PASSERES — SYLVICOLID^E — SYLVICOLA. 99 



THE SUMMER YELLOW-BIRD. 



Sylvicola estiva. 



PLATE LVII. FIG. 130 (Male). 

 (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Motacilla tzstiva, Gmelin. iS. id. Vieillot, pi. 95. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol.2, p. 402. 



S. citrinella, Blue-eyed Yellow Warbler. Wilson, Am. Om. Vol. 2, p. Ill, pi. 15, fig. 6 (male). 



S. cestiva. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 83. 



iS. childrenii. Acdcbon, fol. pi. 35 (young) ; Orn. Biog. Vol. 1, p. 180: S. astiva, pi. 94, Vol. 1, p. 476, and Vol. 



5, p. 453 (adull). 

 Summer Yellow-bird. Ndttall, Man. Om. Vol. 1, p. 305, figure. 

 Yellow-poll Warbler. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 2, p. 50, pi. 88 (males). 

 S. cestiva, Yellow-poll Wood-warbler. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p. 58. 



Characteristics. Greenish yellow. Crown and head beneath bright yellow : breast and 

 sides streaked with brownish red ; lateral tail-feathers yellow within. 

 Female: breast not streaked. Young, greenish above; throat white. 



Description. First primary slightly the longest. Tail 0*6 longer than the tips of the 

 closed wings, emarginate. Wings brownish, with the outer webs yellow. On the under 

 side of the wings, the inner webs are margined with yellow for more than two thirds of their 

 length. Secondaries broadly margined with yellow. All tail-feathers, except the central pair, 

 broadly margined with yellow on their inner webs. Female, destitute of the dark streaks 

 beneath, and of a uniform yellowish above. 



Length, 4-5-4-7. Alar extent, 7-0-8-0. 



This is a very common species in our State, and is called Summer Yellow-bird, to contra- 

 distinguish it from the Common Yellow-bird (Carduelis tristis), which is seen here at all 

 seasons of the year. They breed in every part of the State, laying four or five light bluish 

 white eggs dotted with brown at the larger end, and breeding twice in the season. This 

 species is remarkable for its instinctive sagacity in getting rid of the eggs of the Cow Black- 

 bird (Molothrus pecoris). As the egg is too large to be thrust out, the Yellow-bird commences 

 a new nest above it ; thus almost hermetically closing it up, and then proceeds to deposit her 

 own eggs. In one instance, this reconstruction was twice effected ; thus forming a nest of 

 three stories. This species appears in Louisiana from Mexico, about the beginning of March; 

 and by the end of that month, have spread over all the Atlantic States, and penetrates as high 

 as the 68th parallel. 



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