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WARBLERS. 



The family of warblers is a very extensive one, there 

 being an almost endless variety of them, distinguished 

 mainly by their colors and locality. These birds are 

 generally small, and mingle in companies, several 

 species feeding and traveling together. Their color is 

 much variegated and mixed — some being among the 

 most handsome of the w^hole feathered tribe. They 

 receive their name from their beautiful v^arbling notes. 

 Some of them possess great vocal pov^ers, while others 

 are content with a soft, sweet lisping. They are gen- 

 erally found on or near the ground hopping about 

 among the leaves, turning them over and peeping under 

 them in search of insects, or among old brush piles, in 

 swamps and wet places. Some however, are found 

 swaying and rocking in the highest tree tops, or run- 

 ning along the branches looking under the leaves and 

 snapping up little bugs and flies constantly. The nests 

 of many of our warblers are placed upon the ground 

 and are very hard to find, being mostly covered with 

 leaves or rubbish: some are sunken in holes and others 

 placed upon the surface, while others may be found 

 high in the trees and well out upon the branches, thus 

 proving equally difficult to procure. A greater portion 

 of the warblers retire to the north to breed, while a 

 goodly share remain with us. The northern warblers 

 are seen mostly in the early part of spring and autumn 

 when they are passing on their migratory journeys. 

 Warblers in general are shy, keeping in the thick 

 woods and underbrush, and always contrive to conceal 

 themselves when an observer is near, except certain 



