November 



baser things called matter, heat, or light, we 

 must believe that vitality of whatever sort is in 

 its essence no less inextinguishable. 



Of all the warblers, the most abundant and 

 persistent in the spring and fall migrations is 

 the yellow-rump, which I have met occasion- 

 ally through the month. As before remarked, 

 this is the only warbler that can be occasion- 

 ally found in the Northern States during the 

 winter. On the 5th, a large flock of blue- 

 birds appeared, as far as I can learn, for the 

 first time this year in the Park, where for some 

 reason they seem to be of rare occurrence even 

 as migrants. They were presumably an excur- 

 sion party on their way South, stopping only 

 over the Sabbath, for they were gone the next 

 day. During their stay they consorted with 

 the robins, their cousins-in-science. 



The approach of the winter season was em- 

 phasized on the 9th by the first appearance of 

 the chickadee, the light-hearted winter guest, 

 and a large flock of fox sparrows was found 

 mingled with white-throats on the i8th, and 

 remained through the month, but only once 

 did I hear a snatch of their delicious and half 



293 



