346 WOOD WARBLERS. 



This comparatively rare, retiring Warbler may be found on dry 

 wooded slopes, hillsides, and ravines, generally where there is a rather 

 dense undergrowth, but occasionally where the ground is quite clear 

 and open. It lives on or near the ground, and in its slow, deliberate 

 actions resembles a Vireo more than the usually active Warblers. Its 

 call-note is a sharp chip, while its song, as all observers agree, closely 

 resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow, but is somewhat weaker. 



640. Helminthophila bachmani (Aud.). BACHMAN'S WARBLER. 

 Ad. $ . Forehead yellow, bordered by a black patch on the crown ; back of 

 the head bluish gray ; back and rump bright olive-green ; lesser wing-coverts 

 yellow ; tail grayish, all but the middle feathers with white patches on their 

 inner web near the tips ; throat and belly yellow, a large black patch on the 

 breast. Ad. 9 . Crown grayish ; forehead yellowish ; back, wings, and tail 

 as in the <J ; under parts whitish, washed with yellow on the throat and breast ; 

 bend of the wing yellow. L., 4-25 ; W., 2-40 ; T., 1-80 ; B. from N., '32. 



Range. Southeastern United States, west to New Orleans, north to South 

 Carolina; south in winter to Cuba, and probably Central America; accidental 

 in Virginia. 



"Nest, in low trees. Eggs, four," dull grayish white, heavily blotched 

 with umber in the form of a broken band about the larger end, a few spots 

 and specks of the same color, and numerous irregular, obscure lavender mark- 

 ings are distributed over the remaining surface, -74 x -60. (Described from 

 only known specimen, collected by Dr. S. W. Wilson on St. Simon's Island, 

 Georgia, April 30, 1854 ; see Bailey, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, viii, 1883, p. 38.) 



Bachman's Warbler was described by Audubon from a pair of birds 

 taken by Dr. Bachman at Charleston, South Carolina, in July, 1833. 

 Several specimens were subsequently taken in the West Indies during 

 the winter, but over fifty years passed before the species was again 

 found in the United States. It proves now to be a common bird in 

 parts of its range, and has been found in large numbers near New 

 Orleans, and on the Suwanee River in Florida in March and April, 

 and at Key West in late July and August. At each of these places, 

 however, it has been observed only as a migrant, and its breeding 

 home is still unknown. 



Mr. Brewster and myself had excellent opportunities to study its 

 habits on the Suwanee River, and in The Auk for 1891, pp. 149-157, 

 will be found a detailed account of our observations written by Mr. 

 Brewster. It was migrating with other Warblers, and kept to the 

 tops of the highest trees. It is not improbable, however, that when 

 in its breeding haunts it may prove to be a low-ranging bird like most 

 of the members of this genus. Its movements were rather leisurely, 

 and resembled those of H. pinus or H. celata. Its song, which only 

 Mr. Brewster was fortunate enough to hear, is described by him as 

 resembling the song of the Parula Warbler. 



