HABITS OP macgillivbay's waebler 315 



Tiippe noted its arrival in May, and its disappearance in Sep- 

 tember or even in August; it is tliere common, he states, up to 

 about tiie altitude just given, and closely resembles the Mourn- 

 ing Warbler in its habits. 



I am myself not very familiar with the traits of this species, 

 excepting one, namely, its timidity and love of seclusion during 

 the breeding season, for I have never seen it under other cir- 

 cumstances, and its shyness stands greatly in the way of close 

 acquaintance. I usually had to wait when I wanted to secure 

 a specimen until the bird had recovered from the first alarm, 

 which sent it into the closest cover; then, watching narrowly, 

 I might see it again, creeping furtively about to get a better 

 look at the cause of the trouble, and perhaps to scold about it. 

 I do not remember to have ever seen a Macgillivray's Warbler 

 more than a few feet from the ground, nor elsewhere than in 

 thick brush ; but the Mourning Warbler, which 1 once closely 

 studied in June, along the Ked Eiver of the North, where it was 

 breeding abundantly, has a habit of clambering up quite high 

 trees to forage and sing while its mate is nestling below. I 

 scarcely think, however, that there is any material difference in 

 the habits of the two species. As to the song of Macgillivray's 

 Warbler, I have nothing to say, for if I ever heard it, I have 

 forgotten what it is like, and I am writing far away from any 

 chance of refreshing my memory, linearly all that has ever been 

 said on this score, however, lies before me on the table as I 

 write. Townsend, who discovered the bird on the Golumbia 

 Eiver, says it warbles a very sprightly and pleasant little song, 

 raising its head until its bill is almost vertical, swelling its 

 throat in the manner of its relatives. Nuttall, whose ear for 

 bird music was certainly unlike any one's else, is more elaborate 

 in his description. He speaks of a " loud snapping clink " which 

 is uttered when the bird is skulking off, shy and jealous ; he 

 likens another note to the "hurried rattling sound of Turdus 

 aurocapillus "; another male " called out at intervals vish visktyu, 

 changing to vitvitvitvityu"', another still "had a call of visM 

 visht, visht e visht Vsheic " — and so forth. One late writer alludes 

 to a "complete loss of musical power" that Macgillivray's 

 Warbler has suffered iu comparison with the Mourning Warbler; 

 another likens its notes to those of the Maryland Yellow-throat ; 

 and another writes of its "sweet notes" and of the "warbling 

 melody" occasionally poured forth, "almost unrivalled in sweet- 

 ness by that of any other of the forest songsters". Evidently 



