Vol l907 IV ] Wood, Autumn Warbler Migration. 327 



height against strong light or after sundown, and very uncertain 

 at all times when the birds were in the tall tree tops. To accom- 

 plish good results in warbler hunting requires hard work and much 

 patience. At times the woods are apparently void of warblers, 

 but experience has taught me that, at least, a few may be found 

 in every suitable woods. This scarcity may occur in the height 

 of the season and is probably due to drainage by a flock of travelers. 

 If you keep constantly in motion and attend strictly to business 

 the reward is certain, although the amount of success depends on 

 how familiar you are with the woods or, rather, the more favorable 

 places. The terrestrial kinds are not difficult to discover, as you 

 can penetrate their haunts and force them from cover, but the more 

 arboreal species can not be reached in the thick foliage of the forest 

 trees. One of my first experiments was to climb a tree, command- 

 ing a view on all sides, and wait for the birds, but in this I was 

 depending entirely on such as chanced in one little spot of a large 

 woods, and even then they were more difficult to see than when 

 looking from the ground, while it was no easy matter to mark 

 down anything shot, and if wounded it was sure to escape before 

 I could reach the spot. I have seen a winged Nashville and Ten- 

 nessee crawl entirely out of sight beneath a dead leaf when other 

 concealment was wanting. Another of my errors was wasting 

 time in exploring unlikely and out of the way places, believing 

 such localities the most liable to contain rarities. Another point, 

 to be remembered, is that loud noises inspire alarm and the birds 

 flee at the report of a gun ; so, by the time you have picked up your 

 specimen the remainder have vanished from sight and hearing. 

 Never shoot into a flock without first ascertaining their direction 

 of travel and you can then sprint one or two hundred yards and get 

 some trace of them again. In the woods the migrating flocks are 

 usually of many species and the beginner is liable to see only the 

 prominent kinds. Sometimes a small company of three or four 

 individuals will work through the woods so much scattered that 

 there will be a hundred yards or so between each bird. They 

 remain silent, except while flying from tree to tree when a sharp 

 peep is uttered to keep in touch with one another. In a case of 

 this kind success depends on quick work "and some experience. 

 It does not pay to watch the water holes, as migrating warblers 

 will seldom come down to drink and bathe. A notable fact is that 



