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- 

 iant 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 



