of the vicinity of Montreal, 361 



here by a single species. Indeed I was about setting it down as 

 having no representatives here, when I accidentally fell upon this 

 little species. It is the Nashville swarap-warbler, {Sylvia rubri- 

 capilla, Wilson.) This is a beautiful and interesting little bird ; 

 rare in our neighbourhood. Like the birds of the last genus, 

 they are found only in low swampy grounds, and feed in much 

 the same manner. The point of difference between the two 

 genera, is chiefly in the form of bill, which in the present genus 

 is much longer and of a slenderer form. A few years ago the 

 Nashville warbler was not so rare on our mountain as at present. 

 His notes are very singular, much resembling the breaking of 

 small twio-s. The female I have never seen, nor have their nests 

 ever been discovered here. The specimens shot by Wilson were 

 procured near Nashville. 



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

 seven inches ; the upper parts of the head and neck, light ash, a 

 little inclining to olive ; crown, spotted with deep chestnut in 

 small touches ; a pale yellowish ring round the eye ; whole lower 

 parts, vivid yellow, except the middle of the belly, which is white ; 

 back, yellow olive, slightly skirted with ash ; rump and tail 

 coverts, rich yellow olive; wings, nearly black, broadly edged 

 with olive ; tail, slightly forked, and very dark olive ; legs, ash ; 

 feet, dirty yellow; bill, tapering to a fine point, and dusky ash ; 

 no white on wings or tail ; eye, hazel." Wilson. 



The fifth genus Merioiilla or creeping-warblers, contains only 

 one species, and it is very abundant with us during spring. The 

 term creeping, explains the diff'erence between this and the pre- 

 ceding genera. This species is the black and white creeper^ 

 [Sylvia varia, Lath.) A person who is taking an early stroll over 

 the brow of our mountain, on a spring morning, cannot but help 

 hearing often repeated a sharp twee-a-tvvee-a-twee, which from its 

 singular shrillness strikes his attention. Looking round to try 

 and discover the creature which emits these sounds, he sees de- 

 scending the large trunk of a tree, a small bird of striped plumage, 

 and busily engaged in gleaning the bark of all injurious insects. 

 Seldom is this bird seen among the smaller branches of the tree, 

 but nearly always on the large branches and trunks. Its tongue 

 is beautifully adapted to its purpose, being long and horny, and 

 of course, therefore, better fitted for extracting insects from be- 

 neath the bark of trees than for excelling in song ; " as the 

 hardened hands of the husbandman are better suited for clearing 



