Birds of Allegany Park 285 



ous Amanita, but many edible species of Collybia, Clitocybe, Rus- 

 sula, Lactarius, Boletus, and woodland forms of Agaricus. 



Oven-bird. Seiurus aurocapilhts (Linn.) 



This bird, which is only slightly smaller than the English Spar- 

 row, is of a uniform olive-brown color on the back and wings. The 

 brown of the head is dull orange with a blackish stripe on either 

 side. The under parts are whitish, spotted or streaked on the breast 

 and sides with black. 



The Oven-bird is abundant in both types of forest in the Park. 

 It lives on the ground or among the undergrowth and lower branches, 

 preferring forest that is open and without dense underbrush. When 

 on the ground it walks in a deliberate manner, not like the walking 

 sparrows, but more like a game bird, or a hen in the barnyard. This 

 habit alone will mark it at once and should help to identify it as 

 readily as its coloring, which is not as brilliant as most of the other 

 warblers. 



Its singing is the well-known " teacher " song. Preferring not to 

 put English words to bird songs, but to write therri as they really 

 sound, I should translate it as " kadee kadee kadee kadee kadee," 

 the second syllable higher pitched than the first, longer in time, and 

 accented. The whole song usually becomes louder as the bird pro- 

 ceeds. A very different song, to be heard more commonly in early 

 summer than in spring, is usually given in flight, and is less easily 

 described. It is a varied, warbled strain, running up and down in 

 pitch and hardly ever twice alike. In the middle of it the bird 

 usually interpolates two or three of the " kadee " notes, then pauses 

 an instant as though out of breath, before finishing the song. 



The nest is placed on the ground in the forest, and is arched over 

 the top, its shape resembling an old-fashioned oven, giving the bird 

 its name. It is difficult to find unless by accident, when one almost 

 steps on it ; and the little mother, like many other ground nesters, 

 runs away with a wing dragging as though badly hurt. 



Slate-colored Junco. Junco hyemalis hy emails (Linn.) 



This little bird, a trifle smaller than the English Sparrow, is easily 

 identified by its plain gray back and breast, and the white outer tail 

 feathers and white under parts. The female is browner than the 

 male, and juveniles are streaked on the breast; but all show the 

 characteristic white in the tail. 



This is a common bird in the maple and beech forest of the 

 Park, being found most commonly about the edge of the forest or 

 along roadsides. It lives and gets its food on the ground or amid 

 the undergrowth and lower branches of the trees. 



The song of this bird is a simple trill, usually all on one pitch. 

 It is quite similar to that of the Chipping Sparrow but rather more 

 musical, and never, so far as my experience goes, with notes so fast 

 that they cannot be counted. The bird also has characteristic call 

 notes, the commonest sounding like " tetete " and the other a short 

 " tsip " used when the young or nest are threatened. 



