THE WARBLERS 



of the village, many male Blackburnian Warblers were 

 seen among tlie street trees. A little later we saw them 

 in the orchards, their brilliant orange breasts flashing in 

 the sunlight. As we approached the woods it was every- 

 where the same. The night had been very cold, and other 

 insect-eating birds were seeking benumbed insects on or 

 near the ground. There were four bright Redstarts flit- 

 ting about on the upturned sod of a newly plowed garden. 

 These and other species of Warblers were to be seen in 

 every orchard, wood, and thicket. The Blackburnian 

 Warblers had come in during the night, and were busy 

 hunting for their breakfasts until 7 o'clock, when we went 

 to ours. At 8 o'clock not a single Blackburnian was to 

 be seen. I scoured the country till nearly noon, finding 

 all the other Warblers as at daybreak, but not a Black- 

 burnian could be found. They had done their share of 

 the good work and passed on. A later riser would have 

 missed them." ^ 



Eaton says: "The Blackburnian warbler during the 

 migration season associates with the Magnolia, Bay- 

 breasted, and Chestnut-sided warblers among the blossom- 

 ing fruit trees and the leaving shrubbery and shade trees 

 of our lawns and parks. During the nesting season, how- 

 ever, it is almost entirely confined to mixed and evergreen 

 forests, being especially fond of hemlocks and spruces. 

 . . . The old name of Hemlock warbler is perfectly ap- 

 propriate. The Blackburnian flutters about while feed- 

 ing almost as conspicuously as the Redstart and Magnolia, 

 displaying its brilliant colors and pied pattern very eff^ec- 

 tively." "• 



1 From "Useful Birds and Their Protection"— E. H. Forbush, ppge 102. 



2 From "Birds of New York," page 421. 



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