YELLOW WARBLER, 221 



early blooming thickets and leafy woods of the Altamaha ; but 

 the birds do not arrive in Pennsyh-ania and this part of New 

 England before the ist of May. About the close of August in 

 the Northern, and by the middle of September in the Central 

 States of the Union, or as soon as their second brood are capa- 

 ble of joining the migrating host, they disappear, probably in 

 the twilight, and wing their way by easy stages to their trop- 

 ical destination, passing through Louisiana in October and 

 appearing at length about Vera Cruz, whence they spread their 

 numerous host through tropical America to Guiana, Cayenne, 

 St. Domingo, and other of the larger contiguous islands of the 

 West Indies. 



This is a very lively, unsuspicious, and almost familiar little 

 bird, and its bright golden color renders it very conspicuous, 

 as in pursuit of flitting insects it pries and darts among the 

 blooming shrubs and orchards. It is particularly attached to 

 willow-trees and other kinds in moist and shady situations, that 

 afford this and other species a variety of small larvse and cater- 

 pillars, on which they delight to feed. While incessantly and 

 busily employed it occasionally mounts the twig, and with a 

 loud, shrill, and almost piercing voice it earnestly utters, at short 

 and irregular intervals, — 'tsh' 'tsli' 'tsh^ 'tsli' 'tshaia, or tshe tshe 

 tsh tshayia tshe tshe ; this last phrase rather plaintive and inter- 

 rogatory, as if expecting the recognition of its mate. Some- 

 times, but particularly after the commencement of incubation, 

 a more extended and pleasingly modulated song is heard, as se 

 te te tshltshoo, or tsh^ tsh' tsh' tsheetshoo, 'tshe 'tshe 'tshe 'tshoo 

 'peetshee, and 'tshe 'tshe 'tshe 'tshe 'tshdia 'tship o way ; the ter- 

 mination tender, plaintive, and solicitous. I have heard this 

 note also sometimes varied to 'soit 'soit 'soit 'soit 'tship a luce. 

 The female sometimes sings nearly as well as the male, partic- 

 ularly about the time she is engaged in fabricating her nest. 

 Although the song of these birds may be heard, less vigorously, 

 to the month of August, yet they do not here appear to raise 

 more than a single brood. 



The nest, in Massachusetts, is commonly fixed in the forks 

 of a barberry bush, close shrub, or sapling, a few feet from the 



