64 BIRDS 



cessantly. Here in the garden lie is as refreshingly in- 

 difiEerent to your interest in him as later, in his breeding 

 haunts, he is shy and distrustful. His song is bright and 

 animated, like that of the yellow warbler. 



The Myrtle Warbler 



Length — 5 to 5.5 inches. About an inch smaller than the 

 EngUsh sparrow. 



Male — In summer plumage: A yellow patch on top of head, 

 lower back, and either side of the breast. Upper parts 

 bluish slate, streaked with black. Upper breast black; 

 throat white; aU other under parts whitish, streaked 

 with black. Two white wing-bars, and tail quills have 

 white spots near the tip. In winter: Upper parts ohve- 

 brown, streaked with black; the yellow spot on lower 

 back the only yellow mark remaining. Wing-bars 

 grayish. 



Female — ^Resembles male ia winter plumage. 



Range — ^Eastern North America. Occasional on Pacific 

 Slope. Summers from Minnesota and northern New 

 England northward to fur countries. Winters from 

 Middle states southward into Central America; a few 

 remaining at the northern United States all winter. 



Migrations — ^AprU. October. November. 



The first of the warblers to arrive in the spring and the 

 last to leave us in the autumn, some even remaining 

 throughout the northern winter, the myrtle warbler, next 

 to the summer yellow-bird, is the most f amiUar of its mul- 

 titudinous kin. We become acquainted with it chiefly in 

 the migrations, when it impresses us by its numbers rather 



