217 

 The Ovexbird. 



In early morning, during spring and summer, the wood- 

 land resounds with the loud, vibrant songs of Ovenbirds, — 



"teacher-teacher-teacher " repeated many times and 



giving the species the local name of "Teacher-bird". It is 

 also very commonly known as the Golden-crowned Thrush 

 because it has a dull, orange-yellow stripe on the crown and 

 because the rest of the coloration is thrush-like. The rea- 

 son for the name of Ovenbird is rather obscure to the be- 

 ginner in bird study until he or she has discovered one of 

 their nests. 



One morning, as we approached a pretty bit of woodland, 

 above the sweet voices of numerous other songsters, we 

 heard the loud chanting of an Ovenbird. Ere the last 

 notes of his ditty had been uttered, the song was taken up 

 and continued by other Ovenbirds in distant parts of the 

 woods. Usually nests of these birds are found by flushing 

 the sitting bird, the present instance being the onlj^ one 

 in which I ever discovered the nest of an Ovenbird before 

 seeing the owner. We had barely entered the woods before 

 I noticed a slight elevation of the leaves ahead of us. In- 

 stinctively the thought came to mind that it was a nest ; ap- 

 proaching carefully, we stooped and looked under the arch- 

 ing top. Greatly disturbed by this undesired curiosity the 

 owner, an Ovenbird of course, dashed out and from a 

 branch close at hand scolded us roundly. 



It was a fine type of the nest of this species ; the top was 

 strongly arched over, so much so that the eggs could barely 

 be seen. Concluding that, as we had discovered the little 

 oven so easil}', others might do the same, we made a picture 

 of the nest and eggs and then set the camera so as to 

 get a picture of the returning bird, although the light in 

 the shady woods was very poor for quick exposures. As 

 soon as we were concealed within the tent the Ovenbird 

 ceased her anxious chirping, hopped down on the ground 



