16 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



covered logs and in the roots of trees, like the Yellow-bellied fly-catcher, 

 White-throated sparrow, Junco, Water thrush and Louisiana water thrush. 



Herb stratum. Here are included those species whose nests are 

 usually placed in tussocks of grass or flags or among tangles of ferns and 

 weeds. Many species which nest habitually upon the ground or in thickets 

 are frequently found nesting in this stratum, but its most characteristic 

 representatives are the Least bittern, Red-winged blackbird, Sharp-tailed 

 sparrow, Seaside sparrow, Swamp sparrow, Song sparrow, Blue-winged 

 warbler, Golden-winged warbler, Mourning warbler, Maryland yellow- 

 throat, Short-billed marsh wren and Long-billed marsh wren. 



Thicket stratum. In this are included all birds which usually nest 

 in bushes or in small saplings, usually in tangles on the borders of woods 

 and in the undergrowth of the forest. The nests are usually placed from 

 one to eight feet above the ground. The characteristic representatives 

 of this story are the Yellow-billed cuckoo, Black-billed cuckoo, Alder 

 flycatcher, Cowbird, Rusty blackbird, American goldfinch (often in trees) , 

 Field sparrow (frequently on the ground), Song sparrow (later broods), 

 Cardinal, Indigo bird, Migrant shrike (often in low trees), White-eyed 

 vireo, Yellow warbler (frequently in trees), Chestnut-sided warbler, Prairie 

 warbler, Black-throated blue warbler, Myrtle warbler and Blackpoll warbler 

 (in low spruces), Maryland yellowthroat (occasionally on the ground), 

 Yellow-breasted chat, Hooded warbler, Redstart (occasionally), Catbird, 

 Brown thrasher (sometimes on ground), Olive-backed thrush. I was 

 surprised to note how few species had been entered under this stratum, 

 because it seemed to me it would include by far the most of all the strata 

 enumerated, but this impression is undoubtedly due to the fact that the 

 layer is so frequently invaded by both terrestrial and by arboreal species 

 which belong more characteristically in the lower tree stratum. 



Lower tree stratum. In this are included those birds that do not 

 require so dense a covert for the nesting site as the thicket stratum, but 

 prefer a moisture habitat in which the rate of evaporation is lower 

 than in the tree-top story which follows. They are characteristically the 



