86 THE RETURN OF THE NATIVES. 



How kindly nature has looked after these fly- 

 catchers ! Beside the quick eye and skillful wing, 

 she has provided another contrivance by which the 

 birds can capture with greater facility their victims. 

 In the family of wood warblers, vireos and tyrant 

 fly-catchers she has furnished, either abundantly 

 or sparingly, bristles, which are situated at the 

 junction of the upper and lower bills, and on the 

 lores, and which act as a sort of cheval defrise; so 

 that, if the bird fails to seize its prey at the first 

 attempt, it may become entangled vrithin the trap 

 and recovered. Some of the species in this family, 

 however, have these rigid hairs very much reduced, 

 or they may be entirely absent. Individuals with- 

 out these appendages, it is interesting to observe, 

 are worm, caterpillar or spider-eating birds. The 

 black and white creeper for instance, has short 

 rictal bristles, consequently he inspects the bark 

 for grub, oftener than he flies to seize his food. 

 The Maryland yellow throat prefers the fat span- 

 ners. Some species in the genus Dendroica, as the 

 myrtle, or yellow-rumped warbler, and the yellow 

 warbler are quite expert in the art of catching 

 flies, accordingly the stiff hairs at the gape are 

 longer and more advantageously arranged, while 

 in the genera to which the Canada fly-catcher and 



