Life History of the Frothonotary Warhler. 21 



water, then among the trees, seeming-ly to illuminate the 

 dark shadows beneath, until the^^ are lost to view and 

 one wonders at the finale. The courting of the ma'e bird 

 is a pretty sight. Swelling with pride in his bright, 

 golden coat, this little lover in feathers presents his case 

 in the most loving and winning manner, hovering around 

 or perched near the object of his adoration with spread 

 wings and tail extended, fairly outdoing himself in his 

 efforts to make an impression. She, with bewitching in- 

 difference, seems to care but little as to the outcome, 

 but finally matters are amicably settled between them 

 and household duties are almost immediately commenced. 

 The birds, especially the males, have a pretty habit of 

 carrying their tails spread, much in the manner of the 

 redstart. When the sexes meet, a tender note, that of 

 salutation or recognition, is barely audible. 



The most difficult feature to describe in the biography 

 of a bird is its song. Even the most elaborate treatise 

 fails to bring to the unaccustomed ear a true conception 

 of it, and as I pen these lines, I feel my utter inability to 

 convey to the reader's imagination the notes of the pro- 

 thonotary warbler. True, they do not vie with the melo- 

 dious ditties of some other woodland songsters, but they 

 are very striking, even pleasing, and when once heard are 

 not easily forgotten. Six or, sometimes, seven sylla.bles, 

 uttered in rapid succession but with an instantaneous 

 pause after the first note, constitute the regular song. It 

 much resembles, peet^ tsweet^ ts'weet, tsiceef, fsioeet, tsweet^ 

 tsweet, uttered in a ringing or penetrating tone and on a 

 tolerably high pitch. At a distance, it much resembles the 

 notes of the solitary sandpiper, and I have frequently 

 found it somewhat difficult when the two species were 

 in the immediate vicinity, to distinguish between them: 

 but upon a closer approacli, the resemblance is lost, the 

 penetrating ring in the warbler's notes being then audible. 

 The male is an incessant singer, caring not for the ele- 

 mental conditions nor for the time of day. He is as 

 likely to be heard in the early morning as at noon or 

 in the evening Frequently he will sit amidst the green 



