THE BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER. 203 



PARULA, BONAPARTK. 



Parula, Bonaparte, Geog. and Comp. List, 1838. (Type Pai-us Americanm.) 

 In the species of this genus, the bill is conical and acute; the culmen veiy gently 

 curved from the base; the commissure slightly concave, the notch when visible is 

 further from the tip than in Dendruica, but usually is either obsolete or entirely 

 wanting; bristles very short; the tarsi are longer than the middle toe; the tail is 

 nearly even, and considerably shorter than the wing. 



PARULA AMERICANA. — Bonajmrte. 



The Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, 



Parus Ameiicanus, Linmeus. Syst. Nat., t. (1758) 190. 



Sylvia Americana. Aud. Orn. Biog., I. (1832) 78. 



Parula Americana, Bonaparte. List (1838). lb., Consp. (1850), 310. 



Sylvia pusilla, Wilson. Am. Orn., IV. (1811) 17. 



Description. 



Above blue, the middle of the back with a patch of yellowish-green ; beneath 

 yellow anteriorly, white behind; a reddish-brown tinge across the breast; lores and 

 space round the eye dusky; a small white spot on either eyelid; sides of head 

 and neck like the crown; two conspicuous white bands on the wings; outer two tail 

 feathers with a conspicuous spot of white ; female similar, with less brown on the 

 breast. 



Length, four and seventy-five one-hundredths inches; wing, two and thirty-four 

 one-hundredths inches; tail, one and ninety one-hundredths inch. 



Hab. — Eastern North America to the Missouri, south to Guatemala. 



This species, I am inclined to think, is rather common 

 in all of New England ; and it undoubtedly breeds more 

 or less abundantly in each of these States. It arrives from 

 the South about the middle of May, sometimes a little ear- 

 lier. The birds, on their arrival, seem to be mated ; for 

 they are almost always seen in pairs, often two males with 

 one female. Their habits are very similar to those of the 

 Titmice, and they are equally at home in tlie high foliage of 

 trees and in the low thickets and shrubbery. When travel- 

 ling through the trees, they run nimbly both across and 

 along the branches, sometimes hanging head downwards, 

 sometimes fluttering at the extremity of a small twig: they 

 are very nervous and active, and are almost continually 

 employed in catching caterpillars and insects, of which 

 their food consists. While thus engaged, they emit, occa- 



