WARBLER (from warble, from OF. werblcr, from .11110, *Ircrbelen, Ger. u••irbrin, to warble, whirl, turn, frequentative of SHIG., Ger. trerbcn, 011G. trerbo», to turn, twist, AS. htreorfan, Goth. turairban, to turn, move; perhaps con nected with Gk. KapraNtA6s, karpalimos, swift). A small song-bird; properly one of either of two passerine families, namely, the American Alnio tiltithe and the Old \Vorld Sylviblir. The former includes the warblers of North and Middle America, numbering about 200 species, accord ing to Ridgway, few of which are as much as six inches long. With few exceptions they are birds, wholly insectivorous, and pret tily if not gorgeously colored. The males are much more brilliantly colored than the females except in a few cases. They are highly migra tory, and of the 00 or more species found in time States all but one or two winter south of Mason and Dixon's line nil nearly all spend the coldest months in the tropics. As many of the species breed in the far north, they are the most striking feature of the migrations in many parts of the rnited States. They are extremely active birds, and only a few species resort 01 ground for food. Although several species sing well, the majority have weak voices and make no pretense of singing. Among our numerous warblers a few are specially notable. Perhaps the most beautiful species is the prothonotary (Protonotaria eitrea), the male of which has the whole of the head, neck, and under parts rich orange and the back greenish yellow. It is rarely seen north of Washington and winters in the tropics. The genus Helminthophila includes about 10 species known as the 'swamp warblers' (q.v.), some of which are beautifully colored. The genus Dendroica is the largest group, eon taming not less than 35 species. The best known of these is the common yellow or 'summer' warb ler (Dcm/roioo wstiva), familiar in gardens and orchards throughout nearly all North America. It is five inches long, bright yellow dimly streaked with rufous; it has a sweet. trilling song, and makes a pretty nest of hempen materials, lodging it in some upright forking of the branches of a shrill) or small tree. Another familiar and wide ly distributed species is the redstart I fi fophoga rut/el/fa), black and red. or in the female black and orange-yellow, which is notable for its gayety of manner a-s well as of dress, and sings well. Very brilliant also is the orange, black, and white Blackburnian warbler (Dendroica Black seen in passing to and from its Cana dian breeding-home. Townsend's warbler is a Pacific Coast representative of this genus. An other noteworthy Western warbler is the hermit (Dendroica occidentalis)„ which breeds in the high mountains of California, forming an ex quisite nest out of 'graybeard moss' hanging from spruce boughs. Another genus contains the Mary land yellowthroat (q.v.), and its handsome rel ative. the Kentucky warbler lacothlypis for
moRa), whose habits and method of nest-mak ing keep them close to the ground. The striking manner in which yellow and black' are often contrasted in the plumage of these charming birds is well displayed in the genus Sylvania, two species of which are displayed on the accompany ing Colored Plate of WOOD-WARBLERS. See also CHAT; OVENBIRD: REDSTART. etc.
The 'warblers' of the Old World are small birds of the subfamily Sylviime, closely related to the thrushes and our kinglets and gnateatch ers; many are known by separate popular names. as blackcap, nightingale, hedge-sparrow, robin red breast, redstart, whitethroat, etc. (qq.v.). About 100 species are catalogued—all belonging to the Old World, except one in Alaska. The best known European species are the following: Grasshop per warbler ( Lornstella locustella), found in most parts of the centre and south of Europe. It is of a greenish-brown color, the centres of the feathers 'lark brown, producing a spotted ap pearance; the lower parts pale brown. it is a shy bird, hiding itself in hedges and bushes. but very active, often darting out like a mouse from the bottom of the hedge. and reeeives its name from its chirping, grasshopper-like note. The sedge warbler 1.1crocep1ealns is the mist common British species, and is generally found where aquatic herbage is thick and strong. It is brown, with the chin and throat white, and the under parts buff. The red warbler (.terocephalus arnmlinacco) is found in summer in marshy situations in many parts of Europe, and its range extends to the north of India. It is a uniform pale brown, with a tinge of chestnut; the chin and throat white; the under parts pale huff color. Its nest is remarkable; it is attached to the stems of three or four reeds, and formed by winding, the branches of their panicles together with it little wool; and is eonical and deep, so that the eggs ()r young may not he shaken out when the reeds are shaken by the wind. The wood Wtu•bler or wood wren (P/o/loseopus sibi/otri,r) is common in the wooded districts of England in summer, particularly in old planta tions of oak and beech. is olive green, 'tinged with yellow, the wings brown, the primaries and secondaries edged with bright yellow, the tertials with a broader edge of yellowish white; the lower parts yellow' and white. The willow war bler or 'wren' (Phylloscopus trochilas) is very common in the south of England in the summer. It frequents woods and bushes and builds its nest on the ground. It is of dull olive-green, the wing and tail feathers dark brown, the under parts whitish. The only American representative of this family is an Asiatic species (Phynom.opas borealis), which regularly visits Alaska in sum mer, and is known to American ornithologists as Kennicott's willow warbler. Sec Plate of WRENs,