THE HOODED WARBLER. 



(Sylvania mitrata.} 



" He was recognizable at once by the bright yellow hood he wore, bordered all around 

 with deep black. A bright, flitting blossom of the bird world!" Leander S. Keyser, in 

 Bird Land. 



This beautiful little warbler is a resi- gnat or miller, and once, having caught 

 dent of the eastern United States. It is a miller that was large and inclined to be 

 more common in the southern portion of refractory, he flew to the ^icund, beat it 

 this district and throughout the Missis- awhile on the clods, and then swallowed 

 sippi Valley. Its breeding range ex- it with a consequential air which seemed 

 tends from the Gulf of Mexico as far to to say, 'That is my way of disposing of 

 the northward as southern Michigan. It such cases !' Several times he mounted 

 winters in the West Indies, in Mexico, almost straight up from his perch, and 

 and in Central America. Though a wood twice he almost turned) a somersault in 

 warbler it prefers the shrubby growths pursuit of an insect. Once he clung like 

 in low and well-watered places rather a titmouse to the bole of a sapling." 

 than the forest. It is said to be abundant To some its notes, which are quite mu- 

 among the canes of the Southern States, sical, lively, sweet and happy, seem to re- 

 Many other names have been given this semble twee, twee, twitchie. Mr. Chap- 

 warbler, all having reference to the ar- man says the song "is subject to much 

 rangement of the black and yellow colors variation, but as a rule consists of eight 

 on the head. It is called the Black-head- or nine notes. To my ear the bird seems 

 ed Warbler, the Hooded Flycatching to say, 'You must come to the woods, or 

 Warbler, the Mitred Warbler, and the you won't see me.' ' 

 Black-cap Warbler. The nest of the Hooded Warbler is us- 



Activity seems to be the keynote of its ually built in low shrubs, sometimes but 

 life. It is in constant pursuit of insects, a few inches from the ground and seldom 

 which it catches while they are on the higher than two feet. It is constructed 

 wing. Unlike the flycatchers it seldom of fine rootlets, and fibers of bark corn- 

 returns to the same perch from which it pactly interwoven with leaves, fine grass 

 flew to catch its prey. and hair. It is lined with grass, hair and 



The words of Mr. Keyser most aptly feathers. The eggs, which are usually 



describe the habits of the Hooded War- five in number, are white, or nearly white, 



bier. He says, speaking of an hour spent in color, with red or brownish spots near 



in observing the bird's behavior, "He was the larger end. They are nearly three- 



not in the least shy or nervous, but fourths of an inch in length, and a little 



seemed rather to court my presence. Al- over one-half of an Inch in their greatest 



most every moment was spent in captur- diameter. 



ing insects on the wing or in sitting on a Three years or more are required for 



perch watching for them to flash into the development of the fully adult plu- 



view. Like a genuine flycatcher, as soon mage. The throat of the female, though 



as a buzzing insect hove in sight, he black, is not as pure a black as that of 



would dart out after it, and never once the male, and it is not so extensive or as 



failed to secure his prize. Sometimes he well defined, 

 would plunge swiftly downward after a 



