WORM-EATING WARBLER 51 



retired thickets in the woods along water courses, and seldom or 

 never found in the high open groves. They keep much on the ground, 

 where they walk about rather slowly, searching for their food among 

 the dried leaves. In general appearance they are quite unique, and 1 

 rarely failed to identify one with an instant's glance, so very peculiar 

 are all their attitudes and motions. 



"The tail is habitually carried at an elevation considerably above 

 the line of the back, which gives them quite a smart, jaunty air, and 

 if the dorsal aspect be exposed in a clear light, the peculiar marking 

 of the crown is quite conspicuous. Seen as they usually are, however, 

 dimly flitting ahead through the gloom and shadow of the thickets, 

 the impression received is that of a dark little bird which vanishes 

 unaccountably before your very eyes, leaving you quite uncertain 

 where to look for it next; indeed, I hardly know a more difficult 

 bird to procure, for the slightest noise sends it darting off through 

 the woods at once. Occasionally you will come upon one winding 

 around the trunk of some small tree, exactly in the manner of 

 Mniotilta varia, moving out along the branches with nimble motion, 

 peering alternately under the bark on either side, and anon returning 

 to the main stem, perhaps in the next instant to hop back to the 

 ground again. On such occasions they rarely ascend to the height 

 of more than eight or ten feet. The males are very quarrelsome, 

 '■basing one another through the woods with loud, sharp chirpings, 

 careering with almost inconceivable velocity up among the tops of the 

 highest oaks, or darting among the thickets with interminable doub- 

 lings, until the pursuer, growing tired of the chase, alights on some 

 low twig or old mossy log, and in token of his victory, utters a 

 warble so feeble that you must be very near to catch it at all, a 

 sound like that produced by striking two pebbles very quickly and 

 gently together, or the song of Spisella socialis heard at a distance, 

 and altogether a very indifferent performance." (Brewster^.) 



5oM^.— The resemblance of the Worm-eater's song to that of 

 the Chipping Sparrow is so great that few describers of it fail to com- 

 ment on the similarity. 



Mr. W. DeW. Miller of Plainsfield, New Jersey, tells me that he 

 has on two occasions heard a flight song from this species. It is 

 described by him as much more varied and musical than the ordinary 

 song, though lacking in strength. It was given as the bird flew 

 through the woods at an even level, not rising above the tree-tops, 

 as does the Oven-bird and other flight singers. 



