IN THE CATSKILLS 



the bluebird's, love; the catbird's, pride; the white- 

 eyed flycatcher's, self -consciousness ; that of the 

 hermit thrush, spiritual serenity : while there is 

 something military in the call of the robin. 



The red-eye is classed among the flycatchers 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, and the two birds are often con- 

 founded by careless observers. Both warble in the 

 same cheerful strain, but the latter more continu- 

 ously 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, exploring 

 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 

 distance. 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 snowbird 

 starts up before me and chirps sharply. His protest 

 when thus disturbed is almost metallic in its sharp- 

 ness. 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, like the 

 song sparrow, and is not hi any way associated 

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