Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



83 



THE WARBLKRS. 



THE BLACK AND WHITK CREEPER. 



GENUS REGULUS. 



in Burlington, on the 11th of June, 1842, 

 and it is thought to be ratlier a coinuion 

 bird here, and I have but littlp doubt that 

 it breeds in this state, although 1 have 

 never seen its nest. Audubon jirofes- 

 scs himself ignorant of their breeding 

 places ; but Nuttall and Pcabody assure 

 us that several of their nests have been 

 found in Massachusetts. 



THE BLACK- THROATED WARBLER. 



Sylvia canadensis. — Lath. 



Description. — Light blue slate above ; 

 beneath white ; wings and tail dusky 

 black, the latter wedge-shaped, edged 

 witJi blue, feathers pointed, e.xternal ones 

 with a large white spot; throat, cheeks, 

 upper part of the breast and sides under 

 the wings, deep black ; legs and feet 

 dusky yellow ; bill black ; a white spot 

 on the wings. The black in the female 

 dusky ash, or wanting. Length 5, spread 



History. — This species is rare and 

 very little known. Its nest, according to 

 Audubon, is placed on the horizontal 

 branch of a fir, 6 or 8 feet from the 

 ground. The eggs, 4 or .5 in number, 

 are of a rosy tint, sprinkled with reddish- 

 brown at the larire end. 



THE MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 

 Sijlvia trichas. — Lath. 



Description. — Yellow-olive above, in- 

 clining to cinereous on the crown • front 

 and wide patch through the eye black ; 

 throat, breast and vent yellow, fainter on 

 the belly ; wings, and unspotted wedge- 

 shaped tail, dusky brown ; quills of both 

 edged with yellow-olive ; bill black above, 

 pale beneath ; legs pale flesh-color ; iris 

 dark hazel. Female without black on the 

 face, and beneath dull yellow. Length 

 5, spread 7. — JS'iitt. 



History. — This is quite a common 

 bird. It arrives from the south in the 

 early part of May. Its nest, according to 

 Peabody, is constructed on or near the 

 ground, among dry leaves, brush or with- 

 ered grass. The eggs, 4 or .5, are white, 

 with blotches and lines of brown chiefly 

 towards the large end. 



THE WORM-EATING WARBLER. 



Sylvia vcrmivora. — Lath. 

 Description. — Dusky olive above ex- 

 cept the wings and tail, which are umber 

 brown. Head bufl", marked with 4 longi- 

 tudinal stripes of umber brown ; breast 

 orange buff, mixed with dusky ; ventwa- 



v(>d with dusky olive ; bill blackish above, 

 below flesh colored ; legs pale flesh color; 

 iris hazel ; bill stout. Length 5|, spread 

 S.—A'i/ttal/.. 



History. — This active and industrious 

 little bird is said to arrive late from the 

 south and retire early, and resembles 

 somewhat the Chicadee in its manners 

 and notes. Its nest, according to Audu- 

 bon, is made of dry mosses, hickory and 

 chestnut blossoms, and the eggs are 4 or 

 5, cream colored, with a few dark red 

 spots near the large end. The nest is usu- 

 ally placed between two twigs, 8 or 9 feet 

 from the around. 



BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. 

 Sylvia varia. — Lath. 



Description. — The crown white, boF- 

 dered on each side by a band of black, 

 which is again bounded by a line of white 

 passing over each eye ; ear feathers black, 

 as well as the chin and throat ; wings the 

 same, with 2 white bars ; breast back, 

 sides, and rump spotted with black and 

 white ; tail and primaries edged with 

 light gray, the coverts black, bordered 

 with white; belly white; legs and feet 

 dusky yellow; bill rather long, black above, 

 paler below. Female with the crown 

 wholly black, and without the black ear- 

 feathers. Length 5, spread 7.^. — Kuttall. 



History. — This bird is found in most 

 parts of the United States, and in many 

 of its habits is closely allied to the Creep- 

 ers and Nuthatches. It seldom perches 

 upon the branches of trees, but creeps 

 spirally round upon the trunk and large 

 limbs, searching for insects and their eggs 

 in the crevices of the bark. Dr. Brewer 

 informs us that this bird builds its nest up- 

 on the ground. It is composed external- 

 ly of coarse straw, and lined with hair. 

 The eggs, about 4 in number, are white, 

 with a few brownish red spots, chiefly to- 

 wards the larsre end. 



Genus Regulus. — Cvvicr. 



Generic C/iaractcrs.--B\\\ short, straight, 

 very slender, subulate, coin|)ressed from llie base, 

 and narrowed in the middle, fmiii-hed wiib bris- 

 tles at the base, and with the edjics somewhat 

 bent in ; the ujiper niandihle is slender!}' notched, 

 and a little curved at the tip. Nostrils basal, oval, 

 half closed by a membrane, and additionally cov- 

 ered also with two small projectino, rigid, decom- 

 pound feathers. Tongfie bristly at the tip. Feet 

 slender ; tarsus longer than the middle toe ; later- 

 al toes nearly equal ; the inner one free ; liind toe 

 stoutest. Wings short, rather acute ; 3d and 4th 

 primaries longest ; tail notched. » 



