SONG BIRDS OF ORCHAliD AND WOODLAND. U»o 



Fig. 64. — Chestnut siik-d Warbl.T, 

 uatural size. 



to tall trees; but, unlike the other species of Warblers 

 hereinbefore considered, it does not commonly go to the 

 ground for much of its food. During the breeding season 

 it is largely a bird of the shrubbery on the borders of wood- 

 land, and, like the Yellow-throat, is common along bushy 

 roadsides. There in Avarm 

 weather it is often seen, with 

 its tail elevated and its wing's 

 drooping, flitting occasionally 

 from bush to bush, or catch- 

 ing insects in air, after the 

 manner of the Myrtle Warbler. 

 Its connnon note is a sharp 

 chirp, much like that of other 

 Warblers ; but its spring song 

 is loud, varied, and distinct, 

 resembling most that of the Yellow Warbler. Its usual 

 summer song is a soft, prolonged, rather weak but pleasing 

 warble. The nest building of this Warbler is an interesting- 

 part of its life history. Its nest, though often built in locali- 

 ties frequented by the Yellow Warbler, is little like that of 

 the latter except in shape. It is situated usually in a much 

 loAver shrub than is that of the Yellow Warbler, and is built 

 more strongly and with more painstaking care. ]\Ir. INIosher 

 notes on May 17, 1899, that a i)air of these birds had just 

 completed a nest. They had been at work upon it for five 

 days. The female first laid the foundation at the forking of 

 three branches of an arrow-wood bush, about two and one- 

 half feet from the ground. She laid a few straws and fillers 

 of plants, then bound them to the three branches by means 

 of tent caterpillars' web. Then she brought a few straws 

 at a time and placed them around the sides, shaping them 

 hy turning round and round. She bound them very firmly 

 in place with the web, and thus fastened them to the three 

 branches. When the sides were all finished she put in the 

 lining. This consisted of fine grasses and soft fibers. The 

 nest when completed was much less bulky than the Yellow 

 Warbler's, but much firmer; the walls were not more than 

 one-fourth as thick. 



