YELLOW WARBLER. 
It is to be hoped future observations will not reveal new 
forms, otherwise, one will be inclined to charge the Yel- 
low Warbler with musical plagiarism! But from whom 
could he steal such forms? Certainly they do not accu- 
rately represent those of any other Warbler, and who 
can find fault with a bird who chooses to strike out 
experimentally on new lines! 
The Yellow Warbler is an interesting as well as a 
beautiful character; he sings early in the morning and 
late in the afternoon, he is quick in his motions, even 
more rapid in song, charming in his almost fearless man- 
ners, and marvellous in his sagacity, for not infrequently 
the wise little creature outwits the miserable Cowbird, 
and builds a new nest over the one in which the strange 
egg has been surreptitiously deposited. I quote from 
William Hamilton Gibson an amusing account of an 
extreme instance: ‘‘ Have we fully examined this nest 
of our Yellow Warbler? Even now the lower section 
seems more bulky than the normal nest should be. Can 
we not trace still another faint outline of a transverse 
division in the fabric about an inch below the one al- 
ready separated? Yes; it parts easily with a little dis- 
entangling of the fibres, and another spotted egg is 
seen within. A three-storied nest! A nest full of sto- 
ries—certainly. I recently read of a specimen contain- 
ing four stories, upon the top of which downy pile the 
little Warbler sat like Patience on a monument, pre- 
sumably smiling at the discomfiture of the outwitted 
Cowbird parasite, who had thus exhausted her powers 
of mischief for the season, and doubtless convinced her- 
self of the folly of ‘ putting all her eggs in one basket.’ 
The voice of this Warbler is loud and exceedingly 
penetrating. Travelling in an express train over the 
Boston and Albany Railroad, I have more than once 
clearly distinguished the song as it slipped in through 
the ventilators of the car, and really dominated the din. 
of the train. 
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