182 



THE OOLOGIST. 



presentatives of the Warbler family, in 

 the south Atlantic States. 



These are the easiest members of this 

 family to study, as the variations, in 

 plumage are slighter than in those 

 Vhich pass farther north. Of course, 

 We cannot judge of the character of the 

 bird life of a region by one family but 

 in many places we can fairly estimate 

 by the Warbler family, as it is so large 

 and difficult, indeed, in some places, it 

 forms no small proportion of the bird- 

 life judging either, from the number of 

 individuals or species. 



More than one-fourth of the migrat- 

 ing birds which were noted, last spring, 

 by me, were wai'blers. 



There is plenty of time in the breed- 

 ing season to study the resident and 

 summer resident birds; then, in migra- 

 tion time we can study the habits and 

 plumage of the transient visitants and 

 winter residents. A few hints may help 

 some one who is just beginning the 

 study of migrating liirds in the South- 

 ei-n States. A young ornithologist is 

 apt to find some species which 

 so nearly resemble each other in color, 

 nesting or song, that he has to spend 

 many days in tinding some characteris- 

 tic, by which he may distinguish one 

 kind from another. Many species, in 

 some form of plumage, approach, so 

 nearly in color, that the task of identi- 

 fication seems almost hopeless. 



Nearly related species are apt to be 

 most puzzling, as their habits and fami- 

 Ij' or generic characteristics are almost 

 the same. 



This fact maj' be noticed in the fall 

 plumage of the Bay-breasted and Black- 

 poll Warblers. 



Their habits, size and shape are, al- 

 most, exactly the same, but there is a 

 shade of difference in coloration \yhich 

 is generally perceptible. 



The Black-poll has a greenish tinge 

 on its breast while the Bay-breasted re- 

 tains, in a slight degree, the beautiful 

 color which covers its breast in the 



breeding and spring migrating seasons. 

 They come about the same time, in 

 large flocks, from the north, and seem 

 verj' fond of keeping together, thus 

 making the slight contrast, in color, 

 show luore plainly. At a little distance 

 or when on the wing the very dull green 

 and bay do not show enough to distin« 

 guish between the two birds. This 

 same resemblance may, sometimes, be 

 noticed in birds that belong to widely 

 different families, as the Fox SpaiTOW 

 and some of the Thrushes. 



The Sylvicolidae abounds, through- 

 out with species which are easily distin- 

 guished in the spring, but in the fall 

 they come south bringing their young 

 ones with them they have changed their 

 feathers to dull and sober colors, as if 

 dressing in mourning, on account of 

 eggs wantonly stolen and manj' other 

 home tragedies. 



Olive seems to prevail in fall, with, 

 now and then, a spot or stripe of yellow 

 or red which seems to have been kept 

 in memory of the days and flowers and 

 trees of April, May and June. This 

 general sameness of color makes the 

 study of birds very difficult, but when 

 the slight differences, which alwaj'S ex- 

 ist are discovei'ed the trouble of identi- 

 fication add much to the pleasure of 

 the knowledge obtained. 



Earle a. Brooks, 

 French Creek, W. Va. 



The Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 



This l)eautiful little bird is quite a 

 common resident with us, and is prob- 

 a])ly too well known to require a des- 

 cription hei'e. 



There are very few pei'sons within its 

 range who are not familiar with its 

 graceful form and brilliant plumage, 

 l3Ut many have not had the oppm-tunity 

 of seeing the nest and eggs, which are 

 no less wonderful than the birds them- 

 selves. 



The birds arrive here early in May, 



