i8o 
BIRDS OF PASSAGE 
place among nature's successes* Myrtle Warblers, 
first in the northward migration in spring, are leading 
their numerous relatives toward the land of perpetual 
summer* The bright yellow rump is their con- 
spicuous mark, the same colour on the crown and 
sides of the breast being more difficult to discern* 
In an unending hurry they gather minute insects 
from limbs and twigs, preferring to glean among the 
Willows and Rushes in the marsh* Some of the most 
enterprising imitate Flycatchers by darting out and 
capturing passing insects on the wing. The Warblers 
will soon be passing in large numbers from their 
northern nesting grounds* There they were protected 
from invasion by the insect life on which they feed. 
In a double sense they owe their preservation to the 
Mosquitoes and black flies. Small size and fondness 
for inaccessible regions both north and south also 
help to save the Warblers from destruction and avert 
the danger occasioned by their strikingly beautiful 
plumage* 
Golden-crowned Kinglets are gathering sociably 
in flocks* Although the smallest of our birds, with 
the exception of the Humming-birds, their activity 
and flaming crests always attract attention* Their 
short, whispered notes are generally the first indica- 
tion of their presence, but they are not averse to 
working freely under inspection* Though making 
a distinct migration, a few remain throughout the 
