464 WOOD WARBLERS 



hillsides, or where quieter streams flow through the lowland forests. 

 He is a wild, shy bird, and his never-ceasing alertness suggests the 

 watchfulness of the savage. Approach as quietly as you will, the Water- 

 Thrush knows of your coming. With a tilting motion he walks on 

 ahead, springs from rock: to rock, or with a sharp, metallic clink of 

 alarm takes wing and darts through the woods so low you scarcely get 

 a glimpse of him. From a distant limb near the ground he watches you, 

 constantly teetering his body as though even when resting he must 

 find some outlet for his surplus nervous energy. 



As a songster the Water-Thrush is without a rival. His song is 

 not to be compared with the clear-voiced carol of the Rose-breasted 

 Grosbeak, the plaintive chant of the Field Sparrow, or the hymnlike 

 melody of the true Thrushes; it is of a different kind. It is the untam- 

 able spirit of the bird rendered in music. There is an almost fierce 

 wildness in its ringing notes. On rare occasions he is inspired to voice 

 his passion in a flight-song, which so far exceeds his usual performance 

 that even the memory of it is thrilling. 



677. Oporornis formosus (Wils.). KENTUCKY WAKBLER. Ad. &. 

 (Fig. 126.) A yellow line from the bill passes over and around the back of 

 the eye; crown, region below the eye, and the side of the throat black, the 

 crown tipped with gray; rest of the upperparts, wings, and tail olive-green; 

 no wing-bars or tail-patches; underparts bright yellow. Ad. 9. Similar, but 

 the black areas more grayish and less clearly defined. L., 5*40; W., 2'60; 

 T., 1'90; B. from N., '32. 



Range. E. U. S. to n. S. A. Breeds in Carolinian and Austroriparian 

 faunas from se. Nebr., s. Wise., se. and sw. Pa., and the Hudson Valley 

 s. to e. Tex., La., Ala., and n. Ga.; winters from Tabasco to Colombia; 

 accidental in Vt. 



Washington, not very uncommon S. R., Apl. 29-Sept. 2. Ossining, 

 common S. R., May 2- Aug. 27. N. Ohio, rare, Apl. 27 and May 12. 



Nest, bulky, of twigs and rootlets, firmly wrapped with several thick- 

 nesses of leaves, lined with fine rootlets, on or near the ground. Eggs, 45, 

 white or grayish white, finely and evenly speckled or coarsoly blotched with 

 rufous to umbor, '72 x "58. Date, Buncombe, N. C., May 23; West Chester, 

 Pa., May 27; Dunklin Co., Mo., May 15. 



The Kentucky Warbler frequents rather densely grown, well- 

 watered woods. Here he may be found, on or near the ground, hop- 

 ping from limb to limb or walking about searching for food. When 

 singing, he generally mounts to the lower branches of the higher trees. 

 His song is entirely unlike that of any other Warbler. It is a loud, 

 clearly whistled performance of five, six, or seven notes tur-dle, tur- 

 dle, tur-dle resembling in tone some of the calls of the Carolina Wren. 

 Even in the woods it may be heard at a distance of about one hundred 

 and fifty yards. 



In the height of the breeding season this Warbler is a most per- 

 sistent singer. On one occasion, at Englewood, N. J., I watched a 

 male for three hours. During this period, with the exception of five 

 interruptions of less than forty-five seconds each, he sang with the 

 greatest regularity once every twelve seconds. Thus, allowing for 

 the brief intervals of silence, he sang about 875 times, or some 5,250 



