42 BIRD-SONGS. 



blue, the yellow-r limped, and the chestnut-sided, 

 sing two melodies each, while the blue golden- 

 winged has at least three ; and this, of course, 

 without making anything of slight variations 

 such as all birds are more or less accustomed to 

 indulge in. The best of the three songs of the 

 blue golden-wing I have never heard except on 

 one occasion, but then it was repeated for half 

 an hour under my very eyes. It bore no re- 

 semblance to the common dsee, dsee, dsee, of 

 the species, and would appear to be seldom 

 used ; for not only have I never heard it since, 

 but none of the writers seem ever to have 

 heard it at all. However, I still keep a careful 

 description of it, which I took down on the 

 spot, and which I expect some future golden- 

 wing to verify. 



But the most celebrated of the warblers in 

 this regard is the golden-crowned thrush, other- 

 wise called the oven-bird and the wood wagtail. 

 His ordinary effort is one of the noisiest, least 

 melodious, and most incessant sounds to be 

 heard in our woods. His song is another mat- 

 ter. For that he takes to the air (usually start- 

 ing from a tree-top, although I have seen him 

 rise from the ground), whence, after a prelim- 

 inary chip, chip, he lets falls a hurried flood of 

 notes, in the midst of which can usually be dis- 

 tinguished his familiar weechee, weechee, wee- 



