WORM-EATING WARBLER 59 



Black and White Warbler: Mniotilta varia. 



Length about 5>4 inches. 



Male, finely streaked black and white all over. 



Female, brown where the male is black, breast but faintly 

 striped. 



Resident (abundant) from April 12th to October I5lh; win- 

 ters from Florida southward. 



The little Black and White Creeper is common in 

 liigh open woods, where he is always scramlding over 

 tree trunks and branches, hunting spiders and other 

 insects. One may at first think him the Downy 

 Woodpecker, btit the Creeper is smaller and his 

 stripes are finer and more uniform. 



This Warbler's ground nest is exquisitely dainty, 

 and so cunningly hidden at the foot of a tree or stump 

 as to be rarely discovered. But if you see a mother- 

 bird with a worm in her mouth and can patiently 

 wait until her suspicions of you are quieted, you may 

 be rewarded by seeing her drop straight to the nest 

 instead of going down at some distance from it and 

 rmming along, as most gTound-l)uilding birds do. 

 The eggs, 4 to 5, are white, speckled with l)rown, 

 chiefly at the larger end. 



The Creeping Warl^lcr has a wiry little voice, not 

 very musical, but it is always a welcome sound, an- 

 noimcing his gentle presence in the neighborhood. 



Worm-eating Warbler: Ilchnithcriis vcnnhorus. 



Length 5^^ inches. 



Upper parts uniform olive-green. 



Under parts buflfy-whitc. 



Four distinct bhck Hues on the buffy head, fzvo [massing through 

 the eyes. 



Resident (rather common) from May t to September: win- 

 ters in the tropics. 



