OF NEW ENGLAND. 115 



never known them to stray so far to the northward as Massa- 

 chusetts, though, indeed, reported from Nova Scotia. Tliey are 

 said to prefer the deep woods, where they inhabit the tree-tops. 

 (d). Audubon speaks of their song as "extremely sweet 

 and mellow," but Mr. Ridgway says that they possess "only 

 the most feeble notes" (Dr. Brewer). This is one instance 

 among man}^, and a simple one, of disagreement between two 

 authorities (in this case, the former probably being the less 

 trustworthy). I have seen no less than six wholly different 

 descriptions of the song of one species, the name of which I 

 do not now remember, none of which seemed to me reliable or 

 satisfactory', and ^-et they were all written by men whom one 

 would naturally regard as good authorities. Moreover, it was 

 very evident that not more than one or two were descriptive 

 of the same notes, though the bird in question had but one 

 song. It is, therefore, certain that some of these authors 

 attributed to this bird music that it never uttered. In most 

 cases of the kind it is to be remembered that many birds have 

 two songs, many variations of one song, or a simple unmusical 

 chant, to which a terminal warble is added in May or June. 



(H) c^RULESCENS. BlacJc-tJirocUed Blue Warhler. Canada 

 Wa)-bler. 



(Generally not very common during their migrations through 

 Massachusetts.) 



(a). Five inches or more long. ^ , slaty-blue above, white 

 beneath. Sides of head and whole throat, continuous!}' jet- 

 black. "Wings and tail dark ; the former with a large tvhite 

 spot on the edge of the tving (at the base of the primaries) and 

 no bars. $ , above dull olive-green, blue-tinged. Below, white 

 or yellowish. Wing-spot characteristic but sometimes incon- 

 spicuous. 



(6). The nest is probably alwaj's built near the ground, 

 and most often in an evergreen. An egg found by Mr. Bur- 

 roughs and described by Dr. Brewer is grayish white, "marked 

 around the larger end with a wreath, chiefly of a bright umber- 

 brown with lighter markings of reddish-brown and obscure 



