INTRODUCTION, 



NEARLY six 3ears ago the writer issued a call to members 

 of the Wilson Ornithological Chapter of the Agassiz 

 Association, to begin a critical study of Warbler songs (family 

 Mniotiltidic) . The object of this call was to secure a mass of 

 notes descriptive of the songs, from man}- sources, so that by 

 comparison and tabulation a fairly accurate representation of 

 each song could be put upon paper. It was also hoped that 

 the diurnal as well as the seasonal song period of each species 

 could be determined accurately, and that many other little 

 understood phenomena might become better known. The 

 author of the scheme of study well understood the wide lack 

 of acquaintance among the class of lay ornithologists with the 

 large majority of the family, and hoped that this might be 

 a means of awakening widespread interest in our most beauti- 

 ful and interesting group of birds. But the responses were 

 few indeed, indicating that the difficiilties were greater than 

 could be overcome by the average bird student. Lack of 

 time to devote to the swiftly passing migrants in the early 

 days of May was undoubtedly one great obstacle in the way 

 of many a willing worker. 



Failing in this plan, but anxious to bring the host of 

 Warblers closer to those who do not already know them by 

 their voices, the writer has undertaken the task of bringing 

 together all printed descriptions of Warbler songs at his com- 

 mand, combining them with such contributions as have been 

 made in manuscript, and his own notes representing fifteen 

 years of study, thus presenting what is known to him of the 

 songs of the Warblers. On another page will be found a 

 complete list of the works consulted, including books and 

 periodicals. The writer full)' realizes that this is far from a 

 complete bibliography of the subject, but it will illustrate the 

 resources at hand. 



The task of bringing together such a mass of printed and 



