268 HOODED WARBLER. 
days of May, when all nature is imbued with happiness, song, fragrance, and balmy 
air, this beautiful bird sings almost incessantly. In the ‘Bulletin of the Nuttall Orni- 
thological Club” (1882, p. 119—120) Rev. J. H. Langille gives the following correct 
description of the Hooded Warbler’s song: 
“From various points in the dense forest, on the balmy days of May, comes the 
common and familiar song of the Hooded Warbler, —che-reek, che-reek, che-reek, chi-di-eé, 
the first three notes with a loud bell-like ring, and the rest in very much accelerated 
time, and with the falling inflection. Arriving early in May, this is one of our common 
‘summer residents throughout the dense upland forests, occupying the lower story of 
the woodland, home, while the Coerulean Warbler occupies the upper. Here let me say 
that in addition to its alarm note, a sharp whistling or metallic chip which is very 
clearly characterized, the Hooded Warbler has two distinct songs, as different as if 
coming from different species. Never shall I forget how I was once puzzled by this trick. 
I was strolling in a thick forest, near the corner of a slashing, in an evening twilight 
in June, when I was surprised by a strange whistling melody, — whee-reeh, whee-ree-eeh — 
with a marked emphasis on the second syllable, and a still more marked one on the 
last. Part of the time this utterance was somewhat varied, a few notes being some- 
times added, and again a few being dropped. My curiosity was greatly excited, for I 
had supposed myself familiar with the voices of all the birds in the neighborhood; but 
it became too dark to identify the bird. For nearly a week I went to that spot every 
day, always hearing the song, but never being able to get a clear sight of the bird. It 
seemed exceedingly shy. In vain did I crawl on hands and knees among the under- 
growth to get near to it; for just as I would seem about to gain a good view of it 
the song would cease at.the point under observation and come from one more distant. 
Just as I was about to give the matter up one evening, down came the singer, stage 
by stage through the thick foliage, and alighting within a few feet of me and in clear 
sight, gave the full effect of his whistling song. I have since heard the same song a 
number of times and in different places from the Hooded Warbler. So I conclude that 
in the case of this species there are, occasionally at least, two distinct and altogether 
different songs. 
“The Hooded Warbler is one of those which make their home on or near the 
ground. Here it keeps itself for the most part well concealed among the foliage of the 
thick undergrowth, having a rather slow and dignified movement for a bird of its kind.” 
NAMES: Hoopep Warster, Mitred Warbler, Black-headed Warbler, Hooded Flycatching Warbler, Selby's 
Warbler.— Mitrasanger (German). ' 
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: Motacilla mitrata Gmel. (1788). Sylvia mitrata Lath. Wilsonia mitrata Bonap. 
(1838). SYLVANIA MITRATA Norv. (1840). Myiodioctes mitratus Aud. (1839). Sylvia cucullata 
Wils. (1811). Muscicapa selbyii Aud. (1831). 
DESCRIPTION: “Male: Bill, black; feet, pale yellow. Head and neck all round and forepart of the breast, 
black. A broad patch on the forehead extending round on the entire cheeks and ear-coverts, with the 
under-parts, bright yellow. Upper parts and sides of the body, olive-green. Greater portion of inner 
web of outer three tail-feathers, white.” (Ridgway.) 
“Female: Like the male, but it is several years—at least three—in attaining its full plumage; and 
that the two sexes, when fully adult, can only be distinguished by the fac that, in the female, the 
throat, though strongly tinged with black, is never pure black as in the male.” (Merriam.) 
Length, 5.25 inches; wing, 2.75; tail, 2.25 inches, 
