76 Land Birds of New England 



29. MAGNOLIA WARBLER 



BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER 



{Dendroica maculosa.} 



Upper parts in general black, often more or less mixed with olive ; 

 rump yellow ; head ash ; wings dusky, with a broad white 

 patch across them ; tail black, with large white spots on the 

 bases of the feathers ; under parts bright yellow, all except the 

 throat and the very middle of the breast heavily streaked with 

 black. Beak and feet dark. Bird rather less than two-thirds 

 as large as a sparrow. Sexes similar, save that the black of the 

 back is more likely to be mixed with olive in the female. 



THE magnolia warbler is to be sought especially 

 in willow thickets, near streams and other damp 

 places ; but they frequent also orchards and wood- 

 lands, especially evergreens. They come to us in 

 the latter part of May, and remain for about two 

 weeks. The return is made during September, and 

 only a few birds pass through eastern Massachu- 

 setts, the bulk of them taking a more westerly 

 route. 



The nest is usually built in a low spruce, often 

 only a few feet from the ground, and is finished 

 early in June. 



The song is not characteristic. 



