214 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



HELMINTHOPHAGA CHRYSOPTERA. — Cabanis. 

 The Golden-winged Warbler. 



Motacilla chrysoj)fera, Linnaeus. Syst. Nat., I. (1766) 333. Gm. Syst. Nat., 

 I. (1788) 97L 



Sylvia chrysoptera, Wilson. Am. Orn., IL (1810) 113. 



Description. 



Upper parts uniform bluish-gray; the head above and a large patch on the wings 

 yellow; a broad streak from the bill through and behind the eye, with the chin, 

 throat, and forepart of the breast, black ; the external edge of the yellow crown con- 

 tinuous with a broad patch on the side of the occiput above the auriculars, a broad 

 maxillary stripe widening on the side of the neck, the under parts generally, with 

 most of the inner webs of the outer three tail feathers white ; the sides of the body 

 pale ash- color. Female similar, but duller. 



Length, about live inches; wing, two and sixty-five one-hundredths inches; tail, 

 two and twenty-five one-hundredths inches. 



" This handsomely marked species has hitherto been con- 

 sidered a very rare bird in New England ; but it is less 

 uncommon than it is supposed to be. The first one I saw 

 was caught by a cat in a garden in West Newton, Mass. 

 This was on May 16, 1861. That year, and since, I have 

 found it occurring, in small numbers, from the 14th to the 

 30th of May. The higher branches of trees, in the vicinity 

 of swampy land, appear to be its favorite hunting-places. It 

 may be seen seeking its food quite diligently along the 

 branches and among the twigs, moving by short leaps, and 

 stopping often to utter its drawling note, '-zee-zee-zee-zee'' or 

 ' dee-dee-dee-dee. ^ 



" I once saw one, who, having seemingly finished his 

 morning meal, was perched on the topmost twig of a tree, 

 quite motionless, occasionally uttering the above song, 

 which is easily recognized from that of any of our other 

 Warblers. On my alarming him, he flew down among the 

 undergrowth of young birches, and permitted me to approach 

 quite near him : while watching his movements, I observed 

 a Nashville Warbler alight on the same bush in which he 

 was moving, when the Golden-wing immediately gave fight, 

 and chased the intruder away. I have never observed the 



