1870, 
Sop 
18 ‘ 
71 
164 
Oporonis agilis 
Niddlaspx County, Hass. 
Th 0 first 
bor 8, by Hor.shav;. 
pocirion talcon in tlio Haplo S^./arnp Soptnm— 
On tho 9th ho shot so'/or, on tlio 
lOtli t u'9o. Tiioy contiiuiod abundai..t horo till tho 26t'- 
on tliG 27th vfG sav: tAYo, on tho 28th threo, on tho :.;9th 
a siir le bird, t?Ao last. Soino days this SAYanp soonod 
alive v/ith them; vyo repeat odly shot tvnolve or thirteen 
!i in a day, and tlioy v/ould be as abundant as oYer th'O next 
i' ®2ciynin^;. A fev/ v/ero found in neighboring sv/amps but 
i! the Maple Sv/amp was evidently the favorite haunt. This 
ii Warbler is at all times lethargic and inactive spending 
j| raueh of . its time on the ground, v/hore it moves about with 
ij gi eat delibera. bion. Its gait is a firm, quick './alk rory 
|j liiio tnat of th^ Oven Bird. When sto,rted it flies a 
f.jw yai ds and alights on some lov/ branchy sitting silent 
and motionless in a \Yatchful attitude like a Thrush. 
You must shoot the moment after it alights for upon*your 
slightest ^further rnovornont, either forward or backwards 
bhe bird disappears in the recesses of tl-o sAYarnp vnhere ' 
It is useless to look for it. It is very tender and " 
easily orouglit do’Yn by tlio sligntest AYound but unless 
killoa it is apt to cravYl into some hole often, poi.iOtra- 
ting several foot under ground. I repeatedly s&vr these 
warblers s-.vallo'w AYorms and larvae of such size as to 
cause thorn much trouble. As many- as five or six 
individuals are frequently found AYithin the space of a 
few square rods, each ho'..'cv.'r acting inden-rni er.tly o'" 
the other when started. On dark rainy days ayo often 
iouna tneso \7arblers in tho tops of t'e trees /h-r- tb-v 
passed freely from one, tree to anotaer, and eUn took'""' 
ong t lights across t'le open meadovY to tlio Wil i ov/s bor-- 
dering the. neighboring Turnpike. At such tim^s we " 
judged t.vem to bo migrating. The only note lYhich i/e 
heard, v/as a sharp, petulant jbchip; this was rarely 
iluteerod except early in the morning or ^Aion bh e bird 
startled or excited. 
On one occa,sion 
’was 
joined a number of Sparrov/s v/hich v/orc 
pair oi 
tnem 
mobbing a Long- 
earea Owl. reiterating their sharp notes with unusual 
|| vehemence. At all tiroes this s.eecies is easilv dis-in- 
|,guishable from G.j;ri^ by its slow deliborato“movements 
attituue ’When perched. its flight is 
il-v/ift and graceful and vdion on the wing it --s-’blos tho 
UVator Thruah. All tht v.o killed si fial'aa bo 
...xinnod oi.ly „i tl, groat dif ficulty. Son,-, birdo had not 
1 onli.' the body but 
Von 
ohe head, neck, and 'wings incased 
‘’’■'-nt: scarcely h.lo to 
iml^s. spodinons .Ullod only six wore adult 
13. il 
Started ihroe and shot one 
Thr 'e. 
On o. 
On e. 
Shot seven, two adult male 
in the maolo 
Siwamp. 
