Auk 
216 PALMER, The Maryland Yellow-throat. Tels 
darting hither and thither, skimming the surface as lightly as a 
fluff of thistle down and in courses as erratic as those of the 
lucky bugs whose gambols it disturbed. Now it sipped the water 
eagerly, next picked at a floating leaf or darted after some small 
aquatic insect. Every now and then it would raise the forward 
part of its body and flap its tiny wings in the manner of an old 
Duck. The floating sticks and rafts of dirt that covered a large 
part of the surface did not embarrass its progress in the least, for 
it crossed them either by running or bya succession of short, 
quick leaps as nimble as those of a small frog. Poor little waif ! 
It was pathetic to see it start off thus alone and unprotected on 
its perilous journey of life, rejoicing evidently in its freedom and 
the novelty of its surroundings, but quite unconscious of the dan- 
gers which lay before it. I could only hope that one or the other 
of the female Whistlers which we started from the water near the 
nest tree would adopt and care for it, and I was glad to see one 
of them fly back to the spot after we had departed. 
ECOLOGY OF THE MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT, 
AND ITS RELATIVES. 
BY WILLIAM PALMER. 
For MANY years I have known that two distinct forms of this 
common species (Geofhlypis trichas) occurred in Virginia; a small 
summer resident and a larger, better colored transient. Within a 
few years past I have found a third, a large, rich colored summer 
resident of the cypress and cane swamps of the southeastern part 
of the State. A study of considerable material and experience 
has led me to results which may throw more light on the distri- 
bution and evolution of the genus. 
The genus Geofhlypfis has no characters peculiar to itself; it is 
differentiated from its near relatives by a combination of charac- 
ters each of slight importance. It contains about 28 forms, dis- 
