PINE WARBLER. 387 



PINE WARBLER. 



(Sylvia pinus, Lath. Wilson, iii. p. 25. pi. 19. fig. 4. Phil. Muse- 

 um, No. 7312.) 



Sp. Charact. — Bright olive-yellow, tinged with green j beneath 

 yellow, clouded with obscure spots; vent white; wings with 2 

 whitish bands, and with the tail dusky brown ; 2 lateral tail- 

 feathers partly white ; lores not black. — Female greyish brown, 

 tinged with olive green on the back ; beneath pale yellow on the 

 breast. — Young dusky olive above, yellowish obscure white be- 

 low. 



This common species, to the commencement of win- 

 ter, inhabits all parts of the United States, and probably 

 extends its northern migrations to the forests of New- 

 foundland. They arrive in Pennsylvania at the close of 

 March and beginning of April, and soon after are seen 

 in all parts of New England, amidst the pine and juniper 

 forests, in which they principally reside. Both the old 

 and young remain with us till nearly the close of Octo- 

 ber ; stragglers have even been seen in mid-winter in the 

 latitude of 43 degrees.* In winter they rove through 

 the pine forests and barrens of the Southern States in 

 companies of 20 to 50 or more, alighting at times on the 

 trunks of the trees, and attentively searching them for 

 lurking larvaj, but are most frequently employed in cap- 

 turing the small insects which infest the opening buds of 

 the pine, around which they may be seen perpetually 

 hovering, springing, or creeping, with restless activity ; 

 in this way they proceed, from time to time, foraging 

 through the forest : occasionally, also, they alight on 

 the ground in quest of worms and grubs of various kinds? 

 or dart irregularly after hovering flies, almost in the 

 manner of the Flycatchers. In these states they are by 

 far the most numerous of all the Warblers. In the month 



* Mr. Charles Pickering. 



