366 INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS* 



leafy woods of the Altamaha ; but they do not arrive in 

 Pennsylvania and this part of New England before the 

 1st of May. About the close of August in the Northern, 

 and by the middle of September in the central states of 

 the Union, or as soon as their second brood are capable 

 of joining the migrating host, they disappear, probably in 

 the twilight, and wing their way by easy stages to their 

 tropical destination, passing through Louisiana in Octo- 

 ber, and appearing, at length, about Vera Cruz, from 

 whence they spread their numerous host through tropical 

 America to Guiana, Cayenne, St. Domingo, and other of 

 the larger contiguous islands of the West Indies. 



This is a very lively, unsuspicious, and almost familiar 

 little bird, and its bright golden color renders it very 

 conspicuous, as in pursuit of flitting insects, it pries and 

 darts amoncr the bloominor shrubs and orchards. It is 

 particularly attached to wiJlow trees and other kinds in 

 moist and shady situations, that afford this and other 

 species a variety of small larvae and caterpillars, on which 

 they delight to feed. While incessantly and busily em- 

 ployed, it occasionally mounts the twig, and with a loud, 

 shrill, and almost piercing voice, it earnestly utters, at 

 short and irregular intervals, 'tsh' 'tsh' 'tsh' 'tsh' 'tshata, 

 or tshe tshe tsh tshayia tslie tshe, this last phrase, rather 

 plaintive and interrogatory, as if expecting the recogni- 

 tion of its mate. Sometimes, but particularly after the 

 commencement of incubation, a more extended and 

 pleasingly modulated song is heard, as se te te tsMtshoo, 

 or tsh' tsh' tsh' tsheetshoo, 'tshe 'tshe 'tshe 'tshoo 'peetshee^ 

 and 'tshe 'tshe 'tshe 'tshe 'tshdia 'tship 6 way, the termi- 

 nation tender, plaintive, and solicitous. I have heard this 

 note also sometimes varied to 'soit 'soit 'soit 'soit 'tship d 

 wee. The female sometimes sings nearly as well as the 

 male, particularly about the time she is engaged in fabri- 



