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PINE-CREEPING WARBLER. 



vent feathers white. The female is brown, tinged with olive green 

 on the back ; breast dirty white, or slightly yellowish. The bill 

 in both is truly that of a Warbler ; and the tongue slender as in 

 the Motacilla genus, notwithstanding the habits of the bird. 



The food of these birds is the seeds of the pitch pine, and 

 various kinds of bugs. The nest, according to Mr. Abbot, is sus- 

 pended from the horizontal fork of a branch, and formed outwardly 

 of slips of grape-vine bark, rotten w ood, and caterpillars webs, with 

 sometimes pieces of hornets nests interwoven; and is lined with dry 

 pine leaves, and fine roots of plants. The eggs are four, white, with 

 a few dark brown spots at the great end. 



These birds, associating in flocks of 20 or 30 individuals, are 

 found in the depth of the pine Barrens ; and are easily known by 

 their manner of rising from the ground and alighting on the body 

 of the tree. They also often glean among the topmost boughs of 

 the pine trees, hanging, head downwards like the titmouse. 



