p. CITREA : PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. IO9 



Allen ; still, greater numbers breed in northern than 

 in southern New England. Mr. Merriam speaks of a 

 number of beautiful hanging nests found at Portland, 

 Conn., built entirely of Usnca. Accordmg to Mr. 

 Minot, " the nest is globular, with an entrance on the 

 side, and is composed principally of hanging mosses. 

 It is usually placed in the woods, twenty or more feet 

 from the ground, at the end of a bough of some hard- 

 wood tree or evergreen. It usually contains four or 

 five freshly laid eggs early in June, which average 

 about .62 by .48 of an inch, and are white (or cream- 

 tinted) with spots and confluent blotches of brown and 

 lilac, chiefly about the crown." "Their nests are beau- 

 tiful objects," the same writer continues, " and very 

 admirable architectural works, which distinguish their 

 builders from all the other members, at least the 

 American members, of their large family, the War- 

 blers ; for though nearly all of them build neat and 

 pretty nests, none ever construct nests so striking in 

 appearance as these, which are globular, with an en- 

 trance on one side." So it seems that these little ex- 

 quisites show as good taste in their household arrange- 

 ments as in their dress. 



PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 



Protonotaria CITREA (Bodd.) Bd. 



Chars. Golden-yellow, fading on the belly, shading to yellowish- 

 olive on the back, thence changing to ashy-blue on the rump, 

 wings, and tail ; most of the tail-feathers with large white spots ; 

 bill black and very large. Length, 5.50 ; extent, 8.50 ; wing, 

 2-75-3-00 ; tail, 2.25 ; bill, at least 0.50 ; tarsus, 0.75. 



