WOOD WARBLERS 429 



chest with necklace of black streaks ; orbital ring' white or yellowish ; 



crown black, feathers edged with gray ; rest of upper parts 



g-ray. Adult female and young in fall : similar, but black 



replaced by gray tinged with olive. Young female : chest 



markings sometimes obsolete. Young, first plumage : upper 



parts brownish, gray below the surface ; wings with two 



buffy bars ; sides of head, throat, and chest bufipy brown ; 



rest of under parts yellow. Male: length (skins) 4.76-5.17. Fig. 539. 



wing 2.54-2.(14, tail 2.15-2.26, bill .40-44. Female: length Canadian War- 



(skins) 4.57-4.91, wing 2.38-2.54. tail 2.00-2.10, bill .;J<)-.45. ^1«^^- 



Distribution. — Breeds in Canadian zone of northeastern North America, 

 from Lake Winnipeg, Hudson Bay. southern Labrador, and Newfoundland 

 south to southern New England, Wisconsin, and the Alleghanies ; casually 

 to Colorado : winters from Mexico south to South America. 



Nest. — In clumps of weeds or tussocks of grass in swampy woods, made 

 of leaves and lined witli pine needles, rootlets, and horsehair. Eggs : o to 

 5, white or buffy white, spotted around larger end with reddish brow^n and 

 lilac, usually mixed with a few black specks or pen lines. 



GENUS SETOPHAGA. 



General Characters. — Bill about half as long as head, much depressed, 

 broad at base, sharply ridged for basal half or more, straight, decurved at 

 tip ; rictal bristles reaching beyond nostrils ; wings pointed, tail long- and 

 fan-shaped, with broad flat feathers widening- at ends ; feet slender ; tarsus 

 with scutella distinct. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Under parts mainly white, with orange patches . . ruticilla. p. 429. 

 r. Under parts mainly dark rose red picta, p. 430. 



687. Setophaga ruticilla (Linn.). American Redstart. 



Adult male. — Black with bluish gloss, except for white belly and 

 under tail coverts, and salmon or orange patches on sides of breast, 

 wings, and tail. Adult female : black of male replaced by 

 grayisli olive, and orange by yellow. Immature male: similar 

 to female, but smaller, browner, and color patclies deeper ; 

 after fir.st winter plumage interspersed with black feathers. 

 Immature feniali' : like adult female, but gray more brownish, 

 throat and chest tinged with brownish buff; yellow of breast ,,.^^ ..^ 

 less distinct, and that on wings partly or wholly concealed. ''^ ' 



Young, fr.^t jdumage : upper parts grayish brown ; under parts grayish 

 white, pale gray on chest ; breast w ithout yellow ; wings and tail like 

 <)ld<M- l)irds. but witli two wbitish or vellowi.sh bands. .l/a/V .- length 

 (skin.s) 4.61-5.00, wing 2.40-2.64. tail 2.0.V2.2S, bill" .2S-.;15. Female: 

 h-ngtb (skins) 4.41-4.76. wing 2.2S-2.60. tail l.ii;;-2.2S. bill .:;i-.;;5. 



Distribution. — Breeds from liritisli Columbia and Fort Simjjson to the 

 (iiilf of Mexico and from the Atlantic west regularly to the (ireat I5;isin ; 

 casu.-illy to California, Oregon. Arizona, .and Lower California; wiutei-s 

 in the West Indies, and from southern Mexict) t<) nortliern South Amer- 

 ica. 



Nest. — Cup-sha])ed. (•omi)act, made largely of plant fibers and strips of 

 l)ark and web, 7 to •">'• feet from the ground. Kggs : ."'. t() 5, white, green- 

 ish or grayish, spotted chiefly around larger end with brown and lilac. 



Food, — In.sects. 



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