account of a pair of these Warblers 

 which took up their abode in some pop- 

 lar trees on the opposite side of the street 

 from his residence in Washington. The 

 male sang through the season during 

 certain hours with great regularity. On 

 the fourteenth of May, his morning 

 rehearsal began at a quarter after four 

 o'clock and continued, until near eight 

 o'clock. In the evening he began at half 

 after seven o'clock and continued until 

 shortly after dusk. 



The home of the Yellow Warbler is a 

 compact and cup-shaped structure built 

 of very neatly woven plant-fibers, fine 

 strips of bark, fine grasses and plant- 

 down. It is copiously lined with plant- 

 down, soft feathers and often some 

 horsehair. This beautiful example of 

 bird architecture is not hidden in the 

 dense foliage of the forest but is built in 

 the shrubs and trees of the roadsides and 

 lawns, in orchards and in willows that 

 border streams. This gentle little 

 Warbler is commonly imposed upon by 

 the undomestic cowbird which drops one 

 or more eggs intO' its nest. While some 

 of the cowbird's eggs are incubated, the 

 Yellow Warbler seems to have learned 

 from experience that the strange eggs 

 in its nest are dangerous. Not infre- 

 quently it constructs a false bottom over 

 the cowbird's eggs, even though in so 

 doing it encloses some of its own eggs, 

 and builds the walls to a sufficient height 

 to give the proper depth to the cup- 



shaped cavity. If the cowbird continues 

 its. imposition and lays its &gg in the 

 'second story a third story may be added 

 and even four-storied nests have been 

 reported. 



Few birds have a greater economic 

 value than that of the Yellow Warbler. 

 Nearly all its food consists of insects 

 which are injurious to vegetation. Pro- 

 fessor S. A. Forbes examined the con- 

 tents of the stomachs of five individuals 

 of this Warbler, which he secured in an 

 orchard infested with canker-worms, 

 and found that fully two-thirds of their 

 food had consisted of canker-worms. 

 The horticulturist will be amply repaid 

 for any encouragement that he may offer 

 the Yellow Warblers to remain in the 

 vicinity of his orchards. Its natural con- 

 fidence in man should not be lessened by 

 harsh actions ; the presence of cats 

 should be prohibited, and the English 

 sparrow should be driven from the vicin- 

 ity in which the delicate and peace-loving 

 Warbler nests. 



In the following words Mrs. Wright 

 has beautifully described the nature of 

 the Yellow Warblers : "Lovable, cheer- 

 ful little spirits, darting about the trees, 

 exclaiming at each morsel that they 

 glean. Carrying sun glints on their 

 backs wherever they go, they should 

 make the gloomiest misanthrope feel the 

 season's charm. They are sociable and 

 confiding, and feel as much at home in 

 the trees by the house as in seclusion." 



THE SPRING POETS. 



Spring songs, the critics say, are out of date. 



The muse is tired of poet's praise they claim ; 

 ''Blue skies will always come, or soon or late. 



So what the use of carols trite and tame ?" 

 Ah well ! the critic's words mayhap are right. 



But there is one whose anthem bravely rings, 

 He sings with genius rare and all his might — 



That wee but happy sparrow as he swings. 



•Tag Lowell 



