*i6o BIRDS OF THE PUBLIC GARDEN 



on May 7, 1905, when one male bird was 

 present. The next earliest date was May 

 10, in 1904, a male bird in song. From 

 May 13 to 17 is the usual time of arrival, 

 and then commonly a single male bird has 

 come. After the middle of May the small 

 flocks appear, three to six birds. The last 

 are still lingering when the season's obser- 

 vations have been closed, the time varying 

 from May 27 to June 2. Some visitants 

 probably remain five or six days or even 

 longer. The willows about the pond are 

 the favorite trees of this species. 



The song is commonly heard through- 

 out the migration season. On May 19, 1908, 

 a Black-poll sang an unusual song, as he 

 flitted about through the top of the big 

 white poplar on the Boylston Street side of 

 the Garden. A few notes, sometimes only 

 two, were given in the usual way, and then 

 the song ran up like a Blackburnian war- 

 bler's, much accelerated to the end. Occa- 

 sionally he gave the regular song, although 

 somewhat abbreviated, affording a com- 

 parison of the two forms. The closing of 



