THE BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. 



(Dendroica virens.) 



One of the interesting nature studies 

 is an investigation of the groups of in- 

 sect-eating birds in reference to their food 

 and the methods employed in obtaining 

 it. Some insects are useful to man, but 

 by far the larger number are a detriment 

 to his interests in one way or another. 



The swallows and swifts are almost 

 constantly on the wing, dexterously 

 catching any insects that come in their 

 way. They are day birds and at night 

 are replaced by the nighthawks that feed 

 upon the night flying insects. Next are 

 the flycatchers that dart "from ambush 

 at passing prey, and with a suggestive 

 click of the bill, return to their post." 

 The beautiful little hummingbird, ever 

 active on the wing, quickly sees and picks 

 from leaf or flower insects that would es- 

 cape the attention of other birds. The 

 woodpeckers and allied birds examine the 

 tree trunks and carefully listen for the 

 insect that may be boring through the 

 wood within. The vireos, like the good 

 housekeepei, examine the "nooks and 

 corners to see that no skulker escapes." 

 The robin and its sister thrushes and the 

 numerous sparrows attend to the surface 

 of the earth, and aquatic birds extensively 

 destroy those insects whose development 

 takes place either in or on the water. 



Not the least among the birds that 

 assist man in his warfare upon insect 

 pests are our beautiful and active warb- 

 lers that frequent the foliage of tree and 

 shrubs patiently gathering their insect 

 food. 



One of these is the Black-throated 

 Green Warbler of our illustration. If we 

 desire to examine its habits, except dur- 

 ing the period of migration, we must 

 visit the forests of cone bearing trees in 



the northern woods of the eastern United 

 States, in the Allegheny mountains and 

 from these points northward to Hudson 

 Bay. It is almost useless to seek this 

 bird in other places. Here, high up in 

 the cedars, pines and hemlock in cozy re- 

 treats far out on the branches it builds its 

 nest. "The foundation of the structure is 

 of fine shreds of bark, fine dry twigs of 

 the hemlock, bits of fine grass, weeds and 

 dried rootlets, intermixed with moss and 

 lined with rootlets, fine grass, some 

 feathers and horse hair." The nests are 

 usually bulky and loosely constructed. 

 These rollicksome Warblers have a pecu- 

 liar song which is very characteristic and 

 not easily forgotten. The descriptions of 

 this song are almost as numerous as are 

 the observers. One has given this ren- 

 dering: "Hear me Saint Ther-e-sa." An- 

 other has very aptly described it as sound- 

 ing like, "Wee-wee-su-see," the syllables 

 "uttered slowly and well drawn out ; that 

 before the last in a lower tone than the 

 two former, and the last syllable notice- 

 ably on the upward slide ; the whole be- 

 ing a sort of insect tone, altogether pecu- 

 liar, and by no means unpleasing." 



The song of the Black-throated Green 

 Warbler is so unlike that of the other 

 warblers that it becomes an important 

 characteristic of the species. Mr. Chap- 

 man says, "There is a quality about it 

 like the droning of bees ; it seems to voice 

 the restfulness of a midsummer day." 



Those who wish to observe this bird 

 and cannot go to its nesting retreats, in 

 the evergreen forests, must seek in any 

 wooded land during its migrations to and 

 from the tropics, where it finds an abun- 

 dance of food during the rigors of our 

 northern winters. 



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