SVl,VI('<tI,[l).K- THK WAIiMLKItS. 



18,'] 



TIio eggs vary in sliii|,(. IV,,iii „, nMiiidiMl |o mii nl.long nviil, iiml in si/o In.ni 

 .(i!t t(. .7.-. or an inch in Icngtii, and Ironi ,:)l to .:.:'. (.r an inch in hiva.hh. 

 Tlicirgn.nnil-cuh)! is a cicaniy-wliiUMo which the .U'ci. ivil marisings ini|iait 

 an ai-paivntly lankisii tingn. They am niaikc.l na.iv or I.^ss i.rofiiscly wiih 

 bright ml (hits, jioints, and hh)tchcs. Tlicsc vary in iiunil).'r and in distiilni- 

 tion. In some they arc very tine, and arc chiefly cuidincd to the hirgcr end. 

 In others they are largei , more ditlused, and occasionally there are inter- 

 mingled marks and lihUchcs of .slale-color. The ellect oi' these variations 

 is, at times, to give; tlu^ appeanuiee of greater diffenMi-es to these eggs than 

 really exists, the gronnd-.'olor and the shade of the red markings really pre- 

 senting luit little niodilications. 



The color of the yonng nestlings is closely assimilated to that of the 

 ohjects that usuidly Hnrround tht^ nest, and iieli)s to conceal them. Mr. 

 I'.inroughs once came accidentally uj.on a nest with yonng of this species. 

 He says: "A I'.laek and Wliilt, Creeping Warl.ler smldenly became much 

 alarmed as F approached a crundtling old stump in a dense jiartof the forest. 

 He alighted ujiim it, chirped sharply, ran up and down its siih's, and linally 

 left it with nuieh reluctance. The nest, which contaiiu>.l thre.' young bird's 

 nearly fledg-d, was ].laced uj.on the ground at the foot of the slump, and in 

 such a position that tlu; coh.r of the youug harmonized iHufeclly with tlu; 

 bits of liark., sticks, etc., lying about. My eye rested npon thein for the 

 ■second time before I made them out. They Imgged (he nest very elo.sely, 

 but as I put down my hand tliiiy all .scampered olV with lond cries for helis 

 which caused the parent birds to i)laee themselves almost within my reach." 



SixiioN VERMIVORE>E, 



niM s PROTONOTARIA, H 



AHin. 



Pro/n,m/„n„, ;'..ui!l., I.ir.Ls N. Am. 1S:.S, •.':!!1. (Ty,„., .}/„/,„■!//„ dim,, l!„i,„.) 



(!kn. ("iiak. ChanictiTi/cMl i,v iis Ion- disliiiclly notdicil bill, and lonj.- wiii-s, which .qiv 

 an inch lonj^cr Ibau tin .slijihlly j^iatliialcij tail (IIk; 

 lalL'i-al leathers ali.mt .12 of an inch .-ijini'tfr). The 

 niider tail-eovort.s ai-e very loii.ir, reaeliiiim within hall' 

 an ineli nl' the tip of the tail. The tarsi and hind toe 

 are i)ro))ortionally longer thai; in the tnie Warblers. 

 The notch and frreat, size of |]ie bill (listiii<rnisli it 

 from the Swamp Warblers. Nesi, ni hole..; eir{i;s nniuh 

 blotched with reddish. 



The oidy North American s]iecies belong- 

 ing to the gronp appears to be the old Si/lvia 

 protonotaria of (Jmelin. 



JViiloiiiil.iiiii ritini, lliiircl. 



