Yellow Warbler. 197 



late in June or early in July are doubtless rearing tsecond 

 broods. Like the orioles and some other species notice- 

 able in the early half of the season, they are strangely 

 silent and retired through the most of July and August. 

 Indeed, their songs are never heard after the nesting sea- 

 son, and on their fall migration they pass our latitude 

 silently and hurriedly, scarcely deigning to alight amid 

 the scenes of their joys and trials in the early summer. 

 We see the last of them commonly in the third week of 

 September, and to the genial southern quarters toward 

 which they hasten, they carry our warmest regard and 

 admiration ; for they are indeed worthy of far more atten- 

 tion and study than have hitherto been given to these 

 highly gifted friends of the highway. 



YELLOW WARBLEE. 



Another familiar friend of the highway and door-yard is 

 the little yellow warbler, or summer yellowbird. Beyond 

 doubt this sprightly dot is the best known of our warblers. 

 Its wide distribution, its animated deportment, its pretty 

 song, its familiar manners, and its gentle confidence, all 

 tend to widen its circle of friendship. Its golden colors 

 flashing in the sunlight in its passage among the orna- 

 mental and shade trees of lawns, parks, and streets, arrest 

 the attention of the observing passer-by; and most people 

 are acquainted with the "wild canary," though they know 

 but few other birds. Its morning and evening warble 

 delights hosts of residents of more populous districts, who 

 see only the birds which come to them, for this pleasing 

 warbler finds a home in the maples and elms along the 

 city streets and in the fruit trees of gardens and in 

 suburban orchards, as well as in woodlands and rural 

 neighborhoods. 



In extent of habitat the yellow warbler stands at the 

 head of our North American avi-fauna. Robert Ridgway 

 says that no other North American bird has so extensive 

 a range, or so general a distribution as the summer yellow- 

 bird, which appears equally at home in the sub-tropical 

 lands along the Gulf Coast and the shores of the Arctic 



