46 Bird Comrades 



The manners of Sir Blue-wing I call him so because 

 of his distinguished air are interesting, for they differ, 

 in one respect at least, from those of most of the other 

 warblers of my acquaintance. He flits about among the 

 branches in rather a leisurely way for a warbler; but 

 his main characteristic is his unwarbler-like fashion of 

 clinging back downward to the under side of the twigs, 

 after the manner of the chickadee, in order to secure the 

 nits and worms under the leaves. He acts decidedly 

 like a diminutive trapeze performer. 



His song consists of an insect-like buzz, divided into 

 stanzas of two syllables each, with a pensive strain 

 running through it, as if the heart of the little singer 

 were filled with sadness.. While it sounds rather faint at 

 a distance, close at hand it has a strangely penetrating 

 quality. 



Although my numerous efforts to find a blue-wing's 

 nest were unavailing, I had the satisfaction of proving 

 beyond doubt that these birds breed in northeastern 

 Kansas. A quaint, squeaking call attracted my attention 

 one day, and I found that it proceeded from the throat 

 of a young blue- wing perched in the bushes, for presently 

 the mamma came and thrust a morsel into the open 

 mouth of the bantling. Some young birds sit quietly 

 and patiently, waiting for their rations, and utter only a 

 faint twitter when they are fed; but the youthful blue- 

 wings are not of so contented and silent a disposition. 

 On the contrary, they are noisy little fellows, making 

 their presence known to friend and foe alike, although 



