Species XXVIII. SYLVIA RUBRICAPILLA. 



NASHVILLE WARBLER. 



[Plate XXVII. Fig. 3 ] 



The very uncommon notes of this little bird were familiar to me for 

 several days before I succeeded in obtaining it. These notes very much 

 resembled the breaking of small dry twigs, or the striking of small 

 pebbles of diflferent sizes smartly against each other for six or seven 

 times, and loud enough to be heard at the distance of thirty or forty 

 yards. It was some time before I could ascertain whether the sound 

 proceeded from a bird or an insect. At length I discovered the bird ; 

 and was not a little gratified at finding it an entirely new and hitherto 

 undescribed species. I was also fortunate enough to meet afterwards 

 with two others exactly corresponding with the first, all of them being 

 males. These were shot in the state of Tennessee, not far from Nash- 

 ville. It had all the agility and active habits of its family the Worm- 

 eaters. 



The length of this species is four inches and a half, breadth seven 

 inches ; the upper parts of the head and neck light ash, a little inclin- 

 ing to olive ; crown spotted with deep chestnut in small touches ; a pale 

 yellowish ring round the eye ; whole lower parts vivid yellow, except 

 the middle of the belly, which is white ; back yellow olive, slightly 

 skirted with ash ; rump and tail coverts rich yellow olive ; wings nearly 

 black, broadly edged with olive ; tail slightly forked and very dark 

 olive ; legs ash ; feet dirty yellow ; bill tapering to a fine point, and 

 dusky ash ; no white on wings or tail ; eye hazel. 



(200) 



