THE YELLOW WARBLER. 



179 



plumage knows no admixture, sa\e for the tasty but inconspicuous chestnut 

 stripes on the breast of the adult male. These stripes are lacking in males 

 of the second year, whence Audubon was once led to elaborate a supposed 

 new species, which he called the "Children's Warbler." The name is not 

 ill-fitting, even tho we know that it applies only to the Warbler's children. 



The Yellow Warbler is peculiarly a bird of sunshine, and is to be found 

 chiedy in open situations. 

 It swarms thru tlie orch- 

 ards and gardens, fre- 

 Cjuents tlie wayside thick- 

 ets, and in town takes 

 possession of the shrub- 

 bery in lawn or park. It 

 is abundant in swampy 

 places, and is invariably 

 present in season along 

 the banks of streams 

 which are lined with wil- 

 lows, alders, and wild rose 

 bushes. 



The song is sunnv, too, 

 and while not elaborate, 

 makes substantial contri- 

 bution to the good cheer 

 of spring. Heard in the 

 boskage it sounds absurdly 

 as if some wag were shak- 

 ing an attic salt-cellar on 

 a great green salad. The 

 notes are almost piercing, 

 and sound better perhaps 

 from across the river than 

 they do in the same tree. 

 Individual variation in 

 song is considerable, but 

 the high pitch and vigor of delixery are distinctive. Certain common types 

 may be syllabized as follows: Szvccf. sin'cct, sweet, szvecfic; tscc, tscc, tsit- 

 a-wee, tscc; zvcc-chcc, dice, dice lucc-i-n; tsii. tsii. tsii. tsii. tscccw. From 

 its arrival sometime during the last week in April, until near the close of 

 its second nesting, late in July, the bird may be found singing thruout the 

 sunlit hours. 



The date of this bird's annual advent in Washington is far less nearly 



Photo by Fin/cy and Bohlman. 

 A CONTENTED B.^BY. 



