. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. 202 USEFUL Fig. 69. —Myrtle War- bler, nearly natural size. County and among the western hills, but it is one of the most common migrating "Warblers throughout the State. The Myrtle Warbler has a variety of notes, but the one usually uttered both spring and fall is a soft chirp or chup, which, at a little distance, exactly resembles the sound pro- d


. Useful birds and their protection. Containing brief descriptions of the more common and useful species of Massachusetts, with accounts of their food habits, and a chapter on the means of attracting and protecting birds. Birds; Birds. 202 USEFUL Fig. 69. —Myrtle War- bler, nearly natural size. County and among the western hills, but it is one of the most common migrating "Warblers throughout the State. The Myrtle Warbler has a variety of notes, but the one usually uttered both spring and fall is a soft chirp or chup, which, at a little distance, exactly resembles the sound pro- duced by a large drop of water as it strikes on wet ground or leaf mould. These sounds are so similar that after storms in the woods I have often found it difficult to distinguish the note of this Warbler from the splash of the large drops that were still falling from the trees. The song is a rather weak warble, very sweet, and often of long duration. Sometimes portions of it are given quite loudly, in a jingling tone, resembling somewhat that of the Indigo Bird. It has quite as many variations as the song of any Warbler that I now recall. The Myrtle Bird remains through the winter in some por- tions of the State where it can find food ; and, as it frequents woodlands, orchards, and shade trees, as well as thickets, it is probably the most useful of the Warblers that are not common in summer. It remains in fall all along the coast where bay berries grow, and until the supply of this fruit becomes exhausted ; then the birds must either move to more favored regions, or perish of cold and hunger, which latter not infrequently happens in hard winters. They do not, however, rely entirely on bayberries, but eat a few other berries and some seeds, and spend much time in searching for hibernating insects and insects' eggs. They are not confined to the sea coast in winter, for they can live on the berries of the red cedar; and I have found them wintering in sheltered localities in cent


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