642 Field Museum of Natural History- — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



Genus HELMITHEROS Rafinesque. 



303. Helmitheros vermivorus (Gmel.). 

 Worm-eating Warbler. 



Distr.: Eastern United States, west to Nebraska and Texas and 

 north to southern New England, Indiana, Illinois, and Nebraska; 

 breeds throughout its United States range ; south in winter to the 

 Bahamas, Cuba, Jamaica, Central America, and northern South 

 America. 



Adult: Crown, black, divided in centre by a broad tawny buff 

 stripe; a tawny buff stripe over the eye and a black stripe through 



the eye; back and tail, olive 

 green; primaries, fuscous, edged 

 with olive green ; no wing bars ; 

 under parts, buffy; whitish or 

 buffy white on belly and throat. 

 Sexes similar. 



Length, 5.50; wing, 2.70; 

 tail, 2 ; bill, .48. 



The Worm-eating Warbler 

 is a common summer resident 

 in southern Illinois and rare in 

 northern Illinois and southern 

 Wisconsin. Mr. E. W. Nelson procured a specimen at Waukegan on 

 May 21, 1876, and Mr. R. W. Chaney informs me he observed an 

 adult male in Jackson Park, Chicago, on May 11, 1908. 



Dr. Hoy states (Racine, 1852): "A few nest in this section." 

 Regarding this statement Messrs. Kumlien and Hollistfer say: "As we 

 remember it, he (Dr. Hoy) procured but three specimens in all, and 

 knowing it to be a southern species supposed, of course, that it bred, 

 if it occurred there at all." Thure Kumlien procured two speci- 

 mens at Lake Koshkonong. (Birds of Wisconsin, 1903, p. 109.) 



It breeds commonly in southern Illinois. The nest is on the 

 ground among dead leaves and is composed of fern stems, shreds of 

 bark, and leaves. The eggs are 3 to 5, cream white, finely speckled 

 chiefly at the larger end with brown, and measure about .69 x .51 

 inches. 



