332 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Haunts and habits. The haunts of the Prothonotary warbler are in 

 the swampy forests of the Mississippi valley and kindred localities. The 

 bird observed at Ithaca was in the partly flooded swampland at the head 

 of Cayuga lake. It builds its nest in hollow trees and deserted woodpecker 

 or chickadee holes, usually not far above the stagnant water of the swamp. 

 In activity and restlessness it has few equals. Its food is usually sought 

 low down among the thickets, logs and debris which has been deposited 

 in the swamp during the floods of spring. Its flight is similar to that of 

 the water thrush " remarkably swift, firm and decided." Its note resembles 

 somewhat the call of the Solitary sandpiper, the commonest syllables 

 being a simple " peet, tweet, tweet, tweet." A common tschip of recognition 

 occurs when the birds meet each other among the foliage. The song is 

 of startling intensity when compared with the notes of most of our common 

 warblers. The alarm or distress note is similar to that of the Louisiana 

 water thrush. (See Brewster, N. O. C. Bui. 3:153.) 



Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmelin) 

 Worm-eating Warbler 



Plate g2 



Motacilla vermivora Gmelin. Syst. Nat. 1789. 1:951 



Vermivorapennsylvanica DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 82, fig. 124 

 Helmitheros vermivorus A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. igio. p. 306. 

 No. 639 



helmitherus, Gr., worm-hunter; vermivorus, Lat., worm-eating 



Description. Sexes alike; crown conspicuously streaked with hlack and 

 light buff or olive buff. These streaks are, 3 buffy, i median and the other 

 2 just above the eyes; the black streaks are 4, 2 on the sides of the crown 

 and 2 through the eyes. Upper parts olive green; under parts creamy huff; 

 white around the throat; no white wing bars or tail spots. 



Length 5.5 inches; extent 8.75; wing 2.78; tail 2.05; bill .39; tarsus .7. 



Distribution. This warbler inhabits eastern North America from 

 northern Illinois, western Pennsylvania, and the lower Hudson and Con- 

 necticut valleys, south to Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia and the mountains ' 

 of South Carolina, wintering from Chiapas to Panama, and sometim-cs in 



