54 Birds Every Child Should Know 
I don’t believe there is anybody living who 
could name at sight every one of the seventy 
warblers that visit the United States. Some 
are very gaily coloured and exquisitely marked, 
as birds coming to us from the tropics have a 
right to be. Some are quietly clad; some, like 
the redstart, are dressed quite differently from 
their mates and young; others, like the yellow 
warbler, are so nearly alike that you could see 
no difference between the male and female from 
the distance of a few feet. Some live in the 
tops of evergreens and other tall trees ; others, 
like the Maryland yellow-throat, which seems 
to prefer low trees and shrubbery, are rarely 
seen over twelve feet from the ground. A few, 
like the oven-bird, haunt the undergrowth in 
the woods or live most of the time on the earth. 
With three or four exceptions all the warblers 
dwell in woodlands, and it is only during the 
spring and autumn migrations that we have an 
opportunity to become acquainted with them ; 
when they come about the orchard and shrub- 
bery for a few days’ rest and refreshment during 
their travels. Fortunately the cheerful little 
yellow warbler stays around our homes all 
summer long. Did you ever know a family so 
puzzling and contradictory as the Warblers? 
The great majority of these fascinating and 
exasperating relatives are nervous, restless little 
sprites, constantly flitting from branch to 
