54 IN THE HEMLOCKS. 



take in them. The song of the bobolink to me ex 

 presses hilarity ; the song-sparrow's, faith ;" the blue* 

 bird's, love ; the cat-bird's, pride ; the white-eyed fly- 

 catcher's, self-consciousness ; that of the hermit-thrush, 

 spiritual-serenity: while there is something military 

 in the call of the robin. 



The vireosylvia is classed among the fly-catchers 

 by some writers, but is much more of a worm-eater, 

 and has few of the traits or habits of the Muscicapa 

 or the true Sylvia. He resembles somewhat the 

 warbling vireo ( Vireo gilvus), and the two birds are 

 often confounded by careless observers. Both war- 

 ble in the same cheerful strain, but the latter more 

 continuously and rapidly. The red-eye is a larger, 

 slimmer bird, with a faint bluish crown, and a light 

 line over the eye. His movements are peculiar. 

 You may see him hopping among the limbs, explor- 

 ing the under side of the leaves, peering to the right 

 and left, now flitting a few feet, now hopping as 

 many, and warbling incessantly, occasionally in a 

 subdued tone, which sounds from a very indefinite 

 vlistance. When he has found a worm to his liking, 

 he turns lengthwise of the limb, and bruises its head 

 with his beak before devouring it. 



As I enter the woods the slate-colored snow-bird 

 (Fringitta Hudsonia) starts up before me and chirps 

 sharply. His protest when thus disturbed is almost 

 metallic in its sharpness. He breeds here, and is not 

 esteemed a snow-bird at all, as he disappears at the 

 near approach of winter, and returns again in spring. 



