of the viciniUj of Montreal. 355 



The Bay-breasted wood-wai bier, {Sylvicola Caste «ea, Wilson.) 

 — This warbler is naiich rarer here than the preceding species, and 

 very few individuals breed in our vicinity. It is very rare all 

 through the U. S., and from all accounts must breed farther 

 north. Likely thay breed in Newfoundland and Labrador. Low 

 thickets and tangled shrubbery are favorite resorts of this species ; 

 sometimes they are to be seen running along fence-rails, search- 

 ing every crevice and hole for their prey. This species, not 

 being mentioned by any European naturalist, must be foreign to 

 that continent. 



Specific characters,(Wilson.) — Length of this species,five inches; 

 extent, eleven ; throat, breast, and sides under the wings, pale 

 chestnut, or bay ; forehead, cheeks, line over, and strip through 

 the eye, black ; crown, deep chestnut ; lower parts, dull yellowish 

 white; hind head and back, streaked with black, in a grayish 

 buff ground ; wings, brownish black, crossed with two bars of 

 white ; tail, forked, brownish black, edged with ash, the three 

 exterior feathers marked with a spot of white in inner edges ; 

 behind eye is a broad oblong spot of yellowish white. Female 

 has much less of the bay color on her breast. Bill, black ; irides, 

 hazel. 



The black-poll wood-warbler, [Sylvia striata, Lath, and 

 Wilson.) — We have now before us a plain plumaged, but neat 

 bird. He seems, like the yellow-crown warbler, to hold an inter- 

 mediate place between the flycatchers and warblers, having the 

 manners of the former, and the form of bill of the latter. They 

 are rare around this city. Thickets are their favorite breeding 

 places, as they there find their favorite food, and are safe from all 

 intrusion. It may sometimes be seen among the branches of the 

 tallest trees, and while there, their notes are so low, that they can 

 scarcely be heard from below, Labrador is again a favorite 

 breeding place for this species. I have not heard of a specimen 

 being shot for the last three years. 



Specific characters. — Length, five and a half inches; extent, 

 eight and a half; crown and hind head, black ; cheeks, pure 

 white; from each lower mandible runs a streak of small black 

 spots; those on the side larger; the rest of the lower parts, white; 

 the wing, black, edged with ash; first and second row of co^^erts, 

 broadly tipt with white; back, ash, tinged with yellow ochre, 

 and streaked laterally with black ; tail, black, edged with ash, 

 the three exterior feathers, marked on the inner webs with white : 



