BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER (Mniotilta varia).

Length, about 4 inches. Easily known by its streaked black and white plumage.

Range: Eastern North America. Breeds from central Mackenzie, southern Keewatin, northern Ontario, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick to eastern Texas, Louisiana, central Alabama and northern Georgia, west to South Dakota; winters in Florida and from Colima and Nuevo Leon to Colombia, Ecuador and Venezuela.

A warbler in form and general make-up, a creeper by profession and practice, this readily identified species, in its striped suit of black and white, may be observed in any bit of eastern woodland. Here it fits from tree to tree or climbs over the trunks and branches, scanning every crack and cranny for the insects that constitute its chief food. Though not a lover of open country, it frequently visits the orchard, where it performs its part in the task of keeping insect life within due bounds. It nests on the ground and hides its domicile so skillfully that it is not often found. None of the warblers are noted as songsters, but the black and white creeper, as I like best to call it, emits a series of thin wiry notes which we may call a song by courtesy only. In scrambling over the trunks of trees it finds and devours many long-horned beetles, the parents of the destructive root-borers; it also finds weevils, ants and spiders.

YELLOW WARBLER (Dendroica æstiva and

races).

Length, little more than 5 inches. Mostly yellow, breast and belly streaked with reddish brown.

Range: North America, breeding generally throughout its range south to California, New Mexico, Missouri and northern South Carolina; winters in Central and South America.

The yellow bird," or wild canary, as it is sometimes called, is one of the commonest of the warbler tribe, and ranges over a vast extent of territory, being found here and there from ocean to ocean. Unlike some of its relatives, it prefers open thickets, especially of willows, to thick woodland, and often builds its pretty nest by the roadside or in garden shrubbery. Though not an expert musician, the yellow warbler sings early and often, and in zeal makes up what it lacks in quality of voice. Because its nest is easily found by the initiated, this warbler is often victimized by the infamous cowbird and is forced to bring up one, or even two, young cowbirds in place of its own rightful progeny. It is pleasant to be able to record the fact that sometimes the clever warbler knows enough,-how it knows it is another matter, to evade the unwelcome responsibilities thus thrust upon it, and builds a platform over the alien egg and then continues its domestic affairs as originally planned. Indeed cases are on record when two cowbirds' eggs have been found in a nest, each covered up by a separate layer of nest material. If this is not intelligence of a high order, how else can we characterize it? The food of this warbler consists almost exclusively of harmful insects, including the black olive scale.

(See Biol. Surv. Bul. 17, p. 20 et seq.; also Bul. 29.)

AUDUBON'S WARBLER (Dendroica
auduboni).

Length, about 5 inches. Much like the yellowrump but with yellow crown and throat patch.

Range: Breeds from central British Columbia, Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan to our southern border, cast to South Dakota and Nebraska; winters from California and Texas, south to Guatemala.

America is particularly favored by the presence of the beautiful wood warbler family, the members of which are excelled by few birds in symmetry of form, pleasing coloration and graceful motions. They are also of highly beneficial habits. No member of the wood warbler family is more characteristic of the group than this beautiful bird. In voice, coloration, and habits it is almost the counterpart of the yellow-rump of the eastern states, for which indeed it might easily be mistaken were it not for its yellow throat, the corresponding area in the yellow-rump being white. It summers in the mountains and shows off to advantage against the dark foliage of the pines. It seems to have little fear of man and in winter frequents orchards, gardens, and dooryards. Wherever it may be it keeps up an incessant hunt for its insect food, in the pursuit of which, like many others of its family, it sometimes essays the role of flycatcher, being very expert and nimble on the wing. This warbler also devours large numbers of ants, flies, scale and plant lice, and various noxious beetles and bugs. (See Biol. Surv. Bul. 30, pp. 43-46).

REDSTART (Setophaga ruticilla).

Length, nearly 5 inches. To be distinguished from other warblers by its coloration and its motions. (See below.)

Range: Breeds from central British Columbia and eastern Canada to Washington, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma and North Carolina; winters in the West Indies and from Mexico to Ecuador.

Its beauty of form and plumage and its graceful motions place this dainty bird at the head of our list of wood warblers-a place of distinction indeed. The bird appears to be the incarnation of animated motion and fairly dances its way through the forest. Spanish imagination has coined a suggestive and fitting name for the redstart, candelita, the little "torch bearer." The full appropriateness of the name appears as the graceful creature flits through the greenery, displaying the salmon-colored body and the bright wing and tail patches. The redstart is not unknown in some parts of the west, but it is essentially a bird of the eastern states, where it is a common inhabitant of open woodland districts. The wood warblers are not our most artful architects, and in this respect the redstart does not depart from the traditions of its kind. While it builds a rather neat and compact structure of strips of bark, plant fibres and the like, placing it in a sapling not far from the ground, the nest is not the thing of beauty one might be led to expect from such a fairy-like creature. Ornamental as the redstart is, it possesses other claims on our gratitude, for it is a most active and untiring hunter of insects, such as spittle insects, tree-hoppers and leaf-hoppers, and both orchard and forest trees are benefited by the unceasing warfare it wages.

