THE PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. a 
The Prothonotary Warbler is, so far as known, the only one of the family 
to build regularly in holes in trees. We infer that it has drifted into this cus- 
tom within zoologically recent years, since its eggs are unusually dark colored, 
while those of all strictly hole-nesting birds are pure white. The eggs of this 
Warbler exhibit two types of coloration, with, of course, every variety of inter- 
mediate form. ‘Those of the first type are heavily and rather evenly spotted 
and dotted with dull brown, and show pale lavender shell-marks. ‘The other 
sort are boldly blotched with reddish brown, so heavily at times that the ground 
color is nearly obscured. 
According to Professor Butler, the females construct the nests and per- 
form all the duties of incubation. A few days are allowed to elapse after the 
completion of the nest before laying begins. An egg is laid each day until the 
set is complete, and two broods are often reared each season, especially 
southerly. 
During the mating season the males are exceedingly irascible. One 
hapless wight I saw, who, choosing the wrong platform for his song, was set 
upon vigorously by a jealous rival. At the first onslaught the pair fell fighting 
to the ground. ‘They picked themselves up hastily, and one, probably the 
original assailant, chased the other about for as much as three minutes. In 
and out they wound, now coming straight toward one like golden bullets, 
now threading the mazes of a tree-top like flashes of fire. But the fugitive 
was plucky, too, after a fashion, and altho he thought of nothing but flight, 
it was always within the bounds of the disputed territory. Finally the chase 
languished somewhat, and I left the contestants, faint yet pursuing. 
Photo by C. H. Morris. 
