274 
BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA 
yellow ; lower tail-coverts, lining of wings, some feathers about anus and inner webs 
of most tail feathers white ; rest of upper parts generally olive green, wings and tail 
lead color. Length about 5§; extent about 9g. 
Habitat .—Eastern United States, chiefly southward ; in winter, Cuba and Central 
America. 
Yery rare and irregular visitor. A few specimens, probably about ten, 
have been captured during the last twenty-five years in the southeastern 
part of the state. I have taken two specimens, one in midsummer the 
other in May, in Chester county; a few individuals have been taken at 
irregular intervals either in spring, summer or fall in Philadelphia and 
Delaware counties. A male of this species, in the museum at Lancaster 
city, was taken some years ago in Lancaster county, in the summer. 
Genus HELMITHERUS Rafinesque. 
Helmitherus vermivorus (Gmel.). 
Worm-eating Warbler. 
Description {Plate 94 ). 
The bill nearly as long as head, is quite large, stout and sharp-pointed ; maxilla 
blackish-brown; lower mandible, also legs and feet much lighter in color; the 
rictal bristles absent; bill unnotched. Plumage of upper parts greenish-olive ; 
head has seven longitudinal stripes, to wit: two black on crown, divided by a 
brownish-yellow mediam stripe, on either side of these black stripes extending 
from nostrils back over and beyond are brownish-yellow stripes (one on each side) 
and back of the eye is a black stripe (each side) alongside of crown ; dusky spot in 
front of eye; upper surface of wings and tail olivaceous; lower surface paler; tail 
and wings unmarked; lower parts pale brownish-yellow or buffy, palest on chin 
and middle of belly; sides very similar to back but less greenish. Length (male) 
about 5^ ; extent 8£ ; wing about 3; tail about 2; bill a little over .60; tarsus .70. 
The female is usually a trifle smaller. 
Habitat. —Eastern United States, north to southern New York and southern New 
England, south in winter to Cuba and Central America. 
The Worm-eating Warbler arrives in Pennsylvania about the first 
week in May and remains here until September. I once captured a 
specimen in Dauphin county on the 15th of September, and another in 
Franklin county on the 20th of September, but usually the bird is sel¬ 
dom seen here after the first of the month named. This warbler is 
generally found on or near the ground. I have never seen one high in 
trees, but have often observed them in bushes or on the lower limbs of 
trees. I believe that two broods are frequently reared in a season in 
this locality. During its residence with us this interesting and unsus¬ 
picious haunter of thickets and woods is very generally dispersed through¬ 
out the state, but in no section of the commonwealth does it occur more 
plentifully than in the southeastern counties, especially in portions of 
Chester county, where, doubtless, more nests and eggs have been taken 
by Messrs. Thomas H. Jackson, Josiali Hoopes and Samuel B. Ladd, 
all of West Chester, Penna., than in any other (perhaps all other parts) 
