OF NEW ENGLAND. 117 
morsel of food. I have often been able to make close observa- 
tions upon birds, by remaining entirely motionless and allow- 
ing them to gather about me, and thus have accurately learned 
their habits, without disturbing their happiness. 
(d). The ordinary note of the ‘Black-throated Blues” is a 
simple chip, which is sometimes closely repeated, after’ the 
manner of the Chipping Sparrow. They have also a chatter, 
employed chiefly as a battle-cry, and a loud alarm-note, resem- 
bling the chuck of the Snow-bird. The males have an unmu- 
sical song, the tone of which resembles somewhat that of the 
Blue Yellow-back’s song, or that of the Night Hawk’s note, 
being peculiar, and rather harsh or guttural. It usually con- 
sists of three (rarely four) syllables, of which the last two are 
the highest in tone and the most emphatic, and sounds like 
“* zwee-zwee-zwee.” It is sometimes varied and lengthened so 
as to resemble the syllables [che-wée] che-wée [see] wée-see zweée. 
It is characteristic in tone, and is wholly unlike the music of 
our other warblers, with the exception of one form of the song 
of the ‘ Black-throated Green.” 
(I): virens. Black-throated Green Warbler...‘ Black-throated 
Green.” 
(In New England a common summer-resident, but ‘‘ rather 
confined to certain districts.”) 
(a). About five inches long. ¢, olive-green above. Wings 
and tail dark, with white-edged feathers ; former white-barred. 
Whole side of head, rich yellow (with occasional indistinct mark- 
ings). Throat and breast, black. 9 (and # in autumn) with 
the black restricted or wanting... Other under parts, white or 
yellowish. Outer tail-feathers, largely white. 
(0). The nest is usually placed in a pine, in a horizontal 
fork near the end of a bough, from twenty to fifty feet above 
the ground (but sometimes lower). It is finished in June, 
sometimes in the first week, sometimes not until the last. It is 
composed outwardly of narrow strips of thin bark, bits of twigs 
from vines, dried grasses, and such odds and ends as the birds 
have found convenient to employ, and inwardly of bits of 
