194 THE HERMIT WARBLER. 



male ill fall and zvinter: Yellow of crown veiled by olive green; black of throat 

 veiled by whitish tips; black streaking of upperparts less conspicuous. Adult 

 female in spring: Like male in spring but duller, yellow of head less extensive, 

 gray of upperparts dominating; black streaks reduced or obsolete; black of throat, 

 etc., absent, white or dull yellowish instead; sometimes dusky spot of various 

 proportions on chest. Young birds like adult female but yellow of crown veiled 

 by olive and sides washed with brownish. Length of adult about 4.90 ( 124.4) ! 

 wing 2.65 (67.3) ; tail 2.20 (55.9) ; bill .40 (10.2) ; tarsus .44 ( 1 1.3). 



Recognition Marks. — Smaller Warbler size ; yellow mask of male outlined 

 against black of throat and hind neck distinctive — female and young more difficult 

 but distinctive pattern of mask with white wing-bars usually suggestive. 



Nesting. — Nest: saddled on horizontal branch of fir tree at a good height; 

 a compact structure of fir twigs, mosses and vegetable down, lined with fine 

 grass and horse-hair ; measures, outside, 4 wide by 2;)4 deep, inside, 2 wide 

 by 1^4 deep. Eggs: 4 or 5, dull white heavily blotched and spotted with various 

 shades of red-brown and lavender. Av. size, .69 x .53 (17.5x13.5). Season: 

 c. June I ; one brood. 



General Range. — Pacific coast district and Cascade-Sierra system with its 

 outliers north to British Columbia; "in winter south into Lower California and 

 through Arizona over Mexican plateau to highlands of Guatemala." 



Range in Washington. — Not common summer resident, in heavier conifer- 

 ous timber only. 



Authorities. — Syli'ia occidentalis Townsend, Jnurn. .\c. Nat. Sci. Phila. 

 Vn. 1837, 190 ("forests of the Columbia River"). "C&S. L'. D". B. 



Specimens. — C. 



THERE is a piece of woodland sotith of Tacinia which we call the 

 Hermit Woods, because here on any May day may be heard the voice of this 

 exalted Warbler. The proper hour in which to approach this forest is early 

 morning, before the winds have begun to stir in its dim aisles, and while the 

 hush of its nightly peace is upon everything — save the birds. The soft moss 

 muffles the footsteps, so that the devotee may move abnut unheralded from 

 shrine to shrine, as he pays silent homage to each, in turn, of those monting 

 stars of song, the W^ood Warblers. There is Audubon with his hastening 

 melody of gladness. There is Black-throated Gray with his still drowsy son- 

 net of sweet content. Then there is Hermit hidden aloft in the shapeless 

 greenery of the under-dawn, — his note is sweetest, gladdest, most seraphic of 

 them all. Lilly, lilly. lilly. lee o leet. It is almost sacrilege to give it form — 

 besides it is so hopeless. The preparatory notes are like the tinkle of crystal 

 bells and when our attention is focused, lo! the wonder happens, — the ex- 

 quisite lilt of the closing phrase, lee-olcct. 



In broad daylight it is the same. The singers remain in the tree-tops and 

 tease tlie imagination with thoughts of a dumestic life lived upon a higher 

 plane than that of eartli, an exalted state where all is beatific and serene. And 

 try you never so hard, with glasses of a high power, it is a good hour's work 

 to obtain a satisfactory sight of one of the uplifted creatures. 



