_Motacilla varia_, LINN. S. N. I, 1766, 333. _Certhia varia_,
VIEILLOT; AUDUBON. _Mniotilta varia_, VIEILLOT, Gal. Ois. I, 1834,
276, pl. clxix.—AUDUBON.—BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858, 235; Rev.
167.—SCLATER, P. Z. S. 1858, 298 (Oaxaca, Xalapa); 1859, 363
(Xalapa); 1855, 143 (Bogota); 1856, 291 (Cordova); 1864, 172 (City
of Mex.)—IB. Catal. 1861, 25, no. 162.—SCL. & SALV. Ibis, 1859,
10 (Guatemala).—NEWTON, Ibis, 1859, 143 (Santa Cruz;
winter).—CAB. Jour. III, 475 (Cuba; winter).—BRYANT, Pr. Bost.
Soc. 1859 (Bahamas; April 20).—GOSSE, Birds Jam. 134 (Jamaica;
winter).—JONES, Nat. Bermuda, 1859, 29 (October).—CAB. Jour.
1860, 328 (Costa Rica).—LAWRENCE, Ann. N.Y. Lyc. 1861, 322
(Panama R. R.; winter).—GUNDL. Cab. Journ. 1861, 326 (Cuba; very
common). _Certhia maculata_, WILS. _Mniotilta borealis_, NUTT.
_Mniotilta varia_, var. _longirostris_, BAIRD, Birds N. Am. 1858,
xxxi, no. 167.—IB. Catal. in 8vo, 1869, no. 167.
Figures: AUD. Orn. Biog. V, pl. xc; Birds Am. II, pl. cxiv.—WILSON,
Am. Orn. III, pl. xix.
[Line drawing: _Mniotilta varia_, Vieill.]
SP. CHAR. Bill with the upper mandible considerably decurved, the
lower straight. General color of the male black, the feathers broadly
edged with white; the head all round black, with a median stripe in
the crown and neck above, a superciliary and a maxillary one of white.
Middle of belly, two conspicuous bands on the wings, outer edges of
tertials and inner of all the wing and tail feathers, and a spot on
the inner webs of the outer two tail-feathers, white. Rump and upper
tail-coverts black, edged externally with white. Female similar; the
under parts white, obsoletely streaked with black on the sides and
under tail-coverts. Length, 5 inches; wing, 2.85; tail, 2.25.
HAB. Eastern Province of North America, and north to Fort Simpson.
Both coasts of Mexico (as far north as Mazatlan, on west side), and
southward to Bogota. Whole of West Indies and Bermuda.
_Localities quoted._ Bahamas; Bermuda; Cuba; Jamaica; Santa Cruz; West
Indies; Cordova, Xalapa, Oaxaca, Mex.; Guatemala; Panama R.R.; Bogota.
Specimens breeding in the Southern States differ in rather longer bill
and less amount of black, but are otherwise undistinguishable.
[Illustration: _Mniotilta varia._
18685]
HABITS. The Black and White Creeper, nowhere an abundant species, is
met with in various sections of the country. It occurs in all parts of
New England and New York, and has been found in the interior as far
north as Fort Simpson. It has been met with on the Pacific coast only
at Mazatlan, is common in the Bahamas and most of the West India
Islands, generally as a migrant. It has also been found in Texas, in
the Indian Territory, and in Mexico, and throughout Central America.
In the last-named region Mr. Salvin states it to be pretty equally and
generally spread over the whole country. It is there migratory,
leaving in spring. It was also detected in Colombia, South America, by
Mr. C. W. Wyatt. Mr. Newton also met with it as a winter visitant in
St. Croix, leaving that island at the end of March. He regards this
species as almost a thorough Creeper in habits. In Jamaica a few are
resident throughout the year, according to the observations of Mr.
March, and though its nests have never been found there, a son of Mr.
March saw a pair carrying materials with which to construct one.
Dr. Coues states that this Warbler is a very common summer resident
near Washington, but is more abundant there in the spring and in the
fall, the greater number going farther north to breed. They arrive in
Washington during the first week in April, and are exceedingly
numerous until May. He adds that they are generally found in high open
woods, and that they “breed in holes in trees.” This is probably an
error, or, if ever known to occur, an entirely exceptional case.
Our bird is also a common summer visitant at Calais, arriving there
about the 1st of May, and by the 10th becoming rather abundant. Mr.
Boardman has frequently found their nests there, and always on the
ground, in rocky places and usually under small trees.
It does not appear to have been met with on the Pacific coast north of
Mazatlan, nor in any portion of Western North America, beyond the
valleys of the Mississippi and the Rio Grande.
