Birds of Indiana. 1025 



Length, 5.55; wing, 2.80; tail, 2.00; bill, .65 by .74. 



Range. — Eastern North America, West Indies and Mexico, north 

 to Virginia, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. Probably breeds through- 

 out its United States range. Winters south of United States. 



Nest, in bush or canes, near ground or water (2 to 5 feet); of dry 

 leaves, lined with pine needles and dry moss. Eggs, 3, rarely 5; white, 

 very rarely, faintly marked; .74 by .56. 



Much interest attaches to Swainson's, just as there does to Bach- 

 man's Warbler, on account of its history. Both birds were discovered 

 by Rev. John Bachman, near Charleston, S. C, the former in 1832, 

 the latter the year following. Swainson's Warbler remained almost 

 unknown for forty years. Up to 1873 but three additional specimens 

 appear to have been noted. That year Mr. N. C. Brown found it at 

 Coosada, Elmore County, Ala. It was found later in Louisiana and 

 Texas. In 1878 it was identified by Mr. Robert Ridgway in Knox 

 County, Ind., where he says it breeds (Bulletin, Nutt. Orn. Club, 1878, 

 p. 163; Orn. of 111., I., pp. 121-123). It has since been determined 

 to be a not uncommon summer resident in the vicinity of Charleston, 

 S. C, where a number of its nests have been found. Mr. Arthur T. 

 Wayne and Mr. Wm. Brewster have given accounts of its occurrence 

 there (The Auk, Vol. II., 1885, pp. 65-80; Ibid, pp. 346-348). Mr. 

 Brewster tells us it is a swamp-inhabiting bird, frequenting a peculiar 

 kind of swamp. The favorite locality is called locally' "pineland gall." 

 He says: "Four things seem indispensable to its existence, viz.: water, 

 tangled thickets, patches of cane and a rank growth of semi-aquatic 

 plants." Its song consists of a series of clear, ringing whistles, the 

 first four uttered rather slowly and in the same key, the remaining 

 five or six given more rapidly, and in an evenly-descending scale." 

 In general effect it recalls the song of the Water Thrush (Seiurus 

 novehoracensis) . 



It is very loud, very rich, very beautiful, while it has an indescrib- 

 ably tender quality that thrills the senses after the sound has ceased. 

 This Warbler is a sluggish bird, and is noted as being unsuspicious, or 

 even inquisitive, retiring and, save when singing, very quiet. In all 

 this it is directly the opposite of its near relative, the Worm-eating 

 Warbler. It appears to nest indiscriminately in bushes in water, along 

 the borders of streams or ponds and on high, dry land at some distance 

 from water. 



65 — (Jeol. 



