1887.] Beckham on the Birds of Bayou Sara, La. "^OC 



continued to be common in suitable places up to the time of my depart- 

 ure, and a great many pairs were undoubtedly breeding. I found two 

 nests just completed, one on the 16th and the other on the 25th, neither 

 of which contained eggs. They were placed in old Woodpecker holes, in 

 hollow snags about fifteen feet from the ground. Although a number of 

 the birds were seen in the swamp, the most of them were found about the 

 willow trees along Alexander's Creek, a locality, however, only about one 

 half of a mile from the swamp. They were usually quite tame and unsus- 

 picious. Five or six of the twenty-five specimens taken had the feathers 

 of the forehead stained and gummed up with some sticky, resinous sub- 

 stance that could not be washed off. 



103. Helmitherus vermivorus. Worm-eating Warbler. — A rather 

 common bird, inhabiting mostly the same places as H. swainsoni, that is, 

 densely wooded ravines. First seen on April 11. Towards the end of the 

 month I found several pairs which were evidently mated and nesting, but 

 no nests were found. 



104. Helinaia swainsoni. Swainson's Warbler. — Although I only 

 spent five days at this place in 1SS2, it is surprising, in view of facts cited 

 below, that Swainson's Warbler was not met with. On April S, while 

 standing near the edge of a dense tangle of cane and 'black jack' (a 

 sort of vine), I heard a bird-note entirely new to me, but which reminded 

 me very much of the song of the Large-billed Water-thrush. It was im- 

 possible to get at the bird, and I did not again hear the note until three 

 days afterward. I was sitting on the ground in a densely wooded ravine, 

 where the only sounds to be heard proceeded from the usual horde of 

 hungry mosquitoes, singing about my head, now and then mingled with 

 the languid ditty of a Hooded Warbler lazily foraging for insects in the 

 branches above, when a small, dark looking bird whizzed by me like an 

 arrow and disappeared in a small clump of canes and bushes growing in 

 the bottom of the ravine. Just as I was about getting up to look for it the 

 same Seiurine song, heard before, burst forth, apparently only a few feet dis- 

 tant ; then it dawned upon me that I was in the presence of the much sought 

 for Helinaia swainsoni. The song was uttered at intervals of about half 

 a minute, the bird all the time remaining perfectly motionless, and for 

 fully ten minutes I sat in the same place eagerly scanning everything in 

 the direction of the sound, which apparently changed with every utter- 

 ance, afraid to move lest the slightest noise or motion should drive off the 

 puzzling ventriloquist. After having finished the performance to his ap- 

 parent satisfaction, he flew from a twig directlj' in front of me to the 

 ground, when the usual tragedy took place. Hardly had I picked the bird 

 up before two more appeared upon the scene ; two belligerent males fight- 

 ing and chasing each other about. One of these was also secured, and 

 two or three more were seen or heard that day in similar localities. 



The bird is undoubtedly common here, for altogether I obtained twenty 

 specimens during my stay; on one day taking as many as four. It is, 

 however, exceedingly difficult to get them, but, as Mr. Brewster in his in- 

 teresting account of the species, says, "once seen it is yours" — if you can 



