The Black and White Creeper. 



{Mniotilta varia.) 



June 16th, I found a nest of the Black 

 and White Creeper containing five young 

 birds, one of them evidently a Cowbird. I 

 was in the woods the day previous with 

 my little son who is very fond of birds, 

 and after showing him several nests of 

 Vireos, Redstarts and Golden-crowned 

 Thrushes, I heard a loud, energetic alarm 

 note repeated over and over again. I soon 

 discovered a pair of Creepers in a very ex- 

 cited frame of mind. I watched them for 

 a few minutes and as it was growing dark 

 I resolved to visit that i^articular locality 

 the next morning, feeling sure that they 



had a nest there, and that I could find it. 

 Seven o'clock the following morning found 

 me in the woods again, and the birds were 

 also there, apparently as deeply interested 

 in my movements as I was in theirs. I 

 hunted around for an hour or so without 

 success and then retired from the scene of 

 action and waited awhile, hoping the female 

 would retura to her nest and that I should 

 be successful in flushing her later. 



They were evidently bound not to be 

 caught napping, for upon my return they 

 were scolding away as earnestly as ever. 

 As I was about to leave them to their 

 chosen soUtude, feeling that they had out- 

 witted me, I saw a small dead bird lying 

 upon the ground, and as I stooped to ex- 

 amine it, I discovered the long looked for 

 nest. It was jjlaoed near the top of a 

 gently sloping hill, by the side of the trimk 

 of a young oak, and was quite well con- 

 cealed. It was composed almost wholly of 

 dried grasses and was not a bit too large. 

 The five occupants completely filled it, and 

 the young Cowbird realizing (apparently) 

 that he was an intruder and feeUng ashamed 

 of being caught imposing upon such small 

 fry, gave a bound and a lusty chirp, and 

 walked off. The little Creepers followed 

 the example of their big foster-brother, and 

 soon all was confusion. The parent birds 

 hearing the cries of their young were at my 

 side in an instant, chirping piteously and 

 trailing theii' beautiful wings as if trying to 

 induce me to reach for them. They were 

 within my reach several times, and by their 

 excited actions and droll performances they 

 seemed to say as plainly as if by words, 

 "Please don't hurt our babies. Take us." 



In all my biixTs nesting experience, I 

 have never witnessed a more tender and 

 beautiful exhibition of the love of parent 

 birds for then- helpless young. 



Although my collection of eggs was not 

 enriched by this find, yet the experience 

 was one that will always be pleasantly re- 

 membered. — Ohas. Edio. Prior, J&wett 

 City, Conn. O.&O. IX.S«pt.lB84.p./<?f 



, Having safely dis- " 



posed of this last find we resumed our tramp, 

 and had not gone fifty feet when another 

 bird arose from almost under our feet. This 

 time it was the Black and Wliite W arbler 

 (Mniotilta varia), who fluttered lamely off, us- 

 ing all the tactics peculiar to many of the 

 ground-builders when flushed from the nest. 

 Paying no attention to her we devoted our- 

 selves to a searcli for the nest, and in a few mo- 



Pol. Jt^ ^Uin. 



Ulaiik null Wliili- ( •rr, ( Minuinin raria.) ^ An- 

 other spccifs I hat our ( ilicstcr Cniujty lists have 

 correctly icfogni/ed as conujiou migrant 

 but novel- as a summer resident, is the Black and 

 White Creeper. Recently however I had infor- 

 mation that a nest and eggs of this species had 

 been taken in our County, and upon investio-a- 

 tiou learned that Mi-. W. S. Everett, of Willis- 

 town Township, was the fortunate discoverer 

 of this the first set of eggs ever taken here. 



Mr. Everett, though (luite a young ornitholo- 

 gist, made liis find doubly sure, by securing the 

 female, and carefully pre.serving the nest— all of 

 which he has kindly loaned to me, together with 

 complete da ta. 



The eggs, four in number, liave a ground col- 

 or of pure white, but are so thickly covered with 

 rich brown markings, raingleil at the greater 

 end with blotches of a dark lilac hi; j, as to al- 

 most hide the white, and to give them a strong 

 I'esemlilanoe to a lightly rnarkerl set of the Pro" 

 thonotory warbler (P/v*/, /,, . /ovv/.) They 

 diller however in not I , ;. i;.-ht, glossy 

 surface of the eggs of tlmi ip.-i ies. The meas- 

 urements of the four eggs are .(jSx.52 ; .08x.53 ; 

 .70x.6a ; and .OTx.S;!. 



The nest was placed at the foot of a dead 

 stump, sheltei-ed by protecting nooks, though 

 open above, and without cover. Jt was slightly 

 imbedded in the ground, and its base was com- 

 I posed of dry leaves. 



j The entire outside is constructed of long strips 

 I of grape-vine bark, wound around it. The in- 

 side lining is of horse hair, and hog bristles. 

 The cup of the nest is quite large for the bird. 



The location of the nest was on a hillside cov- 

 ered with a small growth of Chestnut and Span- 

 ish oak. 



More recently I have had additional evidence 

 that the RlfloU n,iri wiiite Creeper is a regular 



Qirda of Bayou Sara, La.. Observed 

 April 1-23. bjC.W.BectiUara 



I saw but three or four Black-and-white Warblers, but was " 

 fortunate enough to find a nest on the 33d, containing four partly 

 incubated eggs. It was on the ground on a densely wooded hill- 

 side, loosely constructed of dead leaves, etc., and was roofed over 

 so as to be completely sheltered from tlie rain. The female did 

 not leave her nest until I was within two or three feet of her, 

 when siie flew to the ground feigning lameness, but this old and 

 pathetic subterfuge had just the opposite etTect it was intended to 

 have. The nest was admirably concealed and would never have 

 been found had not the bird itself indicated its location. 



e, of last year, while 

 ,? North Valley hills in 

 my friends, a nest con- 

 out one week old, was 

 ;entlempii with me. It 

 respect of location and 

 taken by Mr. Everett, 

 feeding the young while 

 by, showing but little 

 Later in the day we 

 ug a brood of young 

 • from bush to bush. 

 ;hey breed earlier than 

 The eggs of these two 

 aid by the middle of 



/«vtik, 4, Oct. 1887, ».301, 



tl, Feb. 1887. p. 2^; 



