I5O LIFE-HISTORIES OF BIRDS 



twitter as one chases another through the thicket." 

 Its song is said to resemble in style that of Car- 

 dinalis Virginiamis though finer in tone, and 

 feebler. The song is said to resemble tweedle- 

 tweedle-tiveedle, by Wilson. 



Like its near relative just described, this Warbler 

 is exceedingly restless, hopping from twig to twig 

 in continual pursuit of insects, larvce, and berries 

 for food. It seldom pursues an insect on the 

 wing. Its flight is low, slightly sustained, and exe- 

 cuted with a gliding movement. 



The insects, mostly beetles, which contribute 

 to its nourishment, are chiefly terrestrial in char- 

 acter. We have detected remains of Cratonychus 

 cinercus with larvae, Harpalus corn-par, Casnonia 

 peimsylvanica, Platymis cupripcnnis, and Scaritcs 

 subteraneus, besides Formica sanguined y F. subtcr- 

 ranea, earthworms, a species of Tulus, and various 

 spiders. 



We have never known it to breed within the 

 limits of Philadelphia. Dr. Brewer* describes in 

 "North American Birds," a nest that was obtained 

 form Chester Co., Penn. by J. P. Norris, Esq., that 

 had evidently been located in a bed of fallen leaves. 

 Its basal part was loosely built of dry leaves, upon 

 which was placed a superstructure constituting a 

 C3arse lining of plant-stems and long, wiry rootlets. 

 It was a comparatively flat structure, six inches in 

 diameter, and two in height; the cup being only 

 one-half inch in depth. 



Dr. Gerhardt speaking of this nest in northern 



