154 SYLVICOLID^E : AMERICAN WARBLERS. 



southward than in the recesses of northern forests. 

 The nidification of the Pine-creeper is described as 

 essentially like that of the Black-throated Green War- 

 bler, but the nest is built much earlier some time 

 during May, and the eggs are usually laid before 

 the ist of June. These are commonly 4 in number, 

 measuring about 0.70 long by 0.52 broad; they are 

 white, pink-tinted, and spotted with different shades 

 of reddish-brown, and with lilaceous shell-markings, 

 tending to aggregate at and near the greater end. 



In its habits this bird shows a combination of War- 

 bler, Creeper, and Flycatcher traits, with some others 

 scarcely shown by any Dendroeca excepting the Red- 

 poll. It is fond of scrambling about the trunks and 

 larger limbs of the pines, like a Nuthatch, at times 

 sallying after flying insects, at others descending to 

 forage upon the ground. Thus Mr. Merriam speaks 

 of its being frequently seen in the City Green in New 

 Haven, hopping over the ground with the Red-polls 

 and English Sparrows, and running up and down the 

 trunks of the elms ; and Mr. Minot has observed the 

 same thing. When not breeding it is somewhat gre- 

 garious, often collecting in troops, and associating with 

 Red-polls and Yellow-rumps, as well as with various 

 other small birds. The song is simply a succession 

 of trilled notes, all pitched in a single key, and deliv- 

 ered in a listless manner, as if the performer cared 

 little for effect. Nearly all our "Warblers," in fact, 

 are misnamed, if we are to take the term as any indi- 

 cation of proficiency in that kind of vocalization which 

 we commonly call " warbling." 



