190 USEFUL BIRDS. 
discovery. It seemed to me impossible that any one who 
ever went out into the woods at evening should have missed 
hearing this characteristic song. But so it is. Some one 
describes for the first time some common sight or sound of 
the woods and fields, — something well known to all who fre- 
quent them, something which it.seems ought to be known 
to all the world,—and it is received with acclaim as a 
discovery. Mr. Burroughs has aptly given the Oven-bird 
the name of calling “Teacher, teacher,” but here in Massa- 
chusetts it exhorts the teacher to teach somewhat as fol- 
lows: “Teacher, teacher, TEACHER, TEACHER, TEACHER, 
TEACHER, reacu.” The bird is already becoming known 
as the “ Teacher Bird.” Its common alarm notes are a chuck 
or a sharp chick. 
Its golden crown, its spotted breast, and its manner of 
walking upon the ground or along a limb, as well as its 
characteristic song, which is usually uttered when the singer 
is perched upon a horizontal limb in the woods, will all serve 
to identify the bird. The lift of the tail, which is charac- 
teristic of all birds of this genus, and which has given them 
the name of Wagtails, is more noticeable among the Water- 
Thrushes than with this species. The Oven-bird is more 
distinctively a ground Warbler than any other common 
species except the Water-Thrushes. It feeds very largely 
from the ground, walking about silently and deliberately, as 
if in no hurry, and picking up its food from among the fallen 
leaves; but when alarmed it usually flies to the trees, among 
the branches of which the males sing and woo their intended 
mates. When the female, having young, is started from the 
nest, she drags herself along over the ground fluttering as if 
sorely wounded, in an effort to lead her disturber away from 
her home. Both parents are exceedingly affectionate toward 
their young, and endeavor to protect them by every means 
in their power. 
When upon the ground it feeds like Thrushes and To- 
whees, finding grubs among the leaves, and picking up cat- 
erpillars or other insects that have dropped from the trees. 
In this way it finds many caterpillars of the gipsy moth in 
their hiding places among dead leaves or shrubbery. It 
