The Birds' Calendar 



spect, and tlie name of "warbler," as desig- 

 nating a conspicuous trait of the family, is a 

 misnomer. In many of the species the ' ' song ' ' 

 is hltle more than the rai)id reiteration of a 

 single note; in others there is some degree of 

 modulation and accent (as in the black-throated 

 greens), which is very pleasing and vivacious, 

 and more fitly called a melody ; but none of 

 them give a suggestion of such warbling as one 

 hears from the purj^le finch, the goldfinch, the 

 rose -breasted grosbeak, or the fox sparrow; and 

 I am quite unable to understand the extravagant 

 language some writers use in commendation of 

 the musical qualities of these birds, which in 

 other respects are unsurpassed ])y any other spe- 

 cies. The finches are the more musical ; war- 

 blers more graceful in movement, and more 

 charming in form and plumage. 



In temperament finches are more phlegmatic, 

 warblers more nervous. There is an eternal 

 restlessness about a warbler, in marked contrast 

 to the comparatively " low-pressure " organism 

 of a finch. The salient traits of the finch re- 

 mind one of the German nationality, while the 

 '' warblers" are doubtless of avian-French de- 

 scent. 



The finches are chiefly granivorous (vege- 



io8 