In its habits this bird seems to be more of a Creeper than a Warbler.
It is an expert and nimble climber, and rarely, if ever, perches on
the branch of a tree or shrub. In the manner of the smaller
Woodpeckers, the Creepers, Nuthatches, and Titmice, it moves rapidly
around the trunks and larger limbs of the trees of the forest in
search of small insects and their larvæ. It is graceful and rapid in
movement, and is often so intent upon its hunt as to be unmindful of
the near presence of man.
It is found chiefly in thickets, but this is probably owing to the
fact that there its food is principally to be obtained. It is
occasionally seen in more open country, and has been known to breed in
the immediate vicinity of a dwelling.
Wilson regarded this bird as a true Creeper, and objected to its being
classed as a Warbler. He even denied to it the possession of any song.
In this he was quite mistaken. Though never loud, prolonged, or
powerful, the song of this Warbler is very sweet and pleasing. It
begins to sing from its first appearance in May, and continues to
repeat its brief refrain at intervals almost until its departure in
August and September. Nuttall speaks of it as being at first a
monotonous ditty, and as uttered in a strong but shrill and filing
tone. These notes, he adds, as the season advances, become more mellow
and warbling, and, though feeble, are pleasing, and are similar to
those of the Redstart. But this statement does not do full justice to
the varied and agreeable notes with which, in early spring, these
birds accompany their lively hunt for food among the tops of the
forest trees. They are diversified and sweet, and seem suggestive of a
genial and happy nature.
These birds make their appearance in New England early in May, and
remain there, among the thick woods, until the middle of October, and
in the Southern States until the verge of winter.
Their movements in search of food are like those of the Titmice,
keeping the feet together and moving in a succession of short rapid
hops up the trunks of trees and along the limbs, passing again to the
bottom by longer flights than in the ascent. They make but short
flights from tree to tree, but are apparently not incapable of more
prolonged ones.
So far as I know, these birds always build their nests on the ground.
Mr. Nuttall found one in Roxbury containing young about a week old.
The nest was on the ground, on the surface of a shelving rock, made of
coarse strips of the inner bark of the _Abies canadensis_ externally,
and internally of soft decayed leaves and dry grasses, and lined with
a thin layer of black hair. The parents fed their young in his
presence with affectionate attention, and manifested no uneasiness,
creeping, head downward, about the trunks of the neighboring trees,
carrying large smooth caterpillars to their young. The nests of this
bird are strongly and compactly built, externally of coarse strips of
various kinds of bark, and lined within with hair and fine stems of
grasses. In several instances I have known them to be roofed over at
the top, in the manner of the Golden-crowned Thrush. They measure
about three inches in their external diameter, and are equally deep.
The nests appear to be a favorite receptacle for the parasitic eggs of
the Cow-Bunting. Mr. Robert Ridgway obtained a nest at Mt. Carmel,
Ill., in which were four eggs of the _Molothrus_ and only two of the
parent birds; and Mr. T. M. Trippe, of Orange, N.Y., also found a nest
of this Creeper in which were but three of its own and five of the
parasite.
The eggs vary in shape from a rounded to an oblong oval, and in size
from .69 to .75 of an inch in length, and from .51 to .53 of an inch
in breadth. Their ground-color is a creamy-white, to which the deep
red markings impart an apparently pinkish tinge. They are marked more
or less profusely with bright red dots, points, and blotches. These
vary in number and in distribution. In some they are very fine, and
are chiefly confined to the larger end. In others they are larger,
more diffused, and occasionally there are intermingled marks and
blotches of slate-color. The effect of these variations is, at times,
to give the appearance of greater differences to these eggs than
really exists, the ground-color and the shade of the red markings
really presenting but little modifications.
The color of the young nestlings is closely assimilated to that of the
objects that usually surround the nest, and helps to conceal them. Mr.
Burroughs once came accidentally upon a nest with young of this
species. He says: “A Black and White Creeping Warbler suddenly became
much alarmed as I approached a crumbling old stump in a dense part of
the forest. He alighted upon it, chirped sharply, ran up and down its
sides, and finally left it with much reluctance. The nest, which
contained three young birds nearly fledged, was placed upon the ground
at the foot of the stump, and in such a position that the color of the
young harmonized perfectly with the bits of bark, sticks, etc., lying
about. My eye rested upon them for the second time before I made them
out. They hugged the nest very closely, but as I put down my hand they
all scampered off with loud cries for help, which caused the parent
birds to place themselves almost within my reach.”