ONTARIO 



sides of the body continuously jet black ; ivhig-bars ivantlng (the coverts being 

 black, edged with h\\\e),lmt a large -white spot at the base of the primaries ; 

 quill feathers blackish, outwardly edged with bluish, the inner ones mostly 

 white on their inner webs ; tail with the ordinary white blotches, the central 

 feathers edged with bluish ; bill black; feet dark Young male, similar, but 

 the blue glossed with olivaceous, and the black interrupted and restricted. 

 Female entirely different ; dull olive-greenish with faint bluish shade, below 

 pale soiled yellowish ; recognizable by the white spot at the base of the 

 primaries, which, though it may be reduced to a mere speck, is always evident, 

 at least on pushing aside the primary coverts ; tail blotches small or obscure ; 

 feet rather pale. Length, about 5 ; wing, 2^- ; tail, 2^. 



Hab. Eastern North America to the Plains, breeding fron Northern New 

 England and Northern New York northward, and in the Alleghanies to 

 Northern Georgia, West Indies in winter 



Nest, placed in the fork of a bush near the ground ; composed of grape- 

 vine bark and rootlets, lined with vegetable fibre and horse hair. 



Eggs, 3 to 5, creamy-white with a few spot.^ of reddish-brown toward the 

 larger end. 



During the spring migration this species is always fairly 

 represented, and some seasons it exceeds in numbers any other 

 group of the family to which it belongs. It arrives about the 

 loth of May, and continues common till the 25th, by which time 

 those bound for the north have disappeared. I have heard oi 

 individuals being seen in the woods in summer, and think it quite 

 likely that a few pairs breed in suitable places in the southern 

 part of the Province, but the majorit}^ unquestionably go farther 

 north. While here the favorite haunt of the species is in the 

 open woods, but it also visits the orchard, and is often seen 

 among the lilac bushes in search of its insect food. In the fall 

 it is in the woods during the greater part of September, after 

 which it disappears and is seen no more till the followmg spring. 



258. DENDROICA CORONATA (Linn.). 6.55. 

 Myrtle Warbler. 



Male, in spring, slaty-blue streaked with black ; breast and sides mostly 

 black; throat and belly pure white, immaculate; rump, central crown patch 

 and sides of breast sharply yellow, there being thus/o/(;' definite yellow places ; 

 sides of head black ; eyelids and superciliary line white ; ordinary white 

 wing-bars and tail-blotches ; bill and feet black ; male in winter and femaU 



259 



