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THE PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 



Sylvia Protonotarius, Lath. 

 PLATE III. Male and Female. 



I never saw this pretty bird in any of our eastern districts, and rarely 

 farther up the Ohio than Louisville, in the neighbourhood of wliich place 

 it rears its young. Louisiana seems in fact better suited to its habits 

 than any other state, on account of its numerous lakes, creeks and lagoons, 

 overshadowed by large trees, and which are favourite places of resort for 

 this species. It is fond of flying over the water of these creeks and la- 

 goons, and is seldom seen in the woods. Its flight is rapid, and more 

 steady than is usual in birds of its genus ; and as it moves along, the 

 brightness of its colours attracts the eye. On alighting, it moves rapidly 

 along the twigs, partly sidewise, frequently turning about and extending 

 its neck to look under the leaves, from which it picks various kinds of 

 insects. It often perches upon the rank grasses and water plants, in 

 quest of minute molluscous animals which creep upon them, and which, 

 together with small land snails, I have found in its stomach. It does not 

 perform sorties, or sally forth after flying insects, as many other Warblers 

 are in the habit of doing. It has a few notes for its song, which possess 

 no interest. The males, when chasing each other, keep up a creaking 

 noise, until the little battle is over, when they perch and balance their 

 body with much grace and livehness. 



I have observed their arrival in Louisiana to take place, according to 

 the state of the weather, from the middle of March to the first of April. 

 At Henderson, in Kentucky, they do not arrive until a month later. 

 They remain until October, but, I am inclined to believe, rear only a sin- 

 gle brood in a season. The nest is fixed in the fork of a small twig bend- 

 ing over the water, and is constructed of slender grasses, soft mosses, and 

 fine fibrous roots. The number of eggs is from four to six. I could 

 never ascertain whether the male assists in incubation, as the difference 

 of plumage in the sexes is not perceptible when the bird is at large, and 

 indeed can hardly be traced when one has procured the male and the fe- 

 male for comparison. It cannot be called a plentiful species. To search 



