CAPE MAY WARBLER. 371 



northern breeding-places. In Massachusetts, I have seen 

 it in this vicinity about the middle of May. Its return 

 to the South is probably made through the western inte- 

 rior, a route so generally travelled by most of our birds of 

 passage at this season, in consequence of which they are 

 not met with, or but very rarely, in the Atlantic States in 

 the autumn. In this season they have been seen at sea 

 off the island of Jamaica, and have been met with also in 

 Hispaniola, whither they retire to pass the winter. Like 

 all the rest of the genus, stimulated by the unquiet pro- 

 pensity to migrate, they pass only a few days with us, 

 and appear perpetually employed in pursuing or searching 

 out their active insect prey or larvae ; and, while thus en- 

 gaged, utter only a few chirping notes. According to Mr. 

 Hutchins, around Hudson's Bay, it builds in the willows 

 a nest composed of grass and feathers, lays 4 eggs, and 

 hatches its young in July. It has a shrill song, more 

 than usually protracted on the approach of wet weather, 

 so that the Indians bestow upon it the name of Rain 

 Bird. 



The length of this species is about 5 inches; alar extent?.^. Front, 

 lores, and behind the ear black, a white line over the eye, and a 

 small touch of the same immediately under. The back nearly all 

 black ; rump yellow ; tail coverts deep black. Below rich yellow, 

 spotted from the throat downwards with black ; vent white ; tail 

 emarginate. Wings black, crossed with 2 broad bars of white. 

 Crown fine ash. Legrs brown. Bill black. 



CAPE MAY WARBLER. 



{Sylvia maritima, Wilson, vi. p. 99. pi. 54. fig. 3. [male.] Bonap. 

 Am. Orn. i. p. 32. pi. 3. fig. 3. [female ?]) 



Sp. Charact. — Yellow-olive spotted with black ; crown and line 

 through the eyes black ; cheeks and beneath yellow ; the breast 

 spotted with black ; a broad white band on each wing ; 3 lateral 

 tail-feathers with a spot of white. — Female dull olive ; beneath 

 whitish, spotted with dusky, 



