AMERICAX WARBLERS. 



13 



the terminal syllable is considerably prolonged. The Birds 

 never pause and make a business of singing, but continue in 

 active motion all the time they are uttering their notes. 



Migration and Breeding Range. Breeds from Virgin- 

 ia and Southern Kansas north to Hudson's Bay. Migrates 

 south in early September to winter in Florida and the Gulf 

 States, the Bahamas, Greater y\ntilles, and Cayman Islands. 

 Returns north to New England from the last week in April 

 to the first week in May. 



Genus. HONEY WARBLERS. Perissoglossa. 



Size, mediniii, 4.70 to 5.50 long-. Colors, yellOAV beneatli, 

 l)lack streaked ; olive above ; elieeks eliestiuit. Tail Avith white 

 spots. 



The single species which forms this genus, is a moder- 

 ately stout bird, with a slender, quite sharp bill that is a 



Fig. 21, 



Fig. 22. 



Brown Creeper. 



Red-bellied Nuthatch. 



little curved at the tip. The folded wings reach a little be- 

 yond the middle of the tail. The most remarkable character 

 is found in the tongue, which, although somewhat fleshy at 

 the base, rapidly becomes thin at the tip. The edges of the 

 terminal half are curved inward, thus forming a kind of 

 tube, while the tip, cleft for about ten hundredths of an 

 inch, is provided with coarse cilia. ( See Fig. 7 A. ) This 

 peculiar lingual arrangement enables the birds to feed upon 

 the sweet juices of flowers. 



