The daily morning journal and courier., 1903-05-16

cheeIa,'' and soon I caught blimpse of little olive-green warbler. with a willow throat and breast, and with black mask over its face, Maryland yeIIowthroat, busy getting his break fast amongst the twigs and leaves near the ground. Now and then he would pause, and seeming to forget that it was necessary to eat at all, would stand straight up and deliver his song with such yigor that his whole body quivered with the energy he put into the effort. Once I heard rattling cry, and glancing toward the river l saw a belted kingfsher winging his way up stream, straight as an arrow, his white belt in marked contrast to his otherwise blue plumage. As l gazed after hos vanishing form, heard another note, "Weet, weet, weet, weet, weet," and I saw spotted sandpiper skimming over the water on vibratory wing, until he reached the farther shore. There he alighted on stone, where he stood for moment, tipping his tail up and down as though his body were on springs, and then he be- gan to run along the shore, searching for food amongst pebbles and floating leaves at the waters edge. A short distance down the river there was a stone bridge and beside it, on a stake in the river, sat a phoebe, who made frequent dashes into the air af- ter insects, returning to the stake after each sally. As got near, the snapping of her bill as she closed 1t on her vic- tims, could be distinctly heard. On a projecting stone under the arch of the bridge, there was suspicious dark ob- ject, which, with the aid of field glass, I made out to be the phoebe's nest, and wading into the water soon stood beside the firmly-built little home, and saw that three of the usual five white eggs had been laid. The nest itself was made chiefly of moss, and it was lined with long hairs, which were so closely packed that they re- sembled felt. Crossing the bridge, entered a country covered with bushes, small trees and long grass. There were so many birds singing at once that it was difficult at first to sort out the diff ferent voices. About half way up a stunted white oak sat handsome male chewink displaying his black throat and br,"st, and singing as though he alone were responsible for the success of the bird chorus. In the same tree, nearer the top, chestnut-sided war bier divided his time between singing and eating. Upon the very top of a small elm, a brown tfrasher had taken an easy position, and with his long tail hanging directly downward he gave his brilliant song. Few bird songs are more striking than this one, but 1t lacks the depth and feeling which characterize the songs of certain other musicians-some of the thrushes for example. It somewhat resembles the song of the catbird; but though much louder it Is far less sweet. In shim- mering white birch tree a yellow war bier repeated hos one set of phrases over and over again, and his persever- ance was well matched by that of -throated green warbler which fitted about near by, and which ut tered at more or Jess regular intervals his somewhat nlonotonous Zee, zee, zee, zee" In patch of green brier a cat bird was grooming softly to himself, and I sat down to listen to him. It seemed as though he were practising for his real song. to be delivered later in the day perhaps, and of the two, confess I prefer the practice song to the finished production. So soft and sweet it it; so full of refined feeling. never heard cat bird crooning thus without giving him all the time can possibly spare. To me it is one of the most satisfying of woodland pleasures just to sit and listen to him. I feel as though I had been let in behind the scenes and were witnessing a bit of private bird life not ordinarily intended to be made public.
 After waiting until the cat bird had
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