318 



S YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. — PA S SERES — OSCINES. 



Bay, only known W. to the edge of the Great Plains ; breeds from northern New England 

 northward, and winters in the West Indies ; resident, however, in Jamaica. The Cape May 

 is an exquisite, resembling the Magnolia in its yellow rump and yellow black-striped under 

 parts, but easily recognized at maturity by the orange-brown ear-coverts ; possessing also the 

 charm of rarity in most parts. The curved and very acute bill, and some anatomical peculiari- 

 ties of the tongue will assist the student in recognizing the obscure 9 and young. Nest in low 

 trees or bushes, preferably evergreens, neatly cupped, built of small twigs, grasses, cobwebs, 

 etc. Eges 3-4, 0.70 X 0.50, white or whitish, marked chiefly about the larger end with the 

 usual reddish-brown and darker spots or dots, with others of blackish and neutral tint. 



(Subgenus Peucedramus.) 

 D. (P.) oliva'ceiis. (Lat. o?trrtce?<s, olivaceous in color ; oKra, an olive. Fig. 173.) Olive 

 Warbler. Tongue much as in Dendroeca, but larger, with revolute edges, cleft tip, and 



laciniate for some distance 

 from the end. Wings elon- 

 gated, half as long again as 

 tail (in Dendroeca less than 

 half as long again), reaching, 

 when folded, nearly to end 

 of tail. Tail emarginate. 

 Tarsus longer than middle 

 toe and claw. Hallux little 

 if any longer than its claw. 

 I >ill little shorter than tarsus 

 (averaging little over half 

 the tarsus in Dendroeca), at- 

 tenuate, notably depressed, 

 yet very little widened at 

 base. Culmen rather con- 

 cave than convex in most 

 of its length, the under out- 

 line almost perfectly straight from extreme base to tip. Nasal fossfe very large, with a highly 

 developed nasal scale. Rictal vibrissae few and short. Plumage without streaks. Adult ^ : 

 Upper parts ashy, more or less olivaceous, changing to greenish on nape. Head and neck all 

 around orange-browTi or intense saffron-yellow, with a broad black bar on side of head through 

 eye. Wings blackish ; inner webs of all the quills edged with white ; outer webs of most pri- 

 maries edged with whitish, and outer webs of secondaries with greenish ; most of the primaries 

 also marked with white on outer webs at base, forming a conspicuous spot (only seen else- 

 where in D. ccerulescens) ; middle and greater wing-coverts with white bars. Tail like wings, 

 with greenish edging of most of the feathers, the two outer ones on each side mostly or wholly 

 white. Belly and sides whitish, tinged with olive or brownish. Basal half of under mandible 

 light brown. Length 4.75-5.25; extent 8.25-9.00; wing 2.75-3.10; tail 1.95-2.20; bill 

 0.55; tarsus 0.75. Adult 9 and young $ : The saffron color much clearer yellowish, and 

 shaded with olive- green on crown ; the black bar replaced by whitish, excepting a dusky patcii 

 on auriculars. A remarkable Mexican Warbler, also ascertained to inhabit S. Arizona and 

 New Mexico, in mountainous localities ; probably also Texas. It has much the habits of the 

 Pine-creeping Warbler (Z). vigorsi) ; nest very pretty, somewhat like the Blue-Gray Gnat- 

 catcher's, high up in a coniferous tree, saddled on a limb or fixed in a forked twig, composed 

 of moss, lichens, fir blossoms, and cobwebs, lined with fine rootlets; eggs peculiar, olive-gray, 

 very thickly speckled with black ; set of 3-4, May, June. 



Fig. 173. — Olive Warbler. 



