190 NORTH AMERirAX BIRDS. 



Helmitherus swainsoni, Aud. 



SWAINSON'S SWAMP WABBLER. 



Sylvia swain.o>,i, Ar... Orn. Hiofe^ II, 1834, 5(!3, ,,I. ...xoviii. Sylvicola sw. Hun Fen,,!- 

 vara s>r. lios. /A//.,,/,, .„• Au... Hir.ls A,„. II. 1841, pi. civ (t.ype of genus,. //./- 

 vul/icru, sw. I!„N. ; Cvn. ; B.uuu. limhN. An.. 1858, 252; Kev. 180. 



Sp. Ci.AH Rill ,,s lo„. as the la.ul. Uppor parts ,1„11 olivo-gro..,,. tingo.l with reddish- 

 W„ o„ the .v,,,^, and .till .no.c on tho .....nvn and nape ; a ^npcx-ilia^y ..tnpe ".1 Z 

 under part, ol the body are white, tinged witli yellow, but palest on the tail-eovert. • the 



H.vD. Coast of South Carolina and Georgia ; Cuba (very rare). 



A youim^ bird (No. 32,241 Liberty Co., (ion,,na) is very si..,ilar to the adult 

 described bt.t diHers in ti.e followino- respects: the lower parts have a de- 

 cided soiled, sulphur-yellow tiuye, while the brown of the upper parts is 

 nuich more reddish, there being- no dillerence in tint between the crown 

 and back ; also the superciliaiy stripe is more sharplv defined. 



IlAiiiTS. Tliis species is comparatively rare, a.i.l, so tar as is known, has a 

 very restricted distribution. It was first discovered by Rev. J)r Eachman 

 n, the vicinity of Charleston, S. V., near the kmks of the Edisto Ifivor' 

 This was m the spring of lH:\->. He was first attracted by the novelty of its 

 notes, which were four or five in number and repeated at intervals of a few 

 numites. These notes were loud and dear, and more like a whistle than a 

 song. Ihey resembled the sounds of some e.xtraordinarv ventrihxpiist - so 

 much so that he at first su])].osed the bird to be imich farther oil' tlian it 

 really was. He was so fortunate as to secure it. The shape of the bill he 

 at once noticed as being dilferent from that of any other American bird then 

 known to him. In the course of that season he obtained two other sjiecimens 

 Toward the close of the same setison he saw an old female, accompanied by 

 Its four young. One of the latter, which he procured, did not diller n.ateri- 

 iilly from the old birds. 



Ho met with them only in swampy and muddy places, and when o,.ened. 

 he always found their stomachs filled with fnigm.mts of coleopterous insects 

 as well as small green wo.'ms, such as are common on water-plants The' 

 habits of this species most resemble those of the Prothonotary Warbler ' 

 as the latter skij.s a-i ong the low bushes growing about ponds or in marshy 

 places. It IS seldom seen on high trees. Nothing is known as to their 

 nesting or eggs. 



