SYLYICOLIDtE — THE WARBLERS. 323 



Sp. Char. Alale. Prevailing color black. A central line on the breast, the abdomen, 

 and under tail-coverts white ; some feathers in the latter strongly tinged with dark brown. 

 Eases of all the quills except the inner and outer, and basal half of all the tail-feathers ex- 

 cept the middle one, a patch on each side of the breast, and the axillary region, orange-red, 

 of a vermilion shade on the breast. Female Avith the black replaced by olive-green above, 

 by brownish-white beneath, the red replaced by yellow ; the head tinged with ash ; a 

 grayish-white lore and ring round the eye. Length, 5.25 ; wing, 2.50 ; tail, 2.45. 



Hab. Eastern and in part Middle Provinces of North America to Fort Simpson, west to 

 Great Salt Lake ; Fort Laramie ; Denver City ; most of the West Indies ; Mexico to Ecuador. 



The young male in early autumn greatly resembles in plumage the adult 

 female, but has the upper tail-coverts and tail deep black, sharply contrasted 

 with the olive of the rump, instead of having the upper tail-coverts olive, the 

 tail simply dusky ; in addition the back is more greenish-olive, and the 

 al)domen and crissuni pure white. The male does not obtain the perfect 

 adult plumage until about the third year. 



Habits. The so-called Eedstart has an extended distribution from the 

 Atlantic to the Eocky Mountains, and 

 from Florida to high northern latitudes, 

 having been found breeding at Fort 

 Simpson by Mr. Eoss, and at Fort 

 Eesolution by Mr. Kennicott and Mr. 

 Lockhart. It is generally abundant in 

 suitable localities, and probably breeds 

 wherever found north of the Potomac. 

 It winters in large numbers in Guate- 

 mala and in other parts of Central 

 America, as well as in the West Indies. 



. • n r\ ■ • 1 ■ Setophaga ruticilla. 



It IS common m bt. Croix m the spring, 



and is especially seen about houses, according to Newton. It remains 



there until the end of April. 



Eichardson found this species abundant on the Saskatchewan, as far to the 

 north as the fifty-eighth parallel. It appeared there the last of May, and 

 left early in September. He found it frequenting moist, shady lands, flit- 

 ting about among the moss-grown and twisted stems of the tall willows that 

 skirt the marshes. It was easily recognized by the red lining of its wings 

 as it flitted through the gloomy shades in pursuit of mosquitoes and other 

 winged insects. 



Among the memoranda of the late Mr. Kennicott, we find two to the effect 

 tlnit on the 26th of May he found both males and females of this species 

 common near Eainy Lake, and that on the 6th of June he also observed 

 these birds near Lake Winnepeg. June 14, at Fort Eesolution, he obtained 

 a female Eedstart with nest and four eggs. The nest was built in the fork 

 of a willow, in a thick but low wood of alder and wiUow. It was entirely 

 unprotected by leaves or branches. The female was taken on the nest. 



The Newtons found this a very common species in St. Croix, in the spring 



