Brewster on (he Prothonotary Wurller. 157 



a simple j^eet, tiveet, tweet, ttveet, given on the same key throvighout. 

 Often when ths notes came from the farther shore of a river or pond 

 we were completely deceived. On more than one occasion, when a 

 good opportunity for com[)arison was offered by the actual presence of 

 both birds at the same time, we found that at the distance of several 

 hundred yards their notes were absolutely undistinguishable; nearer 

 at hand, however, the resemblance is lost, and a ringing, penetrating 

 quality becomes apparent in the Warbler's song. It now sounds like 

 peet, taweet, tsweet, tsiveet, or sometimes tweet, tr-stoeet, tr-sweet, tr-siveet. 

 When the bird sings within a few yards the sound is almost startling 

 in its intensity, and the listener feels inclined to stop his ears. The 

 male is a fitful singer, and is quite as apt to be heard in the hot 

 noontide or on cloudy days, when other birds are silent, as during 

 the cool morning and evening hours. The ordinary note of alarm 

 or distress is a sharp one, so nearly like that of the Large-billed 

 Water Thrush (Siurus motacilla) that the slight difference can only 

 be detected by a critical ear. When the sexes meet a soft tchip of 

 recognition common to nearly all the Warblers is used. In addition 

 to the song above described the male has a different and far sweeter 

 one, which is reserved for select occasions, — an outpouring of the 

 bird's most tender feelings, intended for the ears of his mate alone, 

 like the rare evening warble of the Oveu-Bird (Siurvs cmricapillus). 

 It is apparently uttered only while on the wing. Although so low and 

 feeble as to be inaudiV)le many rods away, it is very sweet, resem- 

 bling somewhat the song of the Canary, given in an midertone, with 

 trills or " water-notes " interspersed. The flight during its delivery 

 is very different from that at all other times. The bird progresses 

 slowly, with a trembling, fluttering motion, its head raised and tail 

 expanded. This song was heard most freqiiently after incubation 

 had begun. 



In general activity and restlessness few birds equal the species 

 under consideration. Not a nook or corner of his domain but is 

 repeatedly visited throiigh the day. Now he sings a few times 

 from the top of some tall willow that leans out over the stream, 

 sitting motionless among the yellowish foliage, fully aware, per- 

 haps, of the protection afforded by its harmonizing tints. The next 

 moment he descends to the cool shades beneath, where dark, coffee- 

 colored water, the overflow of the pond or river, stretches back 

 among the trees. Here he loves to hop about on floating drift-wood, 

 wet by the lapping of pulsating wavelets ; now following up some 



