Vol-^XXVIIJ Stanwood, The Black-throated Green Warbler. 289 



THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 



BY CORDELIA J. STANWOOD. 



Plates XIII and XIV. 



The Black-throated Green Warbler is the Hght opera of the 

 birds. When he is in the treetops I find myself unconsciously 

 humming the words that suggest his two common ditties, they are 

 so marked in time and catchy. His voice is suggestive of the 

 drowsy summer days, the languor of the breeze dreamily swaying 

 the pines, spruces, firs and hemlocks. It recalls the incense of 

 evergreens, the fragrance of the wild strawberry, the delicate per- 

 fume of the linnea. No other bird voice is so potent to evoke that 

 particular spell of the northern woods. 



At Ellsworth, Maine, the Black-throated Green AVarbler is one 

 of the early warblers to arrive in the spring. It comes just as the 

 buds of the larch are opening, and is always to be looked for in 

 or near swamp growths, where gray birch, larch, and evergreens 

 flourish. After the nest is completed, there is a long period of 

 nearly two months when the song of the Black-throated Green and 

 Magnolia Warblers can be heard at any time of the day in the high 

 tops of primeval spruces and pines. In the early part of the season 

 the Black-throated Green Warbler feeds all over any kind of tree 

 but prefers deciduous ; in the fall they frequent these same growths, 

 where the swamps at this season are often dry. At this time of 

 year, they sometimes descend to the ground and forage among the 

 newly fallen leaves. 



The bird is quick in its movements, but often spends periods of 

 some length on one tree, frequently coming down low to peep in- 

 quisitively at an observer, once in a while flying toward a person 

 as if to alight on his hand or head. This mark of curiosity is shown 

 by both the ^Magnolia and the Black-throated Green, particularly 

 during migration. 



Two common songs of the Black-throated Green Warbler are 

 easily suggested by words; a third, less common, is not so easily 

 reduced to syllables. The first is always readily recalled by the 

 words read-y, siead-y, read-y, stcad-y. The second, by the words 

 sweet, 0, hoiv sweet, sweet, sweet, how sweet; or again, take it. 



