364 WORM-EATING WARBLER. 



finding these insects. If there be a branch broken, and the 

 leaves withered, it shoots among them in preference to every 

 other part of the tree, making a great rustling, in search of its 

 prey. I have often watched its manoeuvres while thus engaged, 

 and flying from tree to tree in search of such places. On dis- 

 section, I have uniformly found their stomachs filled with 

 spiders or caterpillars, or both. Its note is a feeble chirp, 

 rarely uttered. 



The worm-eater is five inches and a quarter in length, and 

 eight inches in extent ; back, tail, and wings, a fine clear olive ; 

 tips and inner vanes of the wing-quills, a dusky brown ; tail, 

 slightly forked, yet the exterior feathers are somewhat shorter 

 than the middle ones ; head and whole lower parts, a dirty 

 buff; the former marked with four streaks of black, one pass- 

 ing from each nostril, broadening as it descends the hind head ; 

 and one from the posterior angle of each eye ; the bill is stout, 

 straight, pretty thick at the base, roundish, and tapering to a 

 fine point ; no bristles at the side of the mouth ; tongue, thin, 

 and lacerated at the tip ; the breast is most strongly tinged 

 with the orange buff; vent, waved with dusky olive; bill, 

 blackish above, flesh coloured below ; legs and feet, a pale 

 clay colour ; eye, dark hazel. The female differs very little 

 in colour from the male. 



On this species Mr Pennant makes the following remarks : 

 — " Does not appear in Pennsylvania till July, in its passage 

 northward. Does not return the same way, but is supposed 

 to go beyond the mountains which lie to the west. This 

 seems to be the case with all the transient vernal visitants of 

 Pennsylvania." * That a small bird should permit the whole 

 spring, and half of the summer, to pass away before it thought 

 of " passing to the north to breed," is a circumstance, one should 

 think, would have excited the suspicion of so discerning a 

 naturalist as the author of " Arctic Zoology," as to its truth. 

 I do not know that this bird breeds to the northward of the 

 United States. As to their returning home by " the country 

 * Arctic Zoology, p. 406. 



