172 Brown on Birds observed at Coosada, Alabama. 



fallen trees, in a partially cleared field ; one by Mr. J. H. Bond, February 

 16, by the roadside, in piny woods ; both silent, and much less active than 

 the preceding species. 



18. Anorthura troglodytes var. hyemalis, (Vieill.) Coues. Winter 

 Wren. — Not very common winter visitant, and almost invariably seen 

 in company with the Carolina Wrens. It was the first of the winter birds 

 to disappear. None were met with after about February 20. 



19. Cistothorua stellaris, (Licht.) Cab. Short-billed Marsh 

 Wren. — I captured a single pair in an old rice-field, March 21. 



20. Anthus ludovicianus, (Gm.) Licht. Titlark. — Common dur- 

 ing the winter. Stragglers remained till the last of March. 



21. Mniotilta varia, (L.) Vieill. Black-and-white Creeper. — 

 First seen on March 13 ; soon became common and generally distributed. 

 The males sang from the time of their ariival. 



22. Parula amerioana, (L.) Bp. Blue Yellow-backed Warbler. — 

 — Half a dozen shy individuals met with, the first on March 25. 



23. Protonotajria citrea, (Bodd.) Bd. Prothonotary Warbler. — 

 Arrived April 12, in full song. After April 20, specimens were seen 

 almost every day, but they never became common. Their haunts were 

 exclusively swamps and the dense hard-wood growths of the water-courses. 

 I found them always active, restless, and noisy. The song is stridulous 

 and piercing, and suggests that of the Black-and-white Creeper, but is 

 more detached and much more strongly accented ; it is indicated very 

 well by the syllables, eh-wi$s', eh-iviss', eh-wiss', eh-wiss', eh-wi&s', eh-wiss', 

 eh-wiss'. A female dissected April 23 contained eggs almost ready for 

 deposition ; no nests, however, were found. 



24. Helmitherus swainsoui, (Aud.) Bp. Swainson's Warbler. — > 

 On April 12, while forcing my way through the dark, rank forest which 

 lies about the source of Coosada Creek, I caught the final notes of an un- 

 known song uttered close at hand. Instantly seating myself on a fallen 

 tree, I awaited its repetition. The woods immediately about me were 

 quite dry and comparatively deserted by birds, but along the neighboring 

 creek many Vireos, Thrushes, and Swamp- Warblers w'ere producing such 

 a babel of sounds that I feared the voice of my v\nknown songster might 

 escape me. After the lapse of a few minutes, however, a bird emerged 

 from a thicket within a few yards of me, where he had been industriously 

 scratching amongst the fallen leaves, flew into a small sapling, and gave 

 utterance to a loud, ringing, and very beautiful song. Seen in the dim 

 light of the woods, he bore a decided resemblance to the Louisiana Water 

 Thrush, and his song might almost have passed for an exceptional per- 

 formance by that bird ; but I at once suspected his true identity, and in 

 a few seconds held in my hand the lifeless body of a male Swainson's 

 Warbler. 



During the succeeding nine days I repeatedly and most carefully 

 searched this tract of woods and other localities apparently equally favor- 



