THE WARBLING OF THIS GREENLET 503 



geographical race. They average rather duller colored than their Eastern 

 representatives, like most birds, in fact, of this dry region. I fail to appre- 

 ciate any tangible difference in general dimensions, or in shape of the bill. 

 The character of more rounded wing, which has been chiefly relied upon, the 

 2d quill being shorter icstead of longer than the 6th, does not hold as dis- 

 tinctive, for I find the same wing-formula in a specimen shot at Washington, 

 D. C. Without feeling much confidence in the reality of the distinction 

 which has been sought to be maintained, I have separated the synonymy 

 under two heads. The description is taken from Western specimens. 



WARBLING Greenlets, whether of the Eastern or of the 

 Western type, inhabit all the woodland of temperate 

 North America. But in choosing their summer homes they 

 usually show good taste enough to seek the luxuries of city life, 

 displaying at the same time the force of character required to 

 escape its dangers. Neither disposed to undue familiarity, nor 

 given to over confidence, these urbane birds move in a quiet 

 circle of their own, in slight contact with less polished members 

 of society, quite apart from the vulgarity of the street and 

 market-place, and always with the easy self possession that 

 marks the well-bred. We seldom see them, indeed ; they are 

 oftener a voice than a visible presence — just a ripple of melody 

 threadiig its way through the mazes of verdure, now almost 

 absorbed in the sighing of foliage, now flowing released on its 

 grateful mission. Their's is a tender, gentle strain, with just 

 a touch of sadness, borne on the same breath that wafts us 

 the perfume of April's early blossoms; and these are all the 

 sweeter for the instillation of such song. From the poplar that 

 glances both silver and green as its tremulous verdure is 

 stirred — from the grand old halls of the stately, splendid- 

 flowered liriodendron — from the canopied shade-weaving elm, 

 and the redolent depths of magnolia — issues all summer long 

 the same exquisite refrain, while the singers glide through their 

 hermitage unseen. Who would know these spirituelle musi- 

 cians better must be quick to catch a glimpse of a very small 

 sober-colored bird whose tints are those of its leafy home, and 

 whose course in the heart of the trees is as devious as the play 

 of the sunbeam itself. 



The Warbling Vireo is no less agile a bird than his cousin 

 the lied-eye, and equally tireless in the pursuit of his insect 

 prey ; both these birds sing as they go, with an unconscious 

 air, as if in a reverie; but the easy and wonderfully skilful 

 modulation of the former's flowing song contrasts to great ad- 

 vantage with the Red-eye's abrupt and somewhat jerky notes. 



