BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 383 



Its length is about 5 inches or a little more ; the alar extent 11. 

 The crown a very bright bay. Beneath, except the sides, ochreous 

 white ; hind-head and back streaked with black on a greyish buff 

 ground. Wings brownish-black with 2 bars of white. Tail forked, 

 brownish-black, edged with ash. Behind the eye is a broad oblong 

 spot of yellowish-white, inclining to buff. Legs dusky. Bill black. 

 Iris hazel. 



BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 



{Sylvia striata. Lath. Wilson, iv. p. 40. pi. 30. fig. 3. [male] ; and 

 vi. p. 101. pi. 54. fig. 3. [female.] Phil. Museum, No. 7054.) 



Sp. Charact. — Crown black ; cheeks and beneath white 3 wings 

 with 2 white bands, the tail blackish ; 2 or 3 lateral tail-feathers 

 marked internally with white. — Female and young dull yellow- 

 ish-olive, streaked with black and grey ; beneath white ; cheeks 

 and sides of the breast tinged with yellow. 



This rather common and well marked species is ob- 

 served to arrive in Pennsylvania from the South about 

 the 20th of April, but in Massachusetts hardly before the 

 middle of May ; it returns early in September, and ap- 

 pears to feed wholly on insects. In the Middle States it is 

 confined chiefly to the woods, where, in the summits of the 

 tallest trees, it is seen in busy pursuit of its favorite prey. 

 On its first arrival it keeps usually in the tops of the ma- 

 ples, darting about amidst the blossoms. As the woods 

 become clothed with leaves, it may be found pretty gen- 

 erally as a summer resident ; it often also seeks the banks 

 of creeks and swamps, in which situations it probably 

 passes the breeding season, but its nest is yet unknown. 

 In this vicinity they are sometimes familiar visitors in 

 the lowest orchard-trees, where they feed on canker- 

 worms and other small caterpillars, as well as flies of dif- 

 ferent kinds, &c. At this time, towards the month of 

 June, it is no longer a restless wanderer, but having fixed 

 upon its station for the summer, it now begins, in a hum- 

 ble way, to display its musical talents in the cherished 



