252 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Hab. Eastern Province of Nortli America to Hudson's Bay ; Guatemala, south to Isth- 

 mus of Darien. Not recorded from Mexico or West Indies. 



The female and immature males of this species differ much from tlie 

 spriug males, aud are ofteu coufouuded with other species, especially with D. 

 striata. A careful comparison of an extensive series of immature specimens 

 of the two species shows that iu castanca. the under parts are seldom washed 

 uniformly on the tliroat and breast with yellowish-green, but while this 

 may be seen on the sides of the neck and breast, or even across the latter, 

 the chin and throat are nearly white, tite sides tinged with dirty Ijrown, 

 even if the (generally present) trace ol' chestnut be wantiug on the sides. 

 There is a buff tinge to the uuder tail-coverts ; the quills are aliruptly mar- 

 gined with white, and there are no traces (however obsolete) of streaks on 

 the breast. In D. driuta the under parts are quite uniformly washed with 

 greenish-yellow nearly as far back as tlie vent, the sides of the breast and 

 sometimes of the belly with obsolete streaks ; no trace of the uniform dirty 

 reddish-brown on the sides ; tlie under tail-coverts are pure white. The 

 quiUs are only gradually paler towards the inner edge, instead of being 

 ratlier abruptly white. 



Habits. The IJay-breasted Warbler is one of the many species belong- 

 ing to this genus whose history is yet \evy imi)erfectly known. E\ery\\ here 

 quite rare, it is yet distributed from the Atlantic to the (!reat Plains, aud 

 from the Gidf of Mexico far into the Hudson ?,i\\ Territory. In the winter 

 it is known to exttmd its migrations as far to the soutli as the northern jior- 

 tions of South America. It lias not been traced to Mexicd nor to the We.st 

 India Islands, but has l)een ])rocured by Mr. Salvin in (Juatemala. Xearly 

 aU the specimens obtained in the United States have either l)een taken 

 before the 12th of May or in the iiutiimn, indicative of a more northern 

 breeding-] )lace. In Eastern JIassachusetts it is exceedingly rare, passing 

 through after the middle of May aud returning iu September. Mr. May- 

 nard has obtained a specimen as late as June 19, which, though not neces- 

 sarily proving tliat any l)reed there, indicates that the line of their area of 

 reproduction cannot lie distant. In the western part of tlie same State, Mr. 

 Allen lias found it from May 20 to tlie 25th, and has obtained one specimen 

 in duly. In Western Maine, Mr. Verrill has noted its occurrence from the 

 middle of j\Iay to June, but it is very rare ; and ilr. Boardman reports the 

 same for Eastern Maine, where it is a summer resident. He writes that he 

 has several times shot specimens in the early summer, Imt tliat he could 

 never find the nest. It is also given by Lieutenant Bland as one of the birds 

 found in the vicinity of Halifax. It was not observed Ijy any of the gov- 

 ernmental exploring expeditions, nor found in Arizona by Dr. Coues. IMr. 

 Lawrence has received specimens from Panama, obtained in winter, Mr. 

 Cassin from Darien, and ]\Ir. Sclater from Guatemala. 



This species so far eluded the notice of Mr. Audubon as to prevent liim 

 from giving any account of its habits. He only mentions its occasional 



