NASHVILLE WARBLER. 263 



NASHVILLE WARBLER. 



Helminthophila ruficapilla. 



Char. Above, olive, brighter on rump ; head ashy gray, with con- 

 cealed patch of reddish brown ; yellow ring around the eyes ; beneath, 

 bright yellow, paler on the belly; sides shaded with olive. Length ^y, to 

 5 inches. 



A^est. Amid a tuft of weeds in pasture or open woodland ; composed 

 of leaves and vegetable fibre, lined with grass, pine-needles, or hair. 



Eggs. 3-5 (usually 4) ; white or creamy, marked with fine spots of 

 reddish brown and lilac ; 0.60 X 0.50. 



This rare species was discovered by Wilson in the vicinity of 

 Nashville in Tennessee ; it also exists in the neighboring States 

 in summer, and occasionally proceeds as far north as Philadel- 

 phia, and even the neighborhood of Salem in this State [Mas- 

 sachusetts]. Its discoverer was first attracted to it by the 

 singular noise which it made, resembling the breaking of small 

 dry twigs, or the striking together of pebbles, for six or seven 

 times in succession, and loud enough to be heard at the dis- 

 tance of thirty or forty yards. A similar sound, produced, no 

 doubt, by the smart snapping of the bill, is given by the Stone- 

 chat of Europe, — which hence, in fact, derives its name. Au- 

 dubon says, the male, while standing in a still and erect posture, 

 utters a few low, eagerly repeated, creaking notes. This spe- 

 cies has all the active habits of the family to which it more 

 particularly belongs. Audubon says that these birds are not 

 in fact rare, as he saw them in considerable numbers in the 

 month of April, towards Texas, on their way eastward ; he also 

 saw them in Maine and the Provinces of New Brunswick and 

 Nova Scotia. A few proceed to Labrador, and Dr. Richardson 

 mentions the occurrence of a straggler in the fur countries. 



However rare the Nashville may have been when Nuttall lived 

 in Cambridge, it is not a rare bird here to-day. It is, indeed, a 

 common summer resident throughout New England and the Mari- 

 tine Provinces, and occurs in more or less abundance westward to 

 Manitoba. It winters south to Mexico and Guatemala. 



On the arrival of these birds in the spring they frequent the sub- 



