Notes on a few American Warblers.



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white. These Warblers live on insects, and I suppose worms, though

I have never caught them “ worming.” They build on the ground,

and generally fly low, keeping to the lowest branches and undergrowth

in the woods.


Just north of El Paso, on the Rio Grande, we had (by a very

fortunate chance) a passing glimpse of a rare bird, the Painted

Flycatcher [Septophaga picta], one of the Flv-catching Warblers.

There was no mistaking its exquisitely shiny black head and crimson-

red colouring, with conspicuous white feathers in its tail which it

showed very distinctly when flying. This is more properly a Mexican

bird, but strays as far north as Arizona. The one we met was

evidently on its journey northward when we saw it about the second

week in April.


The Polyglot, or Yellow--breasted Chat [Icteria virens], is really

a Warbler and not a Chat. It is quite the largest of the Warbler

family, and is justly celebrated for its wonderful voice, which is not so

much one song, as a sort of pot-pourri like all sorts of different birds’

songs. For this reason it is sometimes called the Yellow Mocking-bird,

though the quaint medley is really its own invention. These birds

sing by moonlight, a la Nightingale. They are also said to be able

to ventriloquize. Another of their peculiarities is their curious flight,

for they sometimes “ tumble ” in the air like tumbler pigeons. Their

colouring is very simple, just olive-green with a yellow breast, but

their best distinguishing marks are their large size and the white

line above and below the eyes and on either side of the throat.


The Prairie Warbler [Dendroica discolor] is another pretty

little olive and yellow bird. It may be easily identified by the black

markings on its yellow sides, running up towards the throat in two

points, and also by the brick-red spots between the shoulders. This

little Warbler, unlike most of its fellows, prefers open country to the

woods. They may be seen in clearings and prairie land, among the

scrub, darting out to catch their fragile insect prey, or sitting on the

topmost twig of a bush singing rather a pretty little song. They

carefully place their nests in thorny bushes.


The Maryland Yellow-throat, or Black-mashed Warbler [Geo-

thlypis trichas] has a greenish-brown back and head and a light

yellowish throat and breast, and he wears a very distinct black mask.



