564 HISTORY OF THE 



Dendroica dominica albilora Baikd. 



SYCAMORE WARBLER. 



Summer resident in the eastern part of the State; rare. Ar- 

 rive the last of April to first of May; leave the last of September 

 to first of October. 



B. . R. 103a. C. 130. G. 48, 287. U. 663a. 



Habitat. Mississippi valley; north to southern Michigan and 



northern Illinois; west to eastern Kansas and Texas; breeding 



limits but little known; south in winter from the Gulf coast, 



through Mexico, Honduras and Guatemala. 



Sp. Chab. Adult {sexes alike): Above, ash gray, without streaks, the forehead 

 or sides of crown, or both, black. Wings blackish, the middle and greater cov- 

 erts broadly tipped with white and edged with ash gray; remiges edged with ash 

 gray. Tail dusky, the feathers edged with ash gray, the inner webs of three 

 outer rectrices vpith a large white patch covering the terminal portion — on the 

 lateral feathers occupying nearly half of the web. A white superciliary stripe, 

 sometimes tinged with yellow anteriorly; a ci'escentic spot beneath eye, and 

 large space on side of neck, immediately behind auriculars, also white. Lores 

 and auriculars deep black, this continued down each side of the throat, but on 

 sides of breast broken into stripes, which extend along sides to flanks. Chin, 

 throat and jugulum bright gamboge yellow, the first white anteriorly. Rest of 

 lower parts, except as described, white. The plumage of the adult in fall and 

 early winter differs from the spring livery, as described above, only in having 

 the ash gray, and also the white of the abdomen, slightly tinged with brownish. 

 The young in first autumn are essentially similar to autumnal adults, but have 

 the brownish wash or discoloration more distinct, and the markings conse- 

 quently less sharply defined. {Ridgicay.) 



Iris brown; bill black; legs, feet and claws olive brown; bot- 

 toms of feet greenish yellow. 



My knowledge of these birds, from observation, has been very 

 limited. I therefore quote from "Birds of Illinois" Mr. Ridg- 

 way' s description of their habits, etc. : 



"The Sycamore Warbler is a common summer resident in the 

 bottom lands, where, according to the writer's experience, it lives 

 chiefly in the large sycamore trees, along or near water courses. 

 On this account, it is a difficult bird to obtain during the breed- 

 ing season, the male usually keeping in the topmost branches of 



