AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY. 197 



From the border of the woods on my left came the golden voice of 

 the Wood Thrush. It was a song serene and liquid, with a transparent 

 quality. Not in the least confusing were the silverv tinkling notes of 

 the Bobolink in the tall meadow grass. 



In the medley I could distinguish in the direction of a clump of alders 

 the notes of the Red-shouldered Blackbird. The strong cry of the Great- 

 Fly-catcher lent a harsh note to the refrain but did not mar it. 



The brilliant song of the Indigo bird, the strong, bright warble of 

 the Scarlet Tanager, the innocent, contented warble of the Red-eyed 

 Vireo. All chimed in harmoniously. The three last named birds are 

 the only songsters that can be heard with any regularity after the meri- 

 dian of summer is past. 



The Linnet, or Purple Finch posseses great compass and melody of 

 voice. He pours forth a strain, vicacious, rapid, and circling. He is 

 the most noted songster in the Finch family. 



Of the Wrens, the House Wren is a good singer, and the Winter 

 Wren's song is surpassed by but few singers in point of mellowness 

 and execution. In summer time the Winter Wren haunts the cool 

 northern woods where his music is lost in primitive solitude. The 

 Golden-crown Kinglet's rich prolonged warble is noticed in the ever- 

 greens of the northern states, for one or two weeks in May, when the 

 "bird pauses to feed on its way to Canada. 



There are a number of lesser songsters whose cheerful, honest songs 

 in the summer trees would be greatly missed. The Vireos are among 

 these and they contribute an important element to the music of groye 

 and wood. The Red- eyed Vireo sings his cheerful way through all the 

 day long, and through all the summer. The Warbling Vireo comes in 

 with a bit stronger strain, and not quite so sweet, while the Solitary 

 Vireo, as his name implies, keeps much to himself. His song is heard 

 only in the deep woods. .The White-eyed Vireo is found only in wet, 

 t)ushy places and its vehement song is sure to catch the dullest ear. 



There are an army of small Wood Warblers, about forty species. 

 Most of them are merely faint chatterers. 



The Water Wagtail, and the Wood Wagtail are the most brilliant 

 warblers, with the exception of the Kinglets, which are northern birds 

 in summer, and also the Kentucky Warbler, which is a southern bird. 



The Water Wagtail utters brilliant snatches of song from dim aisles 

 along some wild brook, but it is a very evasive bird and chary of its 

 music. If its song were prolonged it could be compared to the English 

 JSIightingale. 



The Veery and the Hermit Thrush also belong to the wood songsters. 



