WORM-EATING WARBLER 337 



the two, and so the common one in the southern 

 United States. 



Doctor Mearns gives a very sympathetic descrip- 

 tion of this interesting bird in his notes on the 

 Hudson Highlands. " Even a casual allusion to 

 this little bird," he says, " recalls, to the mind of 

 the collector, a bright picture of clear mountain 

 streams, with their falls and eddies, their dams of 

 rocks and fallen tree trunks, their level stretches 

 flowing over bright, pebbly bottoms, with mossy 

 banks and rocky ferneries, and their darting min- 

 nows and dace ; for only in such wild localities 

 is the Water Wagtail at home. There you will 

 see it sitting upon the stones, close beside the 

 foaming water, expressing its pleasure at its sur- 

 roundings by constantly repeating its single chick. 

 It runs about (never hopping) over the stones 

 and moss, gleaning along the sandy margin of 

 the stream." 



The song of the Water-Thrush is famous for 

 the wild quality of its ringing notes. 



Worm-eating Warbler : Helmitherus vermivorous. 



Four black stripes on head ; upper parts olive ; under parts 



buffy. Length, about 5-J- inches. 

 GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION. Eastern United States ; breeds 



from the Gulf states north to southern Illinois and southern 



Connecticut ; winters in the tropics. 



In a dry, open woods near Portland, Connecti- 

 cut, the Worm-eating Warbler is almost sure to 

 nest. When going to see the bird there with Mr. 



