PASSERES 



SYLVICOLID.E — TRICHAS. 81 



THE MOURNING WARBLER. 



TlUCHAS PHILADELPHIA. 

 PLATE L1V. FIG. 122 (Adult). 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Sylvia -Philadelphia. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 2, p. 101, pi. 14, fig. 6 (adult male); agilis, Id. Vol.5, p. 64, pi. 39, 



fig. 4 (young). 

 S. agilis ct Philadelphia. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, pp. 84 and 85. 



S. agilis. Audobon, fol. pi. 138 (young); Orn.Biog. Vol. 2, p. 227; Philadelphia, pi. 399; Orn. Biog. Vol. 5, p. 79. 

 S. agilis et Philadelphia. Nut-tall, Manual, Vol. 1, pp. 399 and 404. 



Trichas Philadelphia. AunuBON, B. of A. Vol.2, p. 76, pi. 101 (male). Sylvicola agilis, Id. Vol.3, p. 71, pi. 99. 

 Mourning Ground Warbler. Gikaud, Birds of Long island, p. 65. 



Characteristics. Deep greenish olive. Head slate ; breast bluish slate, with numerous 

 crescent-shaped black bars ; beneath yellow. Female and young : Uni- 

 form greenish olive ; throat, sides of the neck and breast buff. Length, 

 5 inches. 



Description. Tips of the wings, and centre of the tail-feathers, brownish. Head and 

 back part of the neck blue-grey ; space before the eye, and on the frontlet, black ; chin and 

 sides of the neck blue-grey. Central part of the throat and breast black, with numerous 

 concentric paler lines. In an individual in the Cabinet of the Lyceum, the breast is of a 

 uniform jet black, and only faint traces of the concentric or cresent-shaped lines are to be 

 seen : from this I am induced to suspect that Wilson's specimen was in change, and that in 

 the old male this part is of a uniform black color. Female and young : Throat of a pure buff; 

 breast buff, with a darker shade. Tail-feathers rather more acute than in the adult. The 

 figure given by Wilson of agilis, would scarcely be understood without his description. 



Length, 5-0-5-5. Alar extent, 7-0-8-0. 



Our great ornithologist first described the male of this species under the name of Philadel- 

 phia. He never met with but this single specimen, and Charles Bonaparte at one time sup- 

 posed it to be a variety of the preceding. Another specimen has since been added to the 

 Collection of the Lyceum of Natural History of New- York, from Rockland county, and Mr. 

 Bell obtained another from Long island. Dr. Bachman informs me that he has not the slightest 

 doubt that agilis was the female and young of this species ; and from a careful comparison 

 of the specimens within my reach, I have arrived at the same conclusion. Charles Bona- 

 parte, in the prodromus of the general system of ornithology which he intends to publish, 

 also accords with these views. Mr. Audubon, however, in his latest work cited above, 

 separates the species. 



The Mourning Warbler derives its name from its peculiarly melancholy notes, and is a 

 bird of shy and solitary habits. It is a rare species, and its history is imperfect. Its present 

 ascertained geographical range is between the 23d and 44th parallels of latitude. 

 [Fauna — Part 2.] 11 



