THE YELLOW WARBLER. 



179 



plumage kiunvs nu admixture, save for tlie tasty but inconspicuous cliestnut 

 stripes on tlie breast of the adult male. These stripes are lacking in males 

 of the second year, whence Audubon was once led to elaborate a supposed 

 new species, which he called the "Children's Warbler." The name is not 

 ill-fitting, even tho we know that it applies only to the Warbler's children. 



The Yellow Warbler is peculiarly a l)ird of sunshine, and is tn be tnunil 

 cliietly in open situations. 

 It swarms thru the orch- 

 ards and gardens, fre- 

 quents the wayside thick- 

 ets, and in town takes 

 possession of the shrulj- 

 bery in lawn or park. It 

 is abundant in swamp\ 

 places, and is invariabl\ 

 present in season along 

 the banks of streams 

 which are lined with wil- 

 lows, alders, and wild rose 

 bushes. 



The song is sunny, too. 

 and while not elaborate, 

 makes substantial contri- 

 bution to the good cheer 

 of spring. Heard in the 

 boskage it sounds absurdly 

 as if some wag were shak- 

 ing an attic salt-cellar on 

 a great green salad. The 

 notes are almost piercing, 

 and sound better perhaps 

 from across the river than 

 they do in the same tree. 

 Individual variation in 

 song is considerable, but 



the high ])itch and vigor of deliverv' are distinctive. Certain common types 

 may be syllabized as follows: Street, S7i'ect. sweet, sii'cctic; fscc. tscc. tsit- 

 a-zvee, fsce; zvee-chee, dice, dice zvce-i-ii ; tsii. Isii. Isn. Isii. tscec:v. h'rom 

 its arrival sometime during the last week in .\pril. luitil ncir tlie close of 

 its second nesting, late in jul>'. the iiird may l)e fnund sin.s^in^ thrunut the 

 sunlit hours. 



Tlic date of this bird's annu;d ad\ent in \\ ashington is far less nearly 



Ori-go 



Fholo by Finlcy 

 A CON'TENTKD B.\BV. 



