LAND BIRDS. 597 



but with few streaks on the chin and none on the sides of the neck where the yellow forms 

 a broad collar almost encircling the neck; the middle of the belly and under tail-coverts 

 are usually white, as is also the lining of the wings; wings brownish-black, glossed with 

 green, and with a conspicuous white jjatch on the greater and middle coverts; tail-feathers 

 black, the outer three pairs with large white spots on the inner web, the tips black. Female 

 similar, but lacks the chestnut patch on the ear-coverts, and much less brightly colored 

 otherwise; may usually be known, however, by the numerous dark streaks below, coupled 

 with the yellow upper tail-coverts. Young birds of either sex in the autumn are usually 

 confused with the young of other species and only the experienced student can separate 

 them. 



Length 4.70 to 5.65 inches; wing 2.85; tail 2.15. Female rather smaller than male. 



271. Yellow Warbler. Dendroica aestiva aestiva (GmcL). (652) 



Synonyms: Summer Warbler, Golden Warbler, Summer Yellowbird, Yellowbird, 

 Blossom-eater, Wild Canary (incorrect). — Motacilla a>stiva, Gmehn, 1789.^Motacilla 

 canadensis, Bodd., 1783. — Sylvia sestiva, Vieill., 1807. — Sylvicola sestiva, Sw. and Rich., 

 1831. — Dendroica aestiva, Baird, 1858, and many others. — Dendroeca JEstiva, Sclat., 

 1859, and many subsequent writers. — Sylvia citrinella, Wils., 1810. — Sylvia childrenii, 

 Aud., 1831. 



Plate LIX. 



The yellowest of all our warblers, except perhaps the Prothonotary, 

 and the only one whose tail is mostly yellow; neither wings nor tail show 

 any white markings. The female has the under parts clear yellow; in 

 the male they are yellow, streaked with reddish brown or chestnut. 



Distribution. — North America at large, except southwestern part, 

 south in winter to Central America and northern south America. Breeds 

 nearly throughout its North American range. 



This beautiful little bird is probably the best known of all our warblers, 

 and during spring and summer is universally distributed, being apparently 

 just as abundant along the south shore of Lake Superior as in the southern 

 parts of the state. It arrives from the south about the first of May in 

 the southern counties and from ten to fourteen days later in the Upper 

 Peninsula. It is very uniform in its time of arrival, the extremes observed 

 by Mr. Swales at Detroit being April 25, 1899 and May 3, 1890. Up to 

 the last week in July Yellow Warblers are seen commonly, but about 

 that time they stop singing and mostly disappear. Doubtless a large 

 part of them at once move southward, but stragglers remain until the 

 first of September or even later, and one was killed on Spectacle Reef Light, 

 Lake Huron, September 16, 1888. 



This is one of our very familiar warblers, frequenting hedgerows, 

 orchards, gardens and the shrubbery in city parks, as well as the willow 

 thickets along the streams and the depths of the most lonesome swamps. 

 At the time of its arrival many of the willows arc in bloom and the fact 

 that it is so frequently seen gathering food among their blossoms has 

 given it the name "Blossom-eater," according to Dr. Gibbs. As a matter 

 of fact the bird does not seem to eat any part of the willow l)lossoms, 

 or for that matter any other flowers, but is undoubtedly catching the 

 insects attracted by the nectar and pollen. 



Its song is constant and emphatic, and as Chainnan says, "though 

 simple, it has a pleasing, ha])i)y ring." lie describes it as " wec-che, 

 chee-chee, chcr-wee." 



Tiie nest is built very soon after arrival, often by the lOtli or 12th of 

 May. almost invariably by the hrst of June in the Lower Peninsula. It 



