HABITS OF GRACE'S WARBLER 295 



for the South. They pair off very soon after their arrival, by 

 the beginning of May, and I think they must, in some cases at 

 least, rear two broods during the summer, as I found newly 

 fledged birds during the middle of August. I never discovered 

 their nest, but have no doubt it will be found high up in the 

 pine-trees, to which the birds are so much attached. They 

 keep not only among tall pines, but even in the upper portions 

 of these magnificent trees, some of which grow to such height 

 that it is a fair gunshot range to their lower limbs, let alone the 

 canopy of foliage that stretches to the sunlight out of the lower 

 shade it casts itself, affording the happiest hunting-ground to 

 these nimble and industrious birds. They are seen coursing 

 among the branchlets, skipping at apparent random through 

 the endless intricacies of the foliage, hovering momentarily 

 about the terminal bunches of needles, and then dashing far 

 out into clear space, to capture the passing insect with a dex- 

 terous twist and turn. So the season passes, till the young are 

 on wing, when the different families, still with bonds unbroken, 

 ramble at leisure through the woods, the young birds timid and 

 feeble at first, venturing shorter flights than their parents, who 

 seem absorbed in solicitude for their welfare, and attend them 

 most sedulously, till they are quite able to shift for themselves. 

 They are quick to learn ; it is not long before, gaining full con- 

 fidence, they loose their family ties ; different broods meet in 

 undistinguished companies, and all go trooping down the mount- 

 aiu-sides, or off to the southward, when first the pine-trees sigh 

 and whisper to each other that they hear the threatening mur- 

 mur of oncoming storms. 



During the whole summer, these Warblers have no other note 

 than that thin and wiry chirping which so many species of this 

 group utter. Earlier in the season, when the males would seek 

 their fates, they sing right heartily, and with a strength and 

 clearness one would scarce expect to hear from musicians of 

 such puny size. The song opens with two or three slurred, 

 whistling notes, continued for a few moments with a clear, thin 

 chirrup that I know not how to express in words. They have 

 also another song, which always reminded me of that which is 

 so constantly heard from the Redstart during the same climac- 

 teric period of its life. 



I await with impatience the discovery of the nest and eggs of 

 my sister's Warbler, and the determination of its winter home, 

 that the history of the pretty bird may be completed. 



