298 Sketches of Some Common Birds. 



their recesses. If the prothonotary warbler will not come 

 to us, we who love the birds should go to it, even though 

 we must wade mud and water and trip over fallen brush- 

 wood to reach its home and find it happy among its com- 

 panions. And among its fellows it loves to be, for a mer- 

 rier and more social woodsman never lived ! Seldom does 

 it sit long by itself chanting its loudly ringing, vibratory 

 ditties. It is soon up and away in swift pursuit of some 

 passing rival, and in midair the two flutter with outspread 

 wings and expanded tails, dropping lower and lower in 

 playful conflict, until one darts away to alight on a con- 

 venient perch or until both drop into the water. 



We are not surprised to observe that the vivacity of the 

 male makes him an ardent lover. After a fluttering tilt 

 with a designing rival, in which he has driven the pre- 

 sumptuous gallant from the neighborhood, he gracefully 

 and smilingly presses his suit with more fervent twitter- 

 ing and expressions of devotion. Having shown her that 

 he is willing to battle for the possession of her, he seeks 

 further to captivate her with his handsome form and glow- 

 ing attire, shaking out before her the beauty of his wings, 

 and unfolding for her admiration his beautiful blue tail 

 with its white border. Thus he attends her movements 

 with devoted manner, flitting near her when she coyly 

 moves farther from him, or taking a seat near her that he 

 may renew his whispered vows when she seems indiffer- 

 ent to his winning words and acts of devotion. 



In the mating season their activity and pugnacious dis- 

 positions are most readily discovered. They are jealous 

 lovers, and as they are seldom far from their homes at 

 any time, a passing male, whether seeking a partner of his 

 joys or merely going about his business, is very likely to 

 be assailed jealously by the claimant of the premises. A 

 fluttering battle of yellow, steely blue, and white is the 

 usual result, though these conflicts are generally harmless 

 to both parties, and serve only to give unwonted anima- 

 tion to the sombre life of the swamp-woods. They chase 

 one another in apparently reckless flights among the 

 underbrush and through the foliage, and dart around the 

 tree-trunks with entire disregard for accidents, quickly 

 alighting and uttering that characteristic song which rings 



