10:^0 Eiirour of J^tai'k (xKoi.oniST. 



First to arrive among the warblers of the woodhuui is the Black and 

 "\^niite Warbler. While the ^lyrtle Warbler may be found along the 

 willow thickets some rears before it conies, and the attractive song of 

 the Sycamore Warbler sound from the tall, white trees above, they 

 are not in the woods. There. ])ai-tieularly in the drier woodhuid, the 

 well-known song of tliis sym})luuiy in black and white is borne to 

 one's eaxs, but it requires slui.r]) eyes to distinguish its form among 

 the lights ajid shadows of the etu-rugatcHi bark of the tree trunks. 

 Persistence will be rewarded, ami this warbler will reveal himself, a 

 creeper with motion and habits that remind one much of a Xuthateh. 

 The early arrivals are males. If they are very early the females may 

 not come for ten davs or nu>re. Then Itoth are vi-rv eomnum most 



^ 



He.ul of Uhuk luid White W.-irMer. Natural size. 



years until early or laie May. (le|uMi(ling upon whi'ilior the observer is 

 located north or south. A few always breed throughout the State. 

 Then, in August, the migrants begin to return, and they are again 

 common until late September and occasionally well into October. The 

 first arrival at lirookville in 188t3 was .Vpril ;>d, in 1893,. May 5. Other 

 e^rly and late spring tiates of first arrival are: Hloomington, April T, 

 1893: Eichmond, April IT. 189?: (';reeus])urg. Aju-il 18, 189(), April 

 27, 1895: Lafayette, April 18. bSitC, :\lay (i, 1894: vSt>d;ni. April lt>. 

 189(i, :\Iny ti. 1889; Chicago, Aiuil IT. I88(i. May 9, 1894. 1 have 

 observed them mating at BrookNillf. April ;>0. 1894. Its call is a 

 sharp ehi]> -a regular ^^'arbler"s i-all. The song is diligently poured 

 f(uth at all hours of the day during migration. It sounds something- 

 like, "easy-easy-easy-easy-easy," the word repeated ftnir t(^ six times 

 in a drawling monotone. It varies, however, in vtWume, InMUg at 

 times littered very low and again sounding loud and distiml. carrying 

 plainly a long dist^ince. 



The song sea.^on continues wi-ll into rliine. Mr. Bickmdl says they 

 sing again for a short season in mid-August. Nests with eggs may 

 be found on the around in retired woodland late in ^lav ami in June. 



