4:2 WARBLKR vSONGvS. 



He is singing' when he arrives in the first week in May, 

 and does not cease until the last of July or first of August. 

 He has no second song period. 



This species occupies nearl}' the whole of the United States 

 to Ontario and .southern New England, west to the Plains ; 

 west of the Plains to the Pacific it becomes 



Long-tailed Chat. Icferia virois loni^icaiida. ()S3a. 



The remainder of the group need not be definitely subdi- 

 vided. The transition species will be mentioned when they 

 are treated. For lack of any evident logical order, we may 

 begin with the best known species. 



Oven-bird. Sf/unis aurocapiUus. ()74. 



The well-known double syllabled cry of this bird would 

 .scarcely need more than mention were it not that there is hon- 

 est difference of opinion regarding the place of accent. As Mr. 

 Chapman has well said: "It is a long, ringing creschendo 

 chant, to which Mr. Burrough's description of ' teacher, 

 teacher. TEACHER, TEx\CHER, TEACHER; is so appli- 

 cable that no one would think of describing it in any other 

 way.'" The accent must evidently be upon the first syllable. 

 The birds that I have heard have persisted in accenting the 

 second syllable, the first one being weak and .short : /'-chee. 

 But this difference is rather technical than fundamental, since 

 any one could readily identify the bird by Mr. Burl-ough's de- 

 .scription. The description of the passion .song will be deferred 

 so that the ' ' Water Thrushes ' ' may be treated together. 



The birds arrive very near the first of May, usually many 

 together, and are singing. They .sing well into the middle of 

 July, but after the third week of June there is a marked wan- 

 ing. Song is resumed, but less vehementlj^ in August, usually 

 ceasing before its close. \^ery few songs are full and strong 

 during this second period. 



The accompaniment of the Oven-bird's chant is a high, 

 damp to wet woods where the upturned roots of fallen trees 

 leave hollows for little ponds to form. 



North America ea.st of the Plains, north to Hud.son Bay 

 Territory. The breeding range extends from Kansas, the 

 Ohio Valle}^ and Virginia northward. 



