390 NOTES ON THE 



tide, on the 10th, 11th, or 12th of May, in considerable num- 

 bers, and should be looked for, neither in the lowest, nor the 

 topmost branches of the trees through which he industriously 

 feeds and flits, but between them. His bright, boldly con- 

 trasted colors make him comparatively easy to identify even 

 when on the wing, but he manifests no disposition to extend 

 any special confidence to the good homo who may be earnestly 

 looking for him, even for the brief period of mutual recogni- 

 tion. For many years after I came to know of the annual 

 presence of this bird in migration, I believed they all passed 

 much further to the north to breed, for the reason that their 

 stay seemed so very short, but it has been seen too many 

 times since, in the deep, dense woods, in different localities 

 during summer, for doubt of its breeding in many places in the 

 forest portions of the State. It is almost universally distribu- 

 ted in its migrations, and presumably during the summer, but 

 returns southward early in September, when less frequently, 

 it is seen amongst other species of its family. 



They maintain a very pleasant warble while feeding, often 

 changing places in their search for "the food prepared for 

 them," flitting spiritedly through the thicket, or amongst the 

 branches of the forest trees, when glimpses of Lheir unique 

 plumage, like the twilight flashing of the fire-flies in the 

 shadows of the woodlands arrest the eye. They did not 

 pass us without interesting many eyes and ears, the most 

 enthusiastic, and devoted of which were those of my co orni- 

 thologist, so favorably located as she was while visiting her 

 friends on that marvellously beauiful, metropolitan island of 

 our city. Not a note of the resolute song escaped her keen 

 ear, nor a flexion of its beautiful body her eye, but each was 

 seized and treasured to be coined into ' ' apples of gold and 

 pictures of silver" for the instruction and delight of her friends 

 who were thus transformed into grateful pupils who could 

 never forget her or her instructions. Long and familiarly as 

 I had known the bird, I knew more from listning to her 

 thrilling and enthusiastic descriptions. It was born in her, and 

 never acquired. 



Note. I have found the nest and eggs of this warbler on 

 that very island since the foregoing was written. It was in the 

 fork of a sapling growing in the side of the elevated bank, very 

 near the waters of the Mississippi, near which hundreds of 

 people passed daily. I have been told of the nests of this 

 species having been found in several localities in the Big 

 Woods, but have had no opportunity to very reliably assure 



