alarmed when the nest was approached. 



