BIRDS OF KANSAS. 539 



and even bits of soft, rotten wood, interwoven with fine rootlets, 

 and lined with hairs. Eggs usually five or six (as high as eight 

 have been taken), . 68x. 56; creamy white, thickly spotted with 

 lilac, purple and dark reddish brown, thickest and often conflu- 

 ent at larger end; in form, rounded oval. 



GENUS HELMITHERUS RAFINESQUE. 



"Bill large and stout, compressed, almost tanagrine; nearly or quite as long 

 as the head. Culnien very slightly curved; goiiys straight; no notch in the bill; 

 rectal bristles wanting; tarsi short but little longer, if any, than the middle 

 toe; tail considerably shorter than the wings, rather rounded; wings rather long, 

 the first quill a little shorter than the second and third." 



Helmitherus vermivorus (GMEL.). 



WORM-EATING WARBLER. 

 PLATE XXXI. 



Summer resident in the eastern part of the State; rare. Arrive 

 the last of April; begin laying the last of May; leave the last 

 of August to middle of September. 



B. 178. R. 77. C. 96. G. 34, 273. U. 639. 



HABITAT. Eastern United States; north to southern New Eng- 

 land, the great lakes and Iowa, chiefly south of latitude 40; 

 west to eastern Nebraska and Texas; south in winter to Cuba, 

 Jamaica, and southern Central America. Breeds throughout 

 most of its United States range. 



SP. CHAR. Adult (sexes alike) : Head buff, with a broad black stripe on each 

 side of the crown (from nostrils to occiput), and a narrower black stripe behind 

 the eye, along upper edge of the auriculars, continued more or less distinctly at 

 the anterior angle of the eye; upper parts plain olive green; lower parts buff, 

 paler on chin, throat, abdomen and crissum, where sometimes almost white. 

 Young, first plumage: Head, neck and lower parts deep buif, the black stripes 

 of the adult merely indicated by indistinct stripes of dull brown; back, scapu- 

 lars, rump and wing coverts dull light brown, tinged with cinnamon, the greater 

 coverts passing into deep buff terminally; remiges and rectrices olive green, as 

 in the adult. The buff of head stripes, etc., is deeper in autumnal specimens. 

 (Ridgway.) 



Stretch of 

 Length. -wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 5.50 8.55 2.90 2.10 .65 .55 



Female... 5.30 8.25 2.75 1.95 .65 .52 



Iris dark brown; bill upper blackish brown, under pale; 

 legs, feet and claws brownish flesh color. 



