82 SINGING BIKDS— OSCTNES. 



Helminthophaga ruficapilla, Wilson. 

 THE NASHVILLE WAKBLER. 



Si/lfia riifcnpilla, Wii.soN, Am. (tin. 111. 1811, 120 ; pi. xxvii. f. 3. — Aldubos, Oin. Biog. 

 I. 1832, 4.i0; pi. 89. 



Sylvia niinc«/«V/a, WiLsox, Am. Oni. VI. 1812, 15. (General Index.) — St/lvia {Dacnis} 

 ruhrkapilla, NuTTAi.i., Man. I. 1832, 412 ( Vcrmirora, 2(1 ed. 472). — Ildinaiii nibricaplUa , 

 AuDUiiOX, Svn. 1839, 70. In. Biids Amer. II. IS41, 103 ; pi. 113. 



H(lmiiithnj>ha<ja nifiatpilki, Baikii, 1'. Iv. l\o]i. IX. Birds, 256. Ib. Rev. Anier, Birds, 17.1. 



Sp. Ch.\I!. HiMil and neck above and on fides ash-gray, the crown with a patch of 

 concealed darl< l)rownisli-oraiige liidden hy ashy tips to the feathers. Upper ])arts olive- 

 green, brightest on the rnnip. Under parts generally, with the edge of the wing, deep 

 yellow ; the anal region paler ; the sides tingeil with olive. A broad yellowish white ring 



ronml the eve ; the lores yellowi,sh ; no superciliary stripe. Tlie inner edges of the tail 

 featlu-rs margined with dull wdiite. Ftmale similar, but duller ; the under parts paler ; 

 but little trace of the red of the crown. Length, 4.65 ; wing, 2.42 ; tail, 2.05. 

 Hah. Eastern North America to the Missouri ; Greenland ; California. 



TliouL^li ^\■ell known a.s an Eastern species, tins was not found in Cali- 

 fornia until 1S58, when ^Ir. J. Xantus found one at Fort Tejon. Afterwards, 

 in the sunmier of 18G3 ^Ir. F. Gruber collected many specimens in the 

 Sierra Nevada, near Lake Tahoe. 



AYilson discovered this species near IS^ash^•ille, Tennessee, and was at- 

 tracted by the singular note it made, like the breaking of small dry twigs, or 

 striking two pebbles together six or seven times, loud enough to lie heard at 

 forty yards' distance. But little is yet known of their habits, excejit that, 

 as with others of the genus, the nest is made ou or near the ground in the 

 grass, and never on trees, like most of the Sylvicolidcv. As a summer bird, 

 it appears to be most abundant in New England and New Brunswick, where 

 its nest and eggs are taken every year by the indefatigable naturalists of 

 that portion of Nortli ^Vmerica. According to Mr. George A. Boardman, of 

 Calais, Maine, the nest is built in the grass, or sunk in a hollow of the 

 ground. The eggs are white, finely sprinkled with reddish, and arc the small- 

 est of all laid by our warblers, except, perhaps, those oi Mi/iodiodcs 2JUsinu^. 



