234 THE INVITATION. 



divided the group very much, giving new names to 

 new classifications. But this part is of interest and 

 value only to the professional ornithologist. 



The finest songster among the Sylvia, according to 

 my notions, is the black-throated greenback. Its 

 song is sweet and clear, but brief. 



The rarest of the species are Swainson's warbler, 

 said to be disappearing ; the cerulean warbler, said 

 to be abundant about Niagara ; and the mourning 

 ground warbler, which I have found breeding about 

 the head-waters of the Delaware, in New York. 



The vireos, or greenlets, are a sort of connecting 

 link between the warblers and the true fly-catchers, 

 and partake of the characteristics of both. 



The red-eyed vireo, whose sweet soliloquy is one 

 of the most constant and cheerful sounds in our woods 

 and groves, is, perhaps, the most noticeable and abun- 

 dant species. The vireos are a little larger than the 

 warblers, and are far less brilliant and variegated in 

 color. 



There are four species found in most of our woods, 

 namely, the red-eyed vireo, the white-eyed vireo, the 

 warbling vireo, and the solitary vireo, the red-eyed 

 and warbling being most abundant, and the white- 

 eyed being the most lively and animated songster. I 

 meet the latter bird only in the thick, bushy growths 

 of low, swampy localities, where, eluding the ob- 

 server, it pours forth its song with a sharpness and a 

 rapidity of articulation that are truly astonishing 

 This strain is very marked, and, though inlaid with 



