The Black-Throated Blue Warbler (Dendroka 



ccBrulcscens) 

 By I. N. Mitchell 



Description : Adult male : Above, dark dull blue, occasionally spotted with 

 black on the back ; extreme forehead, sides of head, chin, throat, sides of breast, 

 and sides, intense black ; remaining lower parts pure white ; wings and tail black- 

 ish, edged on exposed portions with blue or whitish; a large white spot at base 

 of primaries on both webs ; secondaries and lower tertials broadly edged with 

 white; three outer pairs of tail-feathers broadly but decreasingly blotched with 

 white on inner webs; bill black; feet brown. Adult female in spring: Above 

 dull greenish blue ; no pure black anywhere ; sides of head dusky ; below white, 

 sordid, or with a bluish huffy suffusion ; white spot at base of primaries reduced 

 but still jiruniinent. Adult female in autumn : Similar but with more yellow 

 everywhere ; therefore dull olive-green above, dingy yellow below ; brownish 

 washed on sides. Immature male : Like adult male, but upper parts greenish ; 

 less black below. Immature female: Like adult female in autumn. Adult male 

 in winter: Above touched with olivaceous; below black somewhat restricted; 

 flanks touched with brownish. Length 4.73-5.50 ( 120.6-139.7) ; av. of five Co- 

 lumbus specimens: wing 2.53 (64.3) ; tail 1.86 (47.2); bill .39 (9.9). 



Recognition Marks: Medium size; lilack, dull blue, and white in masses 

 of male ; white spot at base of primaries in female. 



Nesting: Nest, of bark-strips, twigs, and grasses, lined with fine rootlets 

 and horse-hair ; placed in low bushes near ground. Eggs, 4 or 5, dull white, 

 with spots and dots of olive-brown, chiefly wreathed about larger end. Average 

 size, .68x.51 (17.3x13.). 



Range: Eastern North America to tlie Plains, breeding from northern 

 New England and northern New York northward to Labrador, etc. West Indies 

 and Guatemala in winter. 



The wild crab-apples were in bloom ; the rose-pink saucers and the rosier 

 buds covered the hillside. It was good to be alive in the midst of such loveliness, 

 and it was in just such a setting that a company of young people, very much 

 alive, was birding in Johnson's Woods. 



The robin, appearing unusually plump and well cared for, was very much in 

 evidence ; bluebirds with the sky on their backs had come in for much admiration, 

 especially to one of the girls wdio was admiring them for the first time ; the gold- 

 finches were foraging upon the ground and looked like animated dandelions ; a 

 single hermit thrush, lingering behind his company, tilted his red-brown tail as he 

 alighted among the blossoms ; olive-backs and veeries scurried out from beneath 

 the bushes at our approach, giving scant opportunity for careful inspection ; a 

 flicker displayed his scarlet crescent and white rump as he visited tree after tree ; 

 yellow warblers full of the spring song and brilliant redstarts full of their coquetry 

 had enabled us to renew old acquaintances. The young people, although enjoying 

 the old friends, were desirous of making at least one new one ; nor were they 

 disappointed. 



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