190 THE PASSING OF THE BIRDS. 



and the whole movement had the air of a 

 diurnal migration. I could only conjecture 

 that it was the end of the nocturnal flight, so 

 far, at least, as the warblers were concerned ; 

 in other words, that the birds, on this par- 

 ticular occasion, did not finish their nightly 

 journey till a little after sunrise. But if 

 many were still flying, many others had al- 

 ready halted ; for presently I came to a piece 

 of thin, stunted wood by the roadside, and 

 found in it a highly interesting company. 

 Almost the first specimen I saw was a Con- 

 necticut warbler perched in full view and ex- 

 posing himself perfectly. Eed-bellied nut- 

 hatches were calling, and warblers uncounted 

 were flitting about in the trees and under- 

 brush. A hurried search showed black- 

 polls, black-throated greens, blue yellow- 

 backs, one redstart, one black-and-white 

 creeper, one Blackburnian, one black-and- 

 yellow, one Canadian flycatcher (singing 

 lustily), one yellow redpoll, and one clearly- 

 marked bay -breast. The first yellow-bellied 

 woodpecker of the season was hammering 

 in a tree over my head, and not far away 

 was the first flock of white -throated spar- 

 rows. After breakfast I passed the place 



