WILSON'S WARBLER. 



While ill the South tlir Ked^tart dors not siiiu, hut iu the lU'cp sliady woods of New 

 Eiiti'liUid its short, uhrupt, though uot unmusical notes constantly rinii' out with an energy 

 whicli surpasses that ofall other smaller songsters. They sing without pausing in their 

 avocations, and even while they are Ihing rripidly through the trees, in playful pursuit of 

 one another, snap out a noti' or two, then, as they engage in a mock hattle in which se\'- 

 eral males ot'teii partici[>ate, utter a sharp twitter. The only otiier note I ever heard 

 them emit was a chirp of annoyance or alarm when t'.iey perceived an intruder. Although 

 it is not difficult to recogni/e a Redstart l)y its peculiar song, yet I have seldom heard two 

 sing exactly alike, and tlie soung males, which have uot acquired the plmnage of raatu- 

 rit\'. have a weaker and moi'e lisping melody. 



Althougli the mimic wars in which the Redstarts engage in early spring are mere sport- 

 ive all'airs, vet when an_\ [)articular pair hegin to construct their nest, all such conflicts 

 i'..s.sume a more seiious aspect. Then woe betide the young swain that unfortunatelv 

 a])proac]ies too near the e lifice of liis brighter colored relative! fbi' he meets with a hos- 

 tile reception. an<l. unless he (piickly heats a rcti'eat, will likel_\' mourn tiie loss of many 

 featliers. Small birds of other species are also unnecessai-ily attacked l)y this irritable 

 tvrant ard rudely expelled from the vicinity of its nest. Those which breed in New 

 England arrive from the Soiitii in early May, and lay their eggs the lirst week hi June. 

 In Jnl\- the hissing \i)ices of the newly fledged young may be heard in the woods iis they 

 follow tlieii' p.irents and sup[)licate for food ; then in Septeml)er all depart for their south- 

 ern home. 



I Ibuiid the Redstart in thi' winter of 1884 on the island of New Providence, Baha- 

 ma^, lint thev wi're not connnon until the migration of warblers on Ai)i-il l^Tth, when tliev 

 liecame abundant. 1 did not find them at all on Inagua in October, 1888, but they were 

 connnon in Jamaica that year, yet I did not Ihid them on Cayman Brae until the migra- 

 tion which began April 5th, when a few appeared, but they did not become common until 

 the llith of the mont'i. 



GENUS SYLVANIA. THE FLYCATCHING WARBLERS. 

 Gex. Cii. Bill wide and dat us in the last j^enus ( Setophaga ) and like it I'uniished with long, stift' 

 bristles at the base. biU the wiiiirs are not as pointed nor is the tail so long. The wings are not banded, and 

 in two out of three species the tail is not spotted. All s]iecies are yellow beneath and are prominently 

 marked on heail or breast, or Iwth, with black. Members of both this and the last genus somewhat resembk' 

 Flycatchers in habit of feeding. The eyes are vei-y large. 



SYLVANIA PUSILLA. 



Wilsons Warbler. 



Plate XX VL L'pper figure male, lower, female in adult spring jikunage. 



DESCRIPTION. 

 Sv. Cii. Size, small ; tail, unspotted. Coi.oK. Adult male. Above, greenish olive, with top of head 

 lustrous blue black, forehead, sides of head and lower parts, gamboge yellow. Wings anil tail, brown 



(ill) 



