5 

 Some two hundred yards up its torturous course is a beauti- 

 ful minature water-fall, about twelve feet high, just below 

 where the little brooklet emerges from the woods to sparkle 

 in the sunlight for a few moments, before it leaps over the 

 shelving rocks, spatters on the boulders below, and disappears 

 in the depths of the gloom beneath the mingling branches of 

 the undergrowth and the tall oaks, maple*, hickorys and elms 

 which shroud the deep recess from ledge to ledge. A rod 

 above the falls, and in the edge of the brook, stands a huge 

 willow tree, which, until a few years ago, spread its branches 

 over considerable area; but an axeman selected this particular 

 tree for destruction and deep through its bark his ax cleaved a 

 circle around the enormous trunk, bringing death and render- 

 ing desolate a beautiful spot Mother Nature spent a cen- 

 tury in perfecting. 



Here in the noon-day shadow of this great tree, May 22, 

 1891, began my first acquaintance with the Golden-winged 

 Warbler in its summer home, and simultaneously commenced 

 my study of its life history. Passing this way on the day 

 mentioned, I was greeted with the song of the Golden-wing, 

 which had become familiar to me in previous years when 1 

 considered the bird only a migrant. But the lateness of the 

 season for a comparatively contented migrant, impressed me 

 that a few of these rare warblers might be found nesting with 

 us. A happy thought indeed, for while I was trying to locate 

 the little songster up among the willow foliage, I chanced to 

 pass near a small thin clump of briers where, down by the base 

 of one, and nestled in the springing grass a little bit of aston- 

 ishment awaited me. — A Golden-winged Warbler cosily jostled 

 down in her nest, with her bill and tail protruding above the 

 deep curvature of her back, and her little sparkling eyes peer 

 ing at me with an anxious, questioning look. I couM hardly 

 believe my discovery — but it was true. Anxious co know 

 what treasures her body protected, I cautiously flushed her 

 from the nest, forgetting for a time, her watchful mate in the 

 willow branches overhead. Her sharp "chip" brought him to 



