FAMILY Mnlotlltldx. 



ordinary bird student through their songs. These songs, 

 without exception, are pitched extremely high. There 

 are a few I can find with a register that extends be- 

 low the highest G of the piano, and many extend ap- 

 proximately to Q an octave above that, which is fou; 

 whole tones more than the piano undertakes to account 

 for! When a bird sings as high as that, we may as well 

 admit that a musical ear is sorely puzzled, and a defec- 

 tive one hopelessly tone-deaf. It is therefore no simple 

 matter to determine the intervals in a Warbler's song, 

 and notation must represent them approximately rather 

 than exactly; this, however, will in no wise prevent 

 a due recognition of the song printed on paper, for its 

 mechanical rhythm is of far greater importance than its 

 pitch. Naturally enough no musician will consider the 

 Warblers good songsters on the contrary, as a class- 

 they are the very poorest of the woodland singers. In 

 imitating their songs I have to produce a lisping whistle 

 by placing the tongue immediately back of the upper 

 front teeth, and forcing the tone in between, and making 

 it high or low by the movement of the lips. In this way 

 alone should my notations be read, and not with the aid 

 of the piano except as it may serve in locating the tones. 

 The majority of the Warblers arrive late in the spring, 

 most of them travelling by night. Their food consists 

 mainly of insects, untold myriads of which they destroy 

 during one season alone. How much such work accrues 

 to our benefit, who shall say I 



Black and This Warbler, sometimes called the Black 



White Warbler and Whifce Creeper is very common and 

 Mniotilta vana .. . , TT . ? t / 



L. 5.25 inches mos * easily recognized. He has a habit of 

 April asth walking upside down as well as right side 

 up with the ease and agility of a true Creeper ', hence 

 a confusion of titles. The bird is admirably marked; 

 he is a symphony in black and white; Nature has rung 

 all the changes possible with those colors. Head barred 

 black and white, a white stripe over each eye; ear coverts 

 black; upper parts streaky black and white; two white 

 wing-bars on each wing; inner webs of outer tail feath- 

 ers white-patched; throat and upper breast black, or 



