110 SYLVICOLID^E : AMERICAN WARBLERS. 



The Prothonotary Warbler is a rare straggler to 

 New England from the Southern States. One instance 

 of such occurrence is recorded by Prof. Verrill (Pr. 

 Bost. Soc., ix, 1863, p. 234). This estray was found 

 at Calais, Maine, by Mr. George H. Boardman, Octo- 

 ber 30, 1862, after there had been several snow-falls, 

 and the ground frozen its happening there under 

 such circumstances being of course entirely accidental. 



WORM-EATING WARBLER. 

 HELMINTHERUS VERMIVORUS (Gm.) 



Chars. Olivaceous, the head and under parts buffy, paler or whitish 

 on the belly, the head with four sharp black stripes one on 

 each side of crown, another through each eye ; wings and tail 

 like back, without any markings. Bill and feet pale cinnamon. 

 Bill stout, acute, unnotched, unbristled, at least 0.50 long. 

 Length, 5.50; extent, 8.50; wing, 2.75; tail, 2.00; tarsus, 0.70. 



A rare summer resident in southernmost New Eng- 

 land only, where it has chiefly been observed in Con- 

 necticut. It is normally 

 limited in northward dis- 

 persion by the Carolinian 

 Fauna. It was ascribed to 

 Connecticut by Linsley, in 

 1843, a specimen having 



FIG. 29. -WORM-EATING WARBLER. been taken at New 

 (Natural size.) by Dr> J. ). 



Mr. H. A. Purdie records its capture in the nesting 

 season at Saybrook, by Mr. J. N. Clark (Am. Nat., 

 vii, Nov., 1873, p. 692), and the same writer also men- 

 tions a male shot by Mr. Shores at Suffield, Aug. 22, 



