BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER 121 



New Hampshire and Vermont, wherever there are patches 

 of spruce ; in the southern part of its range it breeds occa- 

 sionally in white pine groves. 



The song is difficult to learn ; it generally consists of two 

 sets of phrases composed of the syllables tcee-see-see'-see, 

 the second sometimes in a lower, sometimes in a higher key 

 than the first, but neither of them at all sharp or decided. 

 In spring it gleans insects from the twigs of trees, or 

 flies out from the branches to catch the little winged crea- 

 tures that swarm at this season ; its yellow rump is now 

 often hard to see, but the bird may be recognized, if seen 

 from below, by the large black patches on the breast and 

 the yellow patches lower down. Note also its white throat ; 

 it is the only white-throated warbler, except the Chestnut- 

 side, that has any yellow in its plumage. In winter, when 

 it adds bayberries to its insect fare, it feeds in low bushes ; 

 when it flies up, the bright yellow rump and the spots of 

 white on the outer tail-feathers make an unfailing field- 

 mark. 



Black-throated Blue Warbler. Dendroica cceru- 



lescens 



5.28 



Ad. $ . — Upper parts grayish-blue; a white patch in the wing ; 

 throat, and sides of head, sides of breast, and belly black ; rest of 

 breast and belly white. Ad. 9 • — Upper parts brownish or gray- 

 ish, tinged with green in strong light ; line over eye dull yel- 

 lowish-white; white wing-patch smaller than in male; under parts 

 dingy yellowish. Im. $. — Similar to ad. $, but upper parts 

 tinged with olive-green, the black somewhat veiled with white. 

 Im. 9 • — Similar to ad. 9 • 



Nest, in a low bush or sapling, often in laurel, hemlock, or yew, 

 two feet or less from the ground. Eggs, wdiite, spotted with 

 brown, chiefly at the larger end. 



The Black-throated Blue Warbler is a common summer 

 resident of northern New York and New England from 



