A RED-START WARBLER. 233 



certain Nitidulid 01 beetle, which I had never 

 taken, is said to live in this fungus, I held my 

 nose and with a stick broke it apart. Sure 

 enough, within its base were nearly a dozen of 

 the beetles. With them were also a big spotted 

 Staphylinid - and two examples of a large and 

 striking Silphid, 93 all living in harmony and 

 feeding upon the juices of the stink-horn. If 

 the Nitidulids live, as they are said to do, on this 

 fungus only, their habits of life must be most 

 erratic, for the stink-horn springs into existence 

 in a single night and is often absent from any 

 one locality for months or even years. 



While getting my pail of water for supper I 

 saw a red-start warbler, 94 dressed in black and 

 orange-red, flirting to and fro among the branch- 

 es of a water-beech. From one twig to another 

 it went lower, until it was in the foliage just 

 above the rivulet that emerges from the spring. 

 For a few seconds it disappeared then up again 

 it came, wet and bedraggled from an evening 

 bath. Seeking a well concealed place under the 

 leaves it sat and preened its feathers for a time, 

 often shaking itself to rid them of the last ves- 

 tige of moisture. Then away it went to the 

 boughs of the maple above my head, away in 

 search of gnats and spiderkins. 



Happy bird! Happy feathered midget! In 



91 Psilopyga histrini Lee K Listotrophus cingulatus Grav. 

 93 Silpha americana L. ** Setophaga ruticilla L. 



