THE BLACK AND WHITE CREEPING WARBLER^ 



HIS sprightly little bird is met 

 with in various sections of the 

 country. It occurs in all parts 

 of New England and New 

 York, and has been found in the inter- 

 ior as far north as Fort Simpson. It 

 is common in the Bahamas and most 

 of the West India Islands, generally as 

 a migrant ; in Texas, in the Indian 

 Territory, in Mexico, and throughout 

 eastern America. 



Dr. Coues states that this warbler is 

 a very common summer resident near 

 Washington, the greater number going 

 farther north to breed. They arrive 

 there during the first week in April 

 and are exceedingly numerous until 

 May. 



In its habits this bird seems to be 

 more of a creeper than a Warbler. It 

 is an expert and nimble climber, and 

 rarely, if ever, perches on the branch 

 of a tree or shrub. In the manner of 

 the smaller Woodpecker, the Creepers, 

 Nuthatches, and Titmice, it moves 

 rapidly around the trunks and larger 

 limbs of the trees of the forest in search 

 of small insects and their larvae. It 

 is graceful and rapid in movement, 

 and is often so intent upon its hunt as 

 to be unmindful of the near presence 

 of man. 



It is found chiefly in thickets, where 

 its food is most easily obtained, and 

 has been known to breed in the im- 

 mediate vicinity of a dwelling. 



The song of this Warbler is sweet 

 and pleasing. It begins to sing from 

 its first appearance in May and con- 

 tinues to repeat its brief refrain at 



intervals almost until its departure in 

 August and September. At first it is 

 a monotonous ditty, says Nuttall, 

 uttered in a strong but shrill and filing 

 tone. These notes, as the season ad- 

 vances, become more mellow and 

 warbling. 



The Warbler's movements in search 

 of food are very interesting to the 

 observer. Keeping the feet together 

 they move in a succession of short, 

 rapid hops up the trunks of trees and 

 along the limbs, passing again to the 

 bottom by longer flights than in the 

 ascent. They make but short flight 

 from tree to tree, but are capable of 

 flying far when they choose. 



They build on the ground. One 

 nest containing young about a week 

 old was found on the surface of shelv- 

 ing rock. It was made of coarse strips 

 of bark, soft decayed leaves, and dry 

 grasses, and lined with a thin layer of 

 black hair. The parents fed their 

 young in the presence of the observer 

 with affectionate attention, and showed 

 no uneasiness, creeping head down- 

 ward about the trunks of the neigh- 

 boring trees, and carrying large smooth 

 caterpillars to their young. 



They search the crevices in the 

 bark of the tree trunks and branches, 

 look among the undergrowth, and 

 hunting along the fenced for bunches of 

 eggs, the buried larvae of the insects, 

 which when undisturbed, hatch out 

 millions of creeping, crawling, and 

 flying things that devastate garden 

 and orchard and every crop of the field. 



14 



