May 
after the bewilderment of the spring migration. 
For a season one’s special admiration may be 
aroused by the gayer plumage and more brill- 
lant song of other species; but the world is not 
so fickle at heart as it seems ; for I very much 
doubt if there are many persons who would 
willingly take any one of these captivating 
novelties in permanent exchange for honest old 
robin. He occupies a niche in our enduring, 
if less demonstrative, regard, from which he 
need never fear he will be routed by rivals. 
Spring would be indeed almost a failure with- 
out him; and on a cloudy day in the lonely 
woods the sound of his cheerful warble is as 
refreshing as a cool breeze in August. 
A somewhat rare and a very elegant warbler, 
which I had never before seen, made its ap- 
pearance on the first day of May, called the 
‘hooded ’’ warbler. It is seldom found far- 
ther north than this latitude ; and as no species 
is likely to be numerous on the boundaries of its 
range, we must be content with seeing it only 
occasionally. As far as I know only one 
mature male specimen has been seen hereabouts 
this year. He has a bright yellow head, throat, 
and breast, and is apparently enveloped in a 
broad jet black hood. ‘The combination and 
259 
