THE YELLOW WARBLER. 



QJA. 



(^pl^N a recent article Angus Gaines 

 describes so delightfully some 

 of the characteristics of the 

 Yellow Warbler, or Summer 

 Yellow bird, sometimes called 

 the Wild Canary, that we are tempted 

 to make use of part of it. "Back and 

 forth across the garden the little yel- 

 low birds were flitting, dodging 

 through currant and gooseberry 

 bushes, hiding in the lilacs, swaying 

 for an instant on swinging sprays of 

 grape vines, and then flashing out 

 across the garden beds like yellow 

 sunbeams. They were lithe, slender, 

 dainty little creatures, and were so 

 quick in their movements that I could 

 not recognize them at first, but when 

 one of them hopped down before me, 

 lifted a fallen leaf and dragged a cut- 

 worm from beneath it, and, turning 

 his head, gave me a sidewise glance 

 with his victim still struggling in his 

 beak, I knew him. His gay coat was 

 yellow without the black cap, wings, 

 and tail which show in such marked 

 contrast to the bright canary hue of 

 that other yellow bird, the Gold-finch. 



"Small and delicate as these birds 

 are, they had been on a long journey 

 to the southward to spend the winter, 

 and now on the first of IMay, they had 

 returned to their old home to find the 

 land at its fairest — all blossoms, buds, 

 balmy air, sunshine, and melody. As 

 they flitted about in their restless way, 

 they sang the soft, low, warbling trills, 

 which gave them their name of Yellow 

 Warbler." 



Mrs. W^right says these beautiful 

 birds come like whirling leaves, half 



autumn yellow, half green of spring, 

 the colors blending as in the outer 

 petals of grass-grown daffodils. 

 "Lovable, cheerful little spirits, dart- 

 ing about the trees, exclaiming at each 

 morsel that they glean. Carrying 

 sun glints on their backs wherever 

 they go, they should make the 

 gloomiest misanthrope feel the season's 

 charm. They are so sociable and 

 confiding, feeling as much at home in 

 the trees by the house as in seclusion." 



The Yellow-bird builds in bushes,, 

 and the nest is a wonderful example 

 of bird architecture. Milkweed, lint 

 and its strips of fine bark are glued to 

 twigs, and form the exterior of the 

 nest. Its inner lining is made of the 

 silky down on dandelion-balls woven 

 together with horse-hair. In this 

 dainty nest are laid four or five creamy 

 white eggs, speckled with lilac tints 

 and red-browns. The unwelcome egg 

 of the Cow-bird is often found in the 

 Yellow-bird's nest, but this Warbler 

 builds a floor over the egg^ repeating 

 the expedient, if the Cow-bird con- 

 tinues her mischief, until sometimes a 

 third story is erected. 



A pair of Summer Yellow-birds, we 

 are told, had built their nest in a wild 

 rose bush, and were rearing their 

 family in a wilderness of fragrant 

 blossoms whose tinted petals dropped 

 upon the dainty nest, or settled upon 

 the back of the brooding mother. 

 The birds, however, did not stay "to 

 have their pictures taken," but their 

 nest may be seen among the roses. 



The Yellow Warbler's song is Sweet- 

 szveet-sweet- sweet - szveet - sweet - siveeter- 

 sweeter: seven times repeated. 



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