THE HOODED WARBLER. 343 



of the singer. It seemed exceedingly shy. In vain did I 

 crawl on hands and knees among the undergrowth to get 

 near to it, for just as I would seem about to gain a good 

 view of it, the song would cease at the point under obser- 

 vation, and come from one more distant. Just as I was 

 about to give the matter up, one evening, down came the 

 singer, stage by stage, through the thick foliage, and, alight- 

 ing within a few feet of me and in clear sight, gave the 

 full effect of his whistling song. I have since heard the 

 same song a number of times and in different places from 

 the Hooded Warbler. So I conclude that in the case of 

 this species there are, occasionally at least, two distinct and 

 altogether different songs. 



Five inches or a little more in length, all the upper parts are 

 of a fine olivaceous-green, all the under parts bright yellow; 

 the two outer feathers on each side of the tail are white nearly 

 to the base; a jet-black hood, covering the crown and back 

 of the head, extending along the sides of the neck around 

 the cheeks and completely covering the foreneck and 

 throat distinguishes the male. The sunlight on his breast, 

 the hues of the forest on his back, and the emblems of 

 mourning about his head as he peers out modestly from 

 among the foliage, he is one of the most strikingly beautiful 

 of all our large and elegant family of Warblers. The female 

 is similar, but much less brilliant, and has the mere outline 

 of the black hood. 



The Hooded Warbler belongs to the Flycatching War- 

 blers, the bills of which resemble those of the Flycatchers, 

 but in regard to all other points, especially the feet, they 

 are true Warblers. The flesh-colored feet and legs of this 

 bird denote that it is a Ground Warbler; that is, it belongs 

 to those Warblers which make their home on or near the 

 ground. Here it keeps itself, for the most part, well con- 



