The Monte Vista journal. (Monte Vista, Rio Grande County, Colo.) 1888-1921, 1908-09-19

have been mastered there will be I'M.
solved problems among the warblers
Some rare species win be left to look
for-it may be q member OF the band
fitting about actively In the branches
above us-and In the hope of finding
1t We eagerly examine bird after bird
until our enthusiasm yields to an ach
ing neck"
Let the student, however, content
himself at FIRST with the more common
Of the warblers. Tho black and white
warbler 10 striped with the colors
which give him his name. In seek.
ing its food 1t creeps over the limbs
and trunks Of trees. It is easily iden.
tiled. The myrtle warbler. more com.
monty known perhaps rs the yellow.
rumped warbler. fingers late. 1t may
be known BY Its bright yellow crown
patch and the equally bright yellow
spot Just above the tail. The rest Of
the upper parts are bluish.gray.
streaked with black. The throat Is
white. while the rest Of the under
part are black. yellow and white.
Don't get this bird confused with the
magnolia warbler. which has the same
general colors differently distributed.
In the fall and winter the more bril-
liant colors Of both birds are partly
concealed by cold weather feather
growth Of sombsr hue.
Other easily identified warblers are
the black-throated green CDendroica
vlrou.N <h, hOoc ~ ~o~toI b,uo fnor
droica caerulescens). the cerulean war
bier (Dendroica caerulea). the red.
start (Setophaga ruticilla). the vel.
low warbler (Dendroica aestiva). and
the chestnut-sided warbler (Dendroica
pennsylvanica).
to a museum and there study the
specimens which are on exhibition.
In the best collections the birds are
shown In all the variations OF plu.
mage. This purpose Of aiding In the
identification OF their fellows is the
only good service which a dead bird
performs. He is much more useful In
life than In death. and let not the bird
observer get the desire TO possess a
collection Of dead birds OF his own.
The instant that he does he knocks
much Of the poetry out of the pur.
suit Of bird knowledge.
The start OF the swallows on their
southern trip Is tho sight of life
time. The birds will congregate In
myriads above some chosen meadow.
In ranks formed In close order they
will circle about brushing the tops Of
the meadow grasses with the tips OF
their wings. Round and round they
90 In dizzy flight until suddenly from
some point In the Whirling column
there IL an upward movement and like
great cloud with a hurricane press.
Ing at its rear. the mass OF birds
mounts upward. and then breaking in.
to open order streams southwark
across tho sky.
The warblers coming to 10 from the
north In September pass southwark
and then follow the great congrega,
ton OF native sparrows. the hawks.
the hermit thrushes and the rest OF
the scurryinE throng.
Tho golden-crowned kingiet 10 .
notable species. II we treat him well
this little fellow may consent to re-
main with US all through the cold OF
winter. The kinGlet 10 the smallest
bird We have. with the sole exception
Of tho ruby -throated humming bird.
Tho golden crowned kinglet Is .
bird Of particular interest lie bears
tho distinction of having been named
by tho philosopher Aristotle. who.
something like twenty-thrss hundred
years ago. met the little fellow and.
observing his golden crown. called him
Tyrannos. which In the Greek Of that
day meant KINDLY royalty" rather
than "tyrant." the significance which
II holds to-day. Tho bird retains the
name IN the form OF kingiet, - Il 70
tains tho golden crown until this very
hour. The Golden-crowned kinslet has
cousin who wears u ruby crown.
Every bush and tree In the great city
parks and along the residence Streets
will bear . burden OF kinglsts. They
drop down from their night flight By
the tens Of Thousands. and taking ste
ton IN the foliage OF shrub and tree
begin their work Of insect eating. The
kinxlsts are 20 utterly fearless Of man
that they will perch upoa his shout
der or bis hand. A workman last year
who was helping TO dig IN sxcava
ton for . building on . crowded thor
oughfars had . kinslct light upon his
hat and stay there for fully ave min.
utss while he kept up his measured
strokes with tho pickax.
When the ducks. the geess and the
wading birds begin their southern
louYnNY AYQfY wing ltrQkA nj