Vo1 ' i920 LVI1 ] CoBB > Birds of the Catskilts. 47 



darkness of the wood roads and the quick actions of the birds, 

 however, made it hard to get good results without the best of lenses, 

 so my efforts with an ordinary stock camera were not very satis- 

 factory. 



The other finches of the mountains were more conspicuous if 

 less confiding, for the beautiful members of the family, such as the 

 Indigo Bunting, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Purple Finch, were 

 abundant. At home in Massachusetts I have always thought of 

 the Rose-breast as a comparatively uncommon and shy bird, but 

 in these beech woods it was one of the commonest birds. Every 

 morning and evening their liquid song was a delight, and through- 

 out the day the males flashed from tree to tree eating the canker 

 worms which had nearly defoliated parts of the forest. 



Indigo Buntings frequented the clearings and old farm lands, 

 nesting plentifully in the underbrush just where the stumpy fields 

 merge into the deep woods. In one such place I found three of 

 their nests within fifty yards of each other. At this season they 

 seemed to be raising their second brood for one of the nests con- 

 tained new laid eggs, while there were many young around just 

 able to fly with ease. 



While speaking of brilliant birds mention must be made of the 

 Scarlet Tanagers which were even more abundant than the Gros- 

 beaks in the worm infested patches of beech woods. In these bare 

 trees their plumage showed off marvelously, and their throaty 

 "chuck-whee" and pleasing song might be heard at all hours of the 

 day. 



Flycatchers, too, were abundant; Kingbirds made the pastures 

 lively with their quick sallies and noisy chatter; along the streams 

 the Phcebes silently watched for insects; and from the swampy 

 woods at noon came the drowsy call of the Wood Pewee or the 

 incessant "chebec!" of the Least Flycatcher. 



But the brightest charm of the Catskills for an ornithologist is 

 in the number and variety of warblers. My first morning in the 

 woods I saw eleven species, some of them the handsomest of the 

 tribe. Among the few remaining hemlocks the Black and White, 

 Myrtle, and Parula Warblers explored the lower branches, twitter- 

 ing and singing, while from the higher trees came the soft song of 

 the Black-throated Green, or the insect-like call of the Black- 



