SYLVICOLID.E — THE WARBLERS. 317 



In regard to its habits, Wilson represents it as " remarkably active, run- 

 ning, climbing, and darting about among tiie opening buds and blossoms with 

 extraordinary agility." Audubon states that in its habits it is closely allied 

 with the pusillus and the mitratus, being ibnd of low thick coverts in swamps 

 and by the margin of pools. He also attriluites to it a song of rather pleas- 

 ing notes, enunciated at regular intervals, loud enough to be heard at the dis- 

 tance of sixty yards. These peculiarities seem to separate it from the true 

 Flycatchers and tu place it among the Warblers. 



Myiodioctes pusillus, Boxap. i/. c ^^ . 



GEEEN BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHEK. 



Muscicapa piisiUa , Wilsun, Am. Orn. Ill, ISll, 10:J, pi. xxvi, lig. 4. Wilsonia pus. Box. 

 Sylvaniu pus. NuTT. Myiodioctes pu^. Bun. Cousp. 1S50, 315. — Sclater, P. Z. S. 

 1856, 291 (Cordova) ; 1S58, 291) (Oaxaca Mts. ; Dec.) ; 1859, 363 (Xalapa) ; 373. — 1b. 

 Catal. 1861, 34, no. 203. — Baikd, Birds N. Am. 1858, 293 (in part) ; Rev. 240 (in 

 Ijart). — ScLATF.ii & Salvix, Ibis, 1859, 11 (Guatemala). — Samuels, 246. Myioclunus 

 pus. Cab. M. H. 1851, 18. — Ib. Jour. 1860, 325 (Costa Rica). Sylvia wilsoni. Box. ; 

 NuTT. Muscicapa ■wilsoni, AuD. Oru. Biog. II, pi. cxxiv. Setophaga wilsoni, Jard. 

 Myiodioctes wilsoni, Aud. Birds Am. II, pi. Lxxv. Sylvia petasodes, Licht. Preis- 

 Verz. 1830. 



Sp. Char. Forehead, line over and around the eye, and under parts generally, bright 

 yellow. Upper part olive-green ; a square patch on the crown lustrous-black. Sides of 

 body and cheeks tinged with olive. No white on wings or tail. Female similar, the 

 black of the crown replaced by olive-green. Leugth, 4.75 ; wing, 2.25 ; tail, 2.30. 



Hab. Eastern portions of United States, west to the Snake and Humboldt Rivers : 

 north to Alaska, south through Eastern Mexico and Guatemala to Costa Rica ; Chiriqui 

 (Salvix). 



Habits. Wilson's Black-Cap is found throughout the United States from 

 ocean to ocean, and as far to the north as Alaska and the Arctic shores, 

 where, however, it is not common. Mr. Dall shot a specimen, JMay 30, on the 

 Yuk(jn liiver, where it was breeding. Mr. Bisciioff obtained others with nests 

 and eggs at Sitka, and afterwai'ds found it more aljundant at Kodiak. On the 

 Pacific coast Dr. Suckley found it \evy abundant in the neighborliood of Fort 

 Steilacoom, where it freijuented thickets and small scrub-oak groves, in its 

 habits resembling the Helminthophaga celata, flitting about among the dense 

 foliage of bushes and low trees in a busy, restless manner. He describes its 

 cry as a short chit-chat call. In California, Dr. Cooper notes their lirst arrival 

 early in May, aud states that they migrate along the coast, up at least to 

 the Straits of Fuca. At Santa Cruz he noted their arrival, in 1866, about 

 the 20th of April. They were then gathering materials for a nest, the male 

 bird singing merrily during his employment. As they have been observed 

 in Oregon as early as this, it has been conjectured that some may remain all 

 winter among the dense shruljbery of the forests. 



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