(See Biol. Surv. Bull. 17, p. 20 et seq.)

INDIGO BUNTING (Passerina cyanea).

Length, about 5 inches. The male is easily identified by the rich blue color, with black wings and tail. The female is warm brown.

Range: Breeds from eastern North Dakota, central Minnesota, northwestern Michigan, southern Ontario and southern New Brunswick to central Texas, southern Louisiana, central Alabama and central Georgia; winters from southern Mexico to Panama.

The indigo bird is the brightest colored sparrow that visits the north, but one can hardly believe that the sprightly dandy, clad in his rich blue suit, is the mate of the inconspicuous brown bird that seeks assiduously to conceal herself in the leafy cover, as though a bit ashamed of the contrast between her working suit and the holiday garb of her spouse. The indigo is a frequenter of sprout land, of brushy thickets and of open woodland, and the male is fond of singing his cheerful lay from the topmost twig of a tall shrub or tree, as though challenging the world to produce his equal. For such a dainty bird, the nest is a singularly inartistic structure and very carelessly built. It is placed in the crotch of some low leafy bush and is not at al difficult to find.

The fine feathers of the male are not the only claim of the indigo bird to our interest. Its food consists largely of weed seed, but it eats many insects. including a goodly proportion of grasshoppers and caterpillars.

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW (Zonotrichia albicollis).

Length, about 63 inches. The white throat and yellow before the eye are its distinguishing colors.

Range: Over most of eastern North America. Breeds in much of Canada south to southern Montana, central Minnesota, central Wisconsin and in the mountains of northern Pennsylvania, New York and Massachusetts; winters south of the Ohio.

This is one of the bird lovers' favorites, as well it may be. Its beautifully variegated plumage, its jaunty ways, its familiarity and its sweet and plaintive whistle all combine to commend the bird to our interest. In the fall it comes to us in large flocks associated with other species, especially juncos aud various other sparrows. The peabody bird" is singularly prodigal of its sweet song, and the young white-throats begin to try their voices in the fall as if practicing for the more exacting demands of spring. When a number join in the fall chorus the result is singularly sweet and inspiring. Many a camper in the north woods, as he lies in his blanket under the stars, pays tribute to the sweet voices of this songster, as it is borne on the midnight air to his ears from some leafy retreat.

The food habits of this sparrow give it a place among the farmers' friends. It is a great destroyer of weed seed and is especially fond of those of ragweed and bindweed. In the cotton belt, where many white-throats winter, it includes among its insect food the boll weevil.

LAZULI BUNTING (Passerina amona).

Length, from 5 to 51⁄2 inches. Male blue above, breast brownish; wing bars white. Female brownish. Range Breeds from southern British Columbia, southern Alberta, southeastern Saskatchewan and western North Dakota to southern California and southwestern Texas; winters in Mexico.

The lazuli finch is a near relative of the indigo bunting and the nonpareil, and its habits are in a general way very similar. There is the same disparity between the dress of the sexes, the color of the female being comparatively dull and homely. The male, however, is a gay plumaged dandy in his suit of turquoise blue, and is likely to surprise the stranger who meets him for the first time, since his colors suggest a tropical setting and are somewhat out of keeping with his surroundings. Notwithstanding his fine feathers, he is not so fond of displaying himself as is his cousin, the indigo bird, but seems to think that the cover of brush and chapparral is essential to his safety. The lazuli finch is a cheerful singer, and its song may be heard at frequent intervals. This song is vivacious and pleasing and the Easterner who hears it for the first time will have no difficulty in guessing at the identity of the chorister, from the resemblance of his lay to the ditty of the indigo bird.

We know comparatively little about the food habits of this finch. It is known, however, that it is a confirmed seed eater and also devours many insects.

SLATE-COLORED JUNCO (Junco hyemalis).

Length, about 6 inches. Prevailing color grayish slate, belly white; outer tail feathers tipped with white.

Range: Breeds in much of Alaska and Canada and in the mountains of New York, Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, while a nearly related form (the Carolina Junco) breeds in the southern Alleghenies; winters throughout the eastern states to the Gulf.

Only one junco inhabits the eastern United States, but several species live in the west. All of the members of the group resemble each other in a general way and all have similar habits. Most of us know the junco only in the fall and when, after having summered in the mountains of the more northern districts, the birds gather in large flocks and forsake high altitudes for more congenial surroundings. The junco associates with other sparrows, usually far outnumbering them, but its slate-colored plumage and white tail feathers reveal its presence unmistakably. Its familiar "tsip," may be easily recognized among the medley of notes, but its low sweet song is to be heard at its best only in its alpine home. Nevertheless, as the late migrants shape their course for the northern woods, it is not uncommon to hear the males of a flock burst into song, as if they really could not be content to remain silent any longer. When snow is on the ground the juncos are often hard pushed for food and on such occasions a flock will readily respond to an invitation to visit the dooryard and dine on table crumbs or small seeds of any kind.

The junco is one of our most persistent grass and weed seed eaters and in winter and spring seeds constitute much the greater part of its fare. Taking the year around about one-fourth of its food consists of insects, including leaf beetles, weevils, caterpillars, grasshoppers and many others.

