ISSUED IN BEHALF OF THE SCIENCE WHICH IT ADVOCATES. 



Volume III, 



MAY, 1877. 



Number 3. 



Nesting Habits of the Worm-eat- 

 ing Warbler (Helmitherus 

 vermivorus). 



BY C. J. MAYNARD. 



LTHOUGH this species is quite com- 

 mon during our breeding season 

 ^*;4-^ throughout the Southern and Middle 

 States, yet the nest is comparatively rare. 

 Indeed, up to the summer of 1871, the eggs 

 were scientifically unknown ; then a nest 

 was taken in New Jersey by Mr. J. H. 

 Batty. When I made record of this fact 

 in 1873, in the second part of my Birds of 

 Florida (page 47), this was the only spec- 

 imen in existence. I was at that time un- 

 acquainted with the breeding habits of the 

 bird, but have since had a good opportuni- 

 ty of observing the Worm-eating Warbler 

 in its summer home. 



During the middle of June, 1876, I vis- 

 ited that portion of the Alleghany Mount- 

 ains known as the White Deer Range. I 

 was then in search of the nests of the A- 

 cadian Flycatcher {Empidonax acadi- 

 ciis), which abound in that section. The 

 valleys of these mountains are quite pecul- 

 iar, being in fact, deep, secluded glades. 

 Most of my collecting was done in White 

 Deer Valley, a most enchanting spot with 

 a murmuring stream winding through it. 



shaded by pine and spruce trees, which grow 

 in the narrow valley bottom. Even at noon 

 time the shade here was veiy deep, but 

 when the sun fell behind the tops of the 

 mountains, which rose abruptly on either 

 hand, the shade was darkened almost into 

 twilight. 



To one unaccustomed to wandering in 

 the deep woods, this spot would appear 

 gloomy in the extreme, but to me the dark 

 green ferns waving in shadow, the gray, 

 moss-covered trimks of the huge old trees, 

 the glimmer of stray rays of light upon the 

 flowing water, together with the other sur- 

 roundings formed a picture upon which I 

 could gaze without ever growing weary. 

 But the principal charm about it all was 

 the universal quiet which was almost un- 

 broken. The gentle min-mur of the stream 

 was ever present, yet that was a continu- 

 ous dreamy sound, resting rather than en- 

 livening. 



On the 15th of June of last year I enter- 

 ed this lovely valley and sauntered slowly 

 up it, following Tiie course of the stream, 

 while I searched for the nests of the Fly- 

 catchers. I had gone two or three miles 

 without hearing a bird's song excepting the 

 low notes of the Empidonax acadicus^ 

 when I was almost startled by the sharp 

 chirp of a small bird which I knew at a 

 glance to be a Warbler. I instantly went 

 nearer and saw by the stripes on the head 



