228 A BIRD-LOVER'S APRIL. 



lisping zee^ zee ; and even on that occasion (in 

 June and in New Hampshire) the song bore no 

 resemblance to his present effort. I have writ- 

 ten it down as it sounded at the moment, Sue^ 

 suJci/, sukT/^ five notes, the first longer than the 

 others, and all of them brusque, loud, and mu- 

 sical, though with something of a warbler 

 quality.^ 



It surprised me to find how the migratory- 

 movement lagged for the first half of the month. 

 A pair of white-breasted swallows flew over my 

 head while I was attending to the winter wren 

 on the 11th, and on the 14th appeared the first 

 pine - creeping warblers, — welcome for their 

 own sakes, and doubly so as the forerunners of 

 a numerous and splendid company ; but aside 

 from these two, I saw no evidence that a single 



1 Still further to corroborate my "pet theor}'," I may say here 

 in a foot-note, what I have said elsewhere with more detail, that 

 before the end of the following month the hermit thrushes, the 

 olive-backed thrushes, and the gray-cheeked thrushes all sang for 

 me in my Melrose woods. 



Let me explain, also, that when I call the brown creeper a silent 

 migrant I am not unaware that others beside myself, and more 

 than myself, have heard him sing while traveling. Mr. William 

 Brewster, as quoted by Dr. Brewer in the History of North Amer- 

 ica7i Birds, has been exceptionally fortunate in this regard. But 

 my expression is correct as far as the rule is concerned ; and the 

 latest word upon the subject which has come under my eye is this 

 from Mr. E. P. Bicknell's " Study of the Singing of our Birds," in 

 The Auk for April, 1884: " Some feeble notes, suggestive of those 

 of Regulus sntrnjm, are this bird's usual utterance during its visit. 

 Its song I have never heard." 



