The Birds' Calendar 



group. So that one is hardly aware, until his 

 attention is called to the fact, that about a 

 third of all the song-birds he is likely to see 

 are warblers. 



The genus to which the elegant " hooded " 

 warbler belongs contains two other species that 

 deserve a word of mention — the black-capped 

 ''flycatcher" (or Wilson's flycatcher) and the 

 Canada '' flycatcher" — as truly warblers as the 

 others, but called flycatchers because so much 

 addicted to seizing insects on the wing. These 

 two made more impression on my own mind 

 because, being in the same genus and coming 

 at the same time, I took quite a dishke to the 

 " black-cap," and an equal fancy to the other. 

 There is something in the appearance of the 

 "Wilson" that seems malign, and every time 

 I saw it there \vas the same faint suggestion of 

 repulsiveness. No other bird has given me any 

 such impression. If any other person has had 

 the same feeling he will understand it ; if not, 

 no amount of argument could make it seem 

 otherwise than utterly whimsical. Certainly its 

 coloring seems innocent enough — olive above, 

 yellovv^ beneath, and top of the head black. I 

 would do him no injustice, l:)ut I suspect there 

 is something questionable about him. 



i6o 



