180 BIRDS OF FIELD, FOREST AND PARK 



the heart of his dainty little mate at her work 

 with his tuneful melody, but he actually assists 

 at the labor of nest building and care of the 

 brood. Rarely do we find more delightful and 

 altogether commendable traits than in the 

 family of this abundant Warbler. 



He is in full song when he arrives in early May, 

 and his ^'weeche, weeche, weeche-we-we^^ is a 

 welcome addition to the swelling chorus. They 

 are seen frequently about our lawn during sum- 

 mer, the Yellow Warbler being one of the birds 

 that so kindly and so thoroughly, day after day, 

 glean the injurious insects from our shade trees. 

 I always feel very grateful for their services, and 

 derive much pleasure from their bright coats 

 and sprightly songs. 



Every year they nest in the bushes by the 

 river, and if you paddle quietly along close to 

 the bank, locating their home is a very easy 

 matter; but one might walk along the bank 

 many times without finding it. The nest, usu- 

 ally hung from a forked branch a few feet above 

 the ground, is a well-built little cup made of 

 bits of bark and fine grass, with a soft lining 

 of plant down. The eggs are of greenish white 

 color heavily marked with brown and lilac about 

 the larger end. This Warbler is often called 

 the Wild Canary from his close resemblance to 

 that household pet, but he may be easily iden- 

 tified by his slender bill and the dainty brown 

 stripes like faint pencilings on his breast. The 

 upper parts are bright greenish yellow, somewhat 

 brighter on the crown. The wings and tail are 

 blackish, the feathers of both somewhat fringed 



