OF NEW ENGLAND. 123 



a bush or tree. Their most noticeable habit, and the one 

 which best distinguishes them from the rest of their family, 

 is that of flirting their tails, almost exactly as the common 

 Pewee does. They do this particularly when on their perches, 

 from which they often fly directly to the ground to seize some 

 small insect or seed which they have spied in the grass, or 

 perhaps on the bare earth, while perched above. 



As I have mentioned the food of this species, perhaps it 

 will not be amiss to speak of that of* this large family in gen- 

 eral, the warblers, and of their usefulness to man. Though 

 certain kinds often eat seeds (generally those of the pine or of 

 weeds), and others partake of small berries in spring and au- 

 tumn, a majority feed exclusively upon insects. These insects 

 -include the smaller caterpillars, various small winged insects, 

 in one case particularly those insects which infest the bark of 

 trees, and which the nuthatches do so much to exterminate, 

 and, more generally, those which frequent the foliage and blos- 

 soms, especially at the time of the spring-migrations. They 

 often include, moreover, spiders, but rarely the beetles ; in the 

 destruction of the latter, larger birds being more efficacious. 

 Thus, though many warblers are neutral in regard to the agri- 

 cultural, and what are often considered the most important,, 

 interests of man, none, so far as I know, do him any injury, 

 whereas many greatly benefit him in the preservation of our 

 orchard-trees, our shade-trees, our evergreens, and even our 

 shrubbery and garden-plants. Though not, I trust, altogether 

 useless, the above remarks seem almost unnecessarj^, as ver}' 

 fortunately the warblers have never, I believe, been perse- 

 cuted. 



(d). The ordinary notes of the Yellow "Red-polls" are a 

 chip, which sometimes is closely repeated several times, and a 

 oliuck, which is less loud than that of the Snow-birds, but much 

 more mellow. The}' have also in spring a few expressive twit- 

 ters, a few rather weak musical notes, and their true song-note, 

 which is a whistled trill, less sweet and smooth than that of 

 the Pine Warbler. It is possible that in their summer-homes 

 these birds produce a fuller song, but I have no evidence of 



