342 THE HOODED WARBLER. 



times she will defend her nest most persistently, flying at 

 the intruder with sharp notes and a snapping of the bill. 



Rare in Southern New England, and scarcely extending 

 beyond the Mississippi, the principal breeding range of 

 acadicus (geographically a false name) is the middle dis- 

 trict of the United States. 



THE HOODED WARBLER. 



From different points in the thick woods comes 

 the common and familiar song of the Hooded War- 

 bler {^Myiodioctes mitratus) — cheree-cheree-cheree-chi-di-ee, 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 character- 

 ized, the Hooded Warbler has two distinct songs, as differ- 

 ent as if coming from different species. Never shall I for- 

 get how I was once puzzled by this. I was strolling in a 

 thick forest near the corner of a slashing at evening twi- 

 light, in June, when I was surprised by a strange whistling 

 melody — whee-ree-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 sometimes added, and again a few drop- 

 ped. My curiosity was greatly excited, for I had supposed 

 myself familiar with the sylvan voices in the neigh- 

 borhood, but it soon 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 



