»SS7-] Beckham on the Birds of Bayou Sara, La. 301 



dwellings with the fearless confidence of the Chipping Sparrow, 

 and by his unexpected sociability atoning for the Catbird's short- 

 comings in this respect. They were first seen on April 4. 



Bluebirds were not numerous, but the two or three pairs seen 

 were evidently nesting. The Gnatcatchers and Blue Yellow- 

 backed Warblers were particularly abundant and voluble ; the 

 former always going in pairs. Carolina Chicadees were found 

 every day, and I saw several pairs of adidt birds conducting their 

 noisy broods through the woods in search of food. Their active 

 relatives, the Tufted Titmice, were very common and found in 

 all sorts of places, almost equaling in this respect the ubiqui- 

 tous Carolina Wren, a bird probably exceeding in numbers any 

 other summer resident here, and which finds itself at home any- 

 where, nesting indifferently in the stable, under the piazza, or in 

 an old stump down in the swamp. But wherever he may be, he 

 makes no secret of his whereabouts, for hill and dale and swamp 

 and garden, all resound from dawn to twilight with the full-toned, 

 tireless songs of this Orphean prodigy. I say songs, for the 

 Carolina Wren is no one-tuned musical bore, but possesses much 

 of the vocal versatility of his more favored rival the Mockingbird. 

 They pair quite early here, for towards the last of April I saw 

 many young birds flying about accompanied by the parents. 



I saw but three or four Black-and-white Warblers, but was 

 fortunate enough to find a nest on the 23d, containing four partly 

 incubated eggs. It was on the ground on a densely wooded hill- 

 side, loosely constructed of dead leaves, etc., and was roofed over 

 so as to be completely sheltered from the rain. The female did 

 not leave her nest until I was within two or three feet of her, 

 when she flew to the ground feigning lameness, but this old and 

 pathetic subterfuge had just the opposite effect it was intended to 

 have. The nest was admirably concealed and would never have 

 been found had not the bird itself indicated its location. 



The Yellow Warbler was often seen in the tree tops along the 

 creek bottom, and the Redstart was generally found in the same 

 places but always among the lower branches. The Pine War- 

 bler, which was not uncommon in 18S2, was not seen at all, nor 

 was the Sycamore Warbler met with ; and but one Blackburnian 

 was observed, a male taken on the 20th. 



Golden-crowned Thrushes arrived on the 24th and soon became 

 common in their usual haunts, which were frequented also by 



