CHARACTERS OF DENDROSCA BLACKBURNI^ 287 



blackish on the outer two or three pairs. Spot on fore part of crown, eye- 

 lids, line over eye spreading into a large spot behind the auriculars, with 

 chin, throat, and fore breast, intense orange or flame color. Sides of head 

 black in an irregular patch, usually confluent with the black streaks on the 

 side of the breast, isolating the orange of the sides of the head from that of 

 the throat, and circumscribing the orange patch below the eye. Under parts 

 from the breast white, more or less tinged with orange or yellow, the whole 

 sides streaked with black. Bill and feet dark. Length about 5^ ; extent, 

 8i; wing, 21; tail, 2. 



$, adult, in spring: Similar to the male in the pattern and distribution 

 of the colors; upper parts brownish-olive, streaked with black; the fiery 

 orange of the male not so intense, or merely yellow, that on the crown ob- 

 scure or obsolete. White speculum of the wing resolved into two white 

 bars. Sides of the head like the back, instead of black as in the male, and 

 the lateral streaks duller and more blended. 



(J and 9 ) adult, in autumn, are sufficiently similar to the respective sexes 

 in spring, but the coloration is toned down, the fiery colors of the male being 

 less intense, and the black of the back being much mixed with olivaceous, 

 bringing about a close resemblance to the spring female ; while the female is 

 duller still, and more impurely colored. 



Young : Early autumnal birds of the year of this species are very obscure 

 looking, showing no sign of the rich coloration of the adults. Above, like 

 the adult 9 , but still browner, with more obsolete dusky streaking. Usually 

 indication of the crown spot in a lightening of the part. Sides of the head 

 like the crown, cutting off a superciliary stripe and the eyelids, which are 

 ochrey white. Whole under parts white, tinged, especially on the throat 

 and breast, with yellowish, the sides with obsolete streaking. Indication of 

 the peculiar pattern of the adults, though without their actual coloration, 

 together with the extent of white on the tail-feathers, will usually suffice for 

 the determination of the species, before any. orange appears on the throat, 

 after which there can be no difficulty. 



A POINT of special interest iu the present connection is the 

 authentic record furnished by Allen of the occurrence of 

 the Blackburnian Warbler iu Utah, where a few specimens were 

 secured in the spring of ]871, as he has recorded iu the valu- 

 able paper above cited. This is, with one exception, the 

 westernmost advice we have of the Blackburnian Warbler, 

 previously supposed to be confined strictly to the Eastern 

 Province, and one which brings the bird fairly into our present 

 geographical perspective; but just as these pages go to press, 

 I learn from advance sheets of a forthcoming number of the 

 Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, that the Black- 

 burnian Warbler has been found at Fort Bayard, New Mexico. 

 It is a well-known and abundant species, into the natural 

 history of which I do not propose to enter here. 



