Sept. 1886.] 
AND OOLOGIST. 
131 



and small boulders to enjoy the fine view to be 
there obtained. How rapid is the change from 
the sublime to the ridiculous. On stepping for- 
ward a pace, the stone on which I was standing 
gave away and in the endeavor to regain my foot- 
ing, a small landslide precipitated me in a very 
undignified. manner down the declivity until I 
“fetched up” under alarge hemlock. Fortunately 
my body was covered with gravel instead of 
bruises, and in a comfortable position I remained 
for a brief period, resting from the effect of my 
rapid transit. A slight movement among the 
lower branches of the tree caused me to look up 
and soon I saw eyeing me closely a male Black- 
burnian Warbler. Any motion on my _ part 
would cause him to bestir himself in an agitated 
manner, and when I arose to my feet he disap- 
peared. Patient watching was rewarded by see- 
ing the bird fly into the top of the hemlock, when 
the small commotion which ensued caused me to 
believe that a nest was therein placed. Casting off 
all superfluous clothing I began the ascent, a la- 
borious task, but the end proved my conjecture 
aright, for a nest of this Warbler was placed on a 
limb at about sixty feet from the ground. It 
was composed outwardly of hanging moss (wsnea) 
woven compactly with a few bits of fine bark and 
twigs, lined with the usual material, hair and 
feathers. The eggs were four in number, nearly 
fresh. They were spotted sparingly with reddish- 
‘brown over the entire surface, with the addition 
of a wreath of same color about the larger end. 
Dimensions of the set are as follows: .66x.51, 
.66x.50, .65x.51 and .64x.50. 
(To be Continued.) 


Notes on Some Birds of the Great 
Smoky Mountains. 
BY ARTHUR LEMOYNE, M. D. 
(Continued. from page 115.) 
GEOTHLYPIS FORMOSA. 
Kentucky Warbler. 
This species was one of the most difficult to 
observe of any of the Warblers, and save for its 
well-known song I should not have been aware 
of its presence for many days at atime. These 
birds first arrived in Monroe County on April 
16th, when a single specimen was seen I do not 
think I saw more than fifty mdividuals during 
the entire season, including the whole territory 
visited. The few that were seen and heard were 
found in the mixed growth at about the line 
where the two lower faunze come together, the 
majority seeming to prefer the Carolinan. The 
chief point of ¢nterest about this species was its 


“invisibility,” and often when surprising an indi- 
vidual or a pair by suddenly coming upon them, 
they would immediately betake themselves to 
parts unknown, if not remote. I have never no- 
ticed this extreme shyness in other localities 
where I have observed these birds. The princi- 
pal reason for an especial mention of this species, 
was the discovery of its nest in June, 1881, in 
Blount County. It was placed amongst the tall 
weeds growing along the edge of a corn-field, and 
was about three inches from the ground, being 
inserted in the dry and partly decayed rubbish of 
the previous year. The nest was outwardly com- 
posed of very fine strips of bark, a few shreds of 
flax, together with small dry leaves and fine root- 
lets, lined with a few horse hairs and very fine 
rootlets. The eggs were four in number, crystal 
white spotted with bright brown, in form of a 
half-defined wreath about the larger end. Meas- 
urements of the above set are as follows: .72x.54, 
.71x.54, .71x.58, .70x.52, 
SYLVANIA MITRATA. 
Hooded Warbler. 
This species was like the preceding, quite 
sparingly found. Arriving in Monroe County on 
April 18th, they were found after that date in 
limited numbers. They were birds of decisive 
movements; not often did I observe them other- 
wise than when traveling from tree to tree in the 
forest, displaying at such times all the restless- 
ness of birds in migration, and conspicuous by 
both song and activity. They frequented the 
forests and old fields at altitudes ranging from 
2,500 feet up to 3,800 feet. At the latter range 
they were very sparingly found, and none ob- 
served higher, save a single specimen secured 
near the “black growth” on Great Smoky Moun- 
tain, at an altitude of about 4,500 feet. 
As I confine the present series of articles to 
those, treating on the birds found breeding, I 
give a brief account of a nest found three years 
ago in Monroe County, on June 3d. It was 
placed in a scrub oak about three feet from the 
ground, and was worthy of especial mention from 
the quantity of flax which was used in its con- 
struction. A strip of fine bark and bits of moss 
also entered into its composition. The eggs were 
four in number, of a faint creamy. white, spotted 
with reddish-brown and /ilac congregating about 
the larger end. Dimensions, .65x.48, .65x.47, .64 
x.47, .64x.46. 
Another nest of the same species was placed in 
a similar position, but was much coarser in com- 
position, being constructed of bark strips, leaves 
and grasses and lined with fine grasses. It con- 
tained four eggs, nearly fresh on June 9th. They 
differ somewhat from the above set, in having 
