FAMILY Mnlotlltldae. 



curiosity. On one occasion I had the pleasure of seeing 

 him hop to within three inches of my shoe in a persist- 

 ent endeavor to find out whether I was myself a bird or 

 held one captive. Of course, I was conversing with him 

 in his own language, but I have not an idea what we 

 talked about! 



Myrtle The Myrtle or Yellow-rumped Warbler 



is a frequent visitor of the grounds about 

 the house in April and May. He is plainly, 



L. 5.65 inches not conspicuously, marked, with excellent 

 April aoth, points which serve for his identification. 

 or all the year There is a yellow patch on crown and 

 rump, and another on either side of the breast; upi>er 

 parts blue-gray streaked with black; two white wing- 

 bars; the outer tail feathers have white spots on their in- 

 ner vanes near the tips; throat white, and upper breast 

 heavily streaked with black which lessens as it reaches 

 the lower parts; these are white. Female similarly 

 marked, but with less black below, and with sepia brown 

 above. Nest of moss, rootlets, and vegetable fibres, 

 lined with fine grasses, generally situated in evergreen 

 trees, five to nine feet above the ground. Egg gray or 

 pearl white, spotted with various browns. The range of 

 this bird extends throughout North America east of the 

 Rockies. It breeds in the northern States and north- 

 ward, and winters from southern New England to 

 Panama. The species is a hardy one. The birds are 

 particularly fond of the bayberry (Myrica cerifera), and 

 will remain during the autumn season a long time 

 where that favorite food is plentiful. Mr. Ned Dear- 

 l)orn writes: " A fortunate versatility of appetite enables 

 them to change their diet when the supply of insects 

 wanes. Their chief food while in Durham consists of 

 bayberries. Stomachs of late spring and early fall speci- 

 mens contain little besides insects; but nearer the ex- 

 tremities of winter, these berries are eaten to a great 

 extent. After the arrival of the large flocks in the fall, 

 they almost constantly remain in the vicinity of patches 

 of bayberry bushes." These remarks would apply with 

 equal truth to the birds which visit Martha's Vineyard 

 1 80 



