102 LAND-BIRDS. 



greens and hard-wood trees, wherever grouped in abundance, 

 and very generally prefer the higher branches, where they 

 build their nests (for they never, so far as I know, descend to 

 the ground). These nests are beautiful objects, and very ad- 

 mirable architectural works, which distinguish their builders 

 from all the other members, at least the American members, 

 of their large family, the Warblers ; for though nearly all of 

 them build neat and pretty nests, none ever construct nests so 

 striking in appearance as these, which are globular, with an 

 entrance on one side. They are often suspended from the 

 bough of a hemlock, and are usually composed of rather long 

 Spanish moss,* which is a very pretty material for nest-build- 

 ing. Wonderful must that instinct be which enables the little 

 Warblers to weave the long threads together with security and 

 compactness, and finally to arrange them in the desired form 

 that the globular shape may be so nearly perfected. From 

 cases of which I have known, I have strong reason to believe 

 that these nests in Massachusetts are sometimes, perhaps ac- 

 cidentally, not entirely rounded, but are left largely uncov- 

 ered, which I at one time supposed to be due to the warmer 

 climate; but I have since learned that specimens from the 

 Southern States are like those from Maine, and perfect in 

 shape. 



d. The ordinary notes of the " Blue Yellow-backs " are a 

 tship, a chick, often loud, a cry of chick-a-chick-chick, and 

 occasionally a trill, which approaches a chatter. Their song, 

 which I have often heard in May, as well as in June, though 

 rather weak and unmusical, is yet quite loud, more so, I think, 

 than some other authors have represented. It begins with a 

 trill of rising inflection and marked accent, which is followed 

 either by twitters, or by notes which remind me of those of 

 the " Black-throated Greens," or by still others like them. In 

 this song I have sometimes recognized a peculiar hoarse tone, 

 which seemed to characterize it strongly. 



* The Usnea is sometimes called by in New England, although in the South 

 this name, and is doubtless the species its long streamers inclose and conceal 

 referred to by Mr. Minot, for the true innumerable nests of the Blue Yellow- 

 Spanish moss (Tillandsia) is not found backed Warbler. W. B. 



