366 
INSECTIVOROUS BIRDS. 
leafy woods of the Altamaha ; but they do not arrive in 
Pennsylvania and this part of New England before the 
1st of May. About the close of August in the Northern, 
and by the middle of September in the central states of 
the Union, or as soon as their second brood are capable 
of joining the migrating host, they disappear, probably in 
the twilight, and wing their way by easy stages to their 
tropical destination, passing through Louisiana in Octo- 
ber, and appearing, at length, about Vera Cruz, from 
whence they spread their numerous host through tropical 
America to Guiana, Cayenne, St. Domingo, and other of 
the larger contiguous islands of the West Indies. 
This is a very lively, unsuspicious, and almost familiar 
little bird, and its bright golden color renders it very 
conspicuous, as in pursuit of flitting insects, it pries and 
darts among the blooming shrubs and orchards. It is 
particularly attached to willow trees and other kinds in 
moist and shady situations, that afford this and other 
species a variety of small larvae and caterpillars, on which 
they delight to feed. While incessantly and busily em- 
ployed, it occasionally mounts the twig, and with a loud, 
shrill, and almost piercing voice, it earnestly utters, at 
short and irregular intervals, 3 tsh 3 3 tsh ’ 3 tsh 3 3 tsh 3 ’ tshdia , 
or tshe tshe tsh tshayia tshe tshe , this last phrase, rather 
plaintive and interrogatory, as if expecting the recogni- 
tion of its mate. Sometimes, but particularly after the 
commencement of incubation, a more extended and 
pleasingly modulated song is heard, as se te te tshitshoo , 
or tsh 3 tsh 3 tsh 3 tsheetshoo , J tshe 3 tshe 3 tshe 3 tshoo 3 peetshee y 
and 3 tshe 3 tshe 3 ishe 3 tshe 3 tshdia 3 tship 6 way , the termi- 
nation tender, plaintive, and solicitous. I have heard this 
note also sometimes varied to 3 soit 3 soit 3 soit 3 soit 3 tship d 
wee. The female sometimes sings nearly as well as the 
male, particularly about the time she is engaged in fabri- 
