AMERICAN WARBLERS. 79 



sites of the birds, such as the removal of woodlands, l3iii]dino- 

 houses, etc., will cause them to abandon localities where they 

 have lived for years. Not so the Golden-wings ; near most of 

 the breeding places of which I have spoken, and others with 

 which I am familiar, many changes have taken place, wood- 

 lands have been removed, streets have been cut, and houses 

 have been erected, in some cases so near that those who live 

 in them must be able to hear the songs of the Golden-wings as 

 they give them over their ancestral nesting sites. 



When feeding these are very active warblers, but at times 

 during the day, especially tov/ard noon, they become more 

 quiet and then the males may be often found perched on some 

 tree in the vicinity of the breeding ground singing their quaint 

 low songs. In the Golden-wing activity does not mean rest- 

 lessness, for they are seldom wide wanderers, but are usually 

 found al)out their breeding grounds. 



Bkeedixu Habits. The first nest of the Golden-winged 

 Warbler that I ever saw was the one, already mentioned, that 

 I found on West New^ton hill. As this was the first nest of 

 the kind that had ever bean reeorderl from JSTew England, 

 and as I was at the beginning of my ornithological career, 1 

 was naturally much pleased. Before me is my note book, 

 containing the original entry, from which I give extracts. 



" June 12. 1869. Walking this morning in a lane which goes by Eldredge's, 

 West Newton, I observed a female Golden-winged Warbler in an elm tree. As she 

 chirped upon seeing me, I surmised that she might have a nest near, and retreated 

 to the road, a short distance awaj, to watch her, when in a moment she flew down 

 to the ground among some ferns. I then approached, got over the fence, walked a 

 few steps, when the bird started from her nest at my feet. ***** The spot chos- 

 en by the bird was within a few feet of the lane and within eight rods of the high- 

 way, It was placed upon some moss, but not in a depression. There were ferns 

 growing near, one of which extended over the nest; there was also some short 

 grass and a few weeds about it, but there was little attempt at concealment, and I 

 had no difficulty in discovering it. The land upon which it was built was quite high 

 but close to a swampy thicket, ***** The nest contained four eggs of the war- 

 bler and one of the Cowbird. 



