48



Lady William Cecil,



often charmed an idle hour, and will always remain a delightful

memoi'y.


I have in no w 7 ay attempted to classify the Warblers I

mention ;* I have merely selected the notes haphazard from my

American-bird note-book, taken during the time I was in Canada

and the Northern and Southern States at different seasons in the

spring, summer and autumn months.


Many of these Warblers are very much alike in colouring,

so that anyone wishing to identify a bird has to take note of any

peculiarity of marking and colour, also the places which are their

favourite haunts. Some love the deep forests, and some the gardens

and orchards; some live high in the branches ; some near, and

even on, the ground; some frequent the chilly North, some the

'warm South. All these points have to be considered in making

the acquaintance of these little American birds.


The first Warbler’s name I find in my note-book is that of

the Black-poll Warbler [Dendroica striata], a small bird which is

black and white with a streaky, greenish and black back and a velvet

black cap. In summer this little bird is often seen in orchards and

gardens fluttering up and down the stems and branches of fruit trees

seeking for insects. It builds in Canada, and makes a very large

nest for its size.


Another dear little bird is the Blue-winged Warbler [Helmin-

thophila pinus]; in colouring it is olive, shading to blue-grey, with a

yellow cap, breast and underparts, with white bars on its slate-blue

wings, and white blotches on its tail. This Warbler, too, may be

found in orchards, hunting for insects, and heard singing a queer

little “ see-saw ” song. One naturalist (N. Blanchard) says that the

leaves which form part of the Blue-Wing’s nest are all placed with

their stems pointing upwards. I have never been fortunate enough

to find their nest, so have not seen this peculiarity.


* American Warblers—Mniotiltidae—are peculiar to the New World; they

have only nine primaries, instead of ten. There are over 130 species, and over 1‘25

are summer visitors to North America (United States and Canada). They may

be arranged in five groups—Creeping Warblers, Ground Warblers, Worm-eating

Warblers, Fly-catching Warblers and Wood Warblers—but even now the sub¬

divisions are undetermined. The average size of the Warblers is about 5 to


6 inches; a few are smaller, 4 and 4-75, and Icteria virens is the largest,.


7 5 inches.



