17 



Like bits of golden sunshine, YEL- 

 LOW WARBLERS flit about our orch- 

 ard and shade trees as well as among 

 the alders and willows of swamp or 

 brookside. Coining toward the end of 

 April, they remain with us until late 

 in September. For the first two months 

 the males sing very freely, a sharp 

 "sweet, sweet, sweet, sweeter." The 

 song of this species is similar to that 

 of the Redstart and also the Chestnut- 

 sided Warbler but anyone soon be- 

 comes familiar enough with them to 

 distinguish that of each species. 



Their nest, too, is quite like that of 

 the redstart but usually contains more 

 plant down and less fibres and bark; 

 the lining is usually of fine rootlets or 

 hairs. One of the handsomest nests I 

 ever saw was built almost wholly ex- 

 ternally of white cotton obtained from 

 waste of a near-by mill. Their eggs 

 are bluish-white, specked with black 

 and umber, easily distinguished since 

 the eggs of most of our warblers have 

 a pure white or creamy background. 



thin and wiry but consist of a half dozen or more syllables 

 with a pause between each and with a peculiar rising and 

 falling of volume. They are comparatively sluggish in all 

 their actions. 



Thickets, first and second growth land or clearings are 

 always well populated with CHESTNUT-SIDED WAR- 

 BLERS, birds easy to name because they have a chestnut 

 stripe on each side of the- breast and a bright yellow crown. 

 Their song is similar in character to that of Redstarts and 

 Yellow Warblers but the differences are readily apparent 

 when one becomes familiar with them. Their nests are 

 located in the tops of low bushes a foot or so above ground. 



One of the commonest of spring migrants is the MYR- 

 TLE WARBLER, easily recognized by their four yellow 

 spots, one on the crown, one on the rump and one on either 

 side of the breast. We find them equally abundant either in 

 orchards or open woodland. They have a deep-toned chirp, 

 unlike that of any other species, and a short, rather pretty 

 trill. 



Another interesting species, and one of the smallest of 

 the family, is the PARULA WARBLER. They .were for- 

 merly known as "Blue Yellow-backs" as the upper parts 

 are a blue-gray and there is a brownish-yellow patch in the 



