April 
while beneath it is snow-white except for the 
yellow and brownish band across the breast. 
This is called the ‘‘ blue yellow-back,’’ and is one 
of the smallest of the warbler group. It soon 
became quite common, especially at a certain 
spot where the opening buds of the shrubbery 
proved to be particularly delectable. It was 
a picture not to be forgotten, as in their rich 
colors they swayed on the tall, slender branches, 
and with inimitable grace assumed every va- 
riety of posture in plucking the fresh leaves. 
A stuffed specimen of such a creature is an 
utter caricature of the original. 
If each night, from about the middle of 
April to the middle of May, one’s vision could 
sweep through the entire range of sky from 
New England to Mexico, what bird-clouds he 
would see rolling up from the south, here and 
there settling to the ground, rising again, and 
pushing northward. One of the largest « cloud- 
bursts’’ of this sort in the Ramble was on 
the 29th, which was a red-letter day for the 
ornithologist, transforming the Park into a veri- 
table aviary. Red-polls, black-and-white creep- 
ers, and yellow-rumps were swarming among 
the larches, while in the adjoining trees a 
sprightly and characteristic song called attention 
129 
