MOURNING WARBLER. 251 
“At times.the Great-crested Flycatcher was heard uttering his whistling croak. 
Besides this the only noticeable sound was the clear song of a Warbler. It may be 
suggested by the syllables beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher-beecher. It is like the 
song of the Golden-crowned Thrush, but differs in being in the same pitch throughout, 
instead of beginning in a whisper and increasing the emphasis and strength with each 
pair of notes to the last. Guided by the sound, I found the bird high in the tamaracks. 
It was not shy like the Wood Warblers, so it was easily secured. It proved to bea 
male Connecticut Warbler. As I went on, a small bird suddenly sprung from one of the 
grave-like moss-mounds. It seemed distressed, and ran along with its wings held up, 
like a-Plover just alighting. On seeing that I would not be decoyed away, it ran 
around me in the same attitude. Recognizing that it was the Connecticut Warbler.... 
I sought out the nest in the moss. It was entirely composed of dry grass, and sunken 
level with the surface. The eggs, four in number, measured .75%.56 inch.’’ They were 
of a delicate creamy-white color, with a few spots of lilac-purple, brown, and black, 
inclined to form a ring around the larger end. 
This Warbler inhabits eastern North America, breeding north of the United States. 
DESCRIPTION: ‘‘Olive-green, becoming ashy on the head; below, from the breast, yellow, olive-shaded on 
the sides; chin, throat, and breast, brownish ash; a whitish ring round eye; wings and tail, unmarked, 
glossed with olive; under mandible and feet, pale; no decided markings anywhere. 
“Length, 5.50 inches; wing, 2.75; tail, 2.00 inches. In spring birds the ash of the head, throat, | 
aud breast is quite pure, and then the resemblance to Geothlypis philadelphia is close.” (Coues.) 
MOURNING WARBLER. 
Geothlypis philadelphia Batrv. 
PuLateE XIII. Fic. 7. 
N MAY 16, 1882, early in the morning, I was rambling about, as I often did, in 
the forest lands near West Yegua Creek, Texas, observing the ways and lays of 
the woodland songsters. The birds of passage had left for their northern breeding 
grounds, and the summer residents were busily engaged in nest-building or taking care 
of their young. The woods resounded with the thousand-voiced choir of happy songsters. 
The ground underneath the trees appeared as though a many colored carpet had been 
spread over it. Phlox, coreopsis, gaillardias, and many other beautiful flowers gave 
the landscape a charming aspect. The trees, garlanded with wild grape vines, trumpet 
creepers, and occasionally festooned with grayish-green lichens', had put forth, almost 
eight weeks ago, their richest hue of green. Among the lichens Parula Warblers were 
seen in numbers, while Hummingbirds were whirring and hovering about the clusters of 
orange-tinted trumpet flowers. Entirely absorbed in contemplating all this rich forest 
life, the many beautiful plants, the choir of jubilant songsters, among whom the 
1 Usnea barbata, 