(See Biol. Surv. Bul. 15, pp. 80-82.)

BLACK FLYCATCHER; PHAINOPEPLA (Phainopepla nitens).

Length, about 7 inches. The glossy black color and marked crest of the male and the brownish gray of the female, also crested, distinguish this species.

Range: Breeds from central California, Nevada, Utah, and southwestern Texas southward; winters from southern California southward.

Though a distant relative of the cedar bird, the phainopepla differs markedly from that species both in appearance and habits. It is known to fow, for it lives chiefly in the desert country of the southwest, though it is not wholly a stranger in the parks and gardens of that region. When flying the white wingpatch becomes conspicuous and distinguishes the bird from all others. In the fall it is not unusual to find it in loose flocks the members of which are drawn temporarily together, perhaps by the abundance of some favorite food. Like the cedar bird, it is essentially a berry eater, and in California sometimes makes free of the cherry crop. Its chief dependence, however, is the mistletoe, the mucilaginous berries of which delight it, as also do those of the juniper and pepper. Its partiality for mistletoe is probably the bird's worst trait, as it distributes the seeds of this pernicious parasite to the detriment of many fine oaks and sycamores. It eats many insects. principally ants, and has the habit of perching on a tall shrub, from which it sallies forth after flying insects, thus simulating a flycatcher. It is this habit which has given the bird its common name. The phainopepla has a variety of call notes and a very pleasant song.

RED-EYED VIREO (Vireosylva olivacea).

Length, about 6 inches. The slaty gray crown enclosed by narrow black lines serves to identify this vireo.

Range: Breeds from central Canada south to southeastern Washington, southern Montana, eastern Wyoming, eastern Colorado, western Texas, and central Florida; winters in South America.

The red-eye is one of the commonest not only of our vireos but also of all our small birds, and inhabits every suitable piece of woodland throughout its territory. Its notes may be frequently heard coming from the village shade trees; city parks and streets also know it. Its most notable trait is its habit of singing almost continuously as it moves slowly through the branches, pausing now and then to pick up a caterpillar or other insect. In woods where these vircos are common its voice may be heard all the livelong day, even during the noon hours when most birds are silently resting. The nest, suspended in a V-shaped fork, is a beautiful specimen of avian architecture, and so indifferent is the bird to its location that the nest of no other bird is so frequently seen by the chance passerby.

Though fond of mulberries and sassafras berries. the red-eye eats insects by preference, and spends most of its time gleaning the branches for plant lice scales and caterpillars of various kinds. It eats such harmful beetles as the long-horned borers and weevils. I once saw a red-eye with a full grown luna moth in its bill. After vigorously beating the helpless moth on a limb to get rid of the wings the bird succeeded in reducing the enormous body to a formless mass and eventually swallowed it. (Sce Bull. 17, p. 23.)

YELLOW-THROATED VIREO (Lanivireo

flavifrons).

Length, about 6 inches. Its green upper parts and bright yellow throat and upper breast are its identification marks.

Range Breeds from southern Canada south to central Texas, central Louisiana and central Florida; winters from southern Mexico through Central America.

By no means so common as the red-eye, the yellowthroat inhabits the same kind of woodland tracts and like it may often be seen, and still oftener heard, in the trees that shade the village or even the city streets. It is, however, much less common in such places since the advent of the English sparrow, having been driven away by that little pest.

Its song

is much like that of the red-eye, yet it has a rich throaty quality quite foreign to the notes of that tireless songster and far superior to them. Neither this, nor indeed any of the vireos, ever seem to be in a hurry. They move quietly through the leafy covert, scanning the most likely lurking places for insects, pausing now and then to sing in a meditative manner, then renewing their quest. All of which is as different as possible from the busy, nervous movements of the wood warblers, that seem ever in haste as though time were much too precious to waste.

The food of the yellow-throat consists of a large variety of insects, including caterpillars, moths and beetles, and also those well-known pests, flies and mosquitoes. It also eats the pium curculio.

LARK SPARROW (Chondestes grammacus and sub-species).

Length, about 6 inches. The variegated head markings and white outer tail feathers distinguish this species.

Range: From western Pennsylvania and western Maryland and the Mississippi valley westward; and from southern British Columbia and southern Saskatchewan to central Alabama, northern Louisiana, Texas and south into Mexico; winters from northern California, southern Texas and southern Mississippi to Guatemala.

With some of the habits of the grass finch and, like that species, having the tail feathers tipped with white, the lark sparrow yet possesses distinctive traits of its own and after a little scrutiny can be mistaken for no other species. Its peculiar head markings have suggested the local western name of "snake bird," although the reason is not quite obvious. The lark finch is usually very abundant where found at all, and inhabits the open country, prairie, plain, and desert. It is often to be seen running along the dusty roads or perching on the roadside bushes and fences. It is a really fine songster and the possession of a musical voice has led to its capture and sale as a cage bird.

It has peculiar claims on the interest of the westeru farmer since it is to be classed in the front rank of sparrows as a destroyer of grasshoppers. These harmful insects and others constitute about a third of its food for the year, while weed seeds of great variety form the other two thirds.