358 Vennor on the Wood-ivarblers 



The Blackburnian wood-warbler, (Sylvicola Blackburnice, 

 Lath.) — A person seeing this little warbler engaged among the 

 branches securing his food, would at first sight take him for the 

 American redstart, as he much resembles this little flycatcher in 

 his movements among the branches. 



Perhaps as you stand by you see him emerge from the thick 

 foliao-e of some tree after a fluttering insect ; he returns, and for 

 a time you lose sight of him, but soon again your eye is attracted 

 to another spot by his bright colour, and there he is, running in 

 and out among the branches, prying into every crevice and hole, 

 that may be in the branch. On first hearing his song you will 

 not believe that the notes you hear proceed from that small 

 orange coloured bird high up among the branches, so loud are 

 they in comparison with his size. His notes are five or six in 

 number. It is rare in Lower Canada, not so much so in Upper 

 Canada. This warbler is found in Labrador and Newfoundland. 

 Its nest has been found in this last mentioned place, but it likely 

 breeds in both places. 



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

 seven inches; crown, black, divided by a line of orange; the 

 black again bounded on the outside by a stripe of rich orange 

 passing over the eye ; under the eye, a small touch of orange 

 yellow ; whole throat and breast^ rich fiery orange, bounded by 

 spots and streaks of black; belly, dull yellow, also streaked with 

 black; vent, white; back, black, skirted with ash; wings the 

 same, marked with a large lateral spot of white ; tail, slightly 

 forked ; the interior vanes of the three exterior feathers white ; 

 cheeks, black ; bill and legs, brown ; the female is yellow where 

 the male is orange ; the black streaks are also more obscure 

 and less numerous." "Wilson. 



The pine-creeping wood-warbler, [Sj/lvicola pinus, Wilson 

 and Lath.) — This trim httle warbler seems nearly allied to the 

 certhial-creepers ; he is generally known as the creeping warbler. 

 Like the creepers it may often be seen ascending the larger 

 branches of trees, scraping and hopping against the bark to 

 frighten out the lurking larva. It is only where pine trees abound 

 that this warbler may be seen in any great numbers. They pre- 

 fer lowlands to mountainous countries. For this and other un- 

 known reasons, they are seldom met with in this neighbourhood. 

 In the western Province they are not rare. The Museum of 

 Natural History here, contains a very neat specimen of the male 



