202 USEFUL BIRDS. 
County and among the western hills, but it is one of the 
most common migrating Warblers throughout the State. 
The Myrtle Warbler has a variety of notes, but the one 
usually uttered both spring and fall is a soft chirp or chup, 
which, at a little distance, exactly resembles the sound pro- 
duced by a large drop of water as it strikes 
on wet ground or leaf mould. These 
sounds are so similar that after 
storms in the woods I have often 
found it difficult to distinguish the 
note of this Warbler from the splash of 
the large drops that were still falling from 
the trees. The song is a rather weak 
Fig. 69.—Myrtle War- warble, very sweet, and often of long. 
_bler, nearly natural duration. Sometimes portions of it are 
si given. quite loudly, in a jingling tone, 
resembling somewhat that of the Indigo Bird. It has quite 
as many variations as the song of any Warbler that I now 
recall. 
The Myrtle Bird remains through the winter in some por- 
tions of the State where it can find food ; and, as it frequents 
woodlands, orchards, and shade trees, as well as thickets, 
it.is probably the most useful of the Warblers that are not 
common in summer. It remains in fall all along the coast 
where bayberries grow, and until the supply of this fruit 
becomes exhausted ; then the birds must either move to more 
favored regions, or perish of cold and hunger, which latter 
not infrequently happens in hard winters. They do not, 
however, rely entirely on bayberries, but eat a few other 
berries and some seeds, and spend much time in searching 
for hibernating insects and insects’ 
eggs. They are not confined to 
the sea coast in winter, for they 
can live on the berries of the red 
cedar; and I have found them Fig. 70.—Woolly apple tree 
aphis, eaten by Myrtle Warbler. 
wintering in sheltered localities in 
central Worcester County. Dr. Weed made a special study 
of the autumn food of this species. He found that they ate 
bayberries, caddis flies, various insect larve, beetles, plant 
