HOODED FLYCATCHER. 149 



have found, that the Muscicapa oUvaeea, and the soft and tender song- 

 ster he mentions, are two very distinct species ; and that both the one 

 and the other actually build very curious pendulous nests. 



This s|)ecies is five inches and a half long, and seven inches in e-xteiit ; 

 crown ash, slightly tinged with olive, bordered on each side with a line 

 of black, below which is a line of white passing from the nostril over 

 and a little beyond the eye ; the bill is longer than usual with birds of 

 its tribe, the upper mandible overhanging the lower considerably and 

 notched, dusky above,' and light blue below ; all the rest of the plumage 

 above is of a yellow olive, relieved on the tail and at the tips of the 

 wings with brown ; chin, throat, breast and belly pure white ; inside of 

 the wings and vent feathers greenish yellow ; the tail is very slightly 

 forked ; legs and feet light blue ; iris of the eye red. The female is 

 marked nearly In the same manner, and is distinguishable only by the 

 greater obscurity of the colors. 



Species XIII. MUSCICAPA CUCULLATA. 



HOODED FLYCATCHER. 



[Plate XXVI. Fig. 3.] 



Le Gohe-mouche citrin, Buffon, iv., 538. PI. Enl. 666. — Hooded Warbler, Avct. 

 Zool. p. 400, No. 287. — Latham, ii., 402. — Catesby, i., 60. — Mitred Warbler, 

 TuRTON, I., 601. Hooded Warbler, Ibid.* 



Why those two judicious naturalists, Pennant and Latham, .should 

 have arranged this bird with the Warblers is to me unaccountable ; as 

 few of the Muscicapce are more distinctly marked than the species now 

 before us. The bill is broad at the base, where it is beset with bristles ; 

 the upper mandible notched, and slightly overhanging at the tip ; and 

 the manners of the bird, in every respect, those of a Flycatcher. This 

 species is seldom seen in Pennsylvania and the Northern States ; but 

 through the whole extent of country south of Maryland, from the 

 Atlantic to the Mississippi, is very abundant. It is however most par- 

 tial to low situations, where there is plenty of thick underwood ; abounds 

 among the canes in the state of Tennessee, and in the Mississippi terri- 

 tory ; and seems perpetually in pursuit of winged insects ; now and then 

 uttering three loud not unmusical and very lively notes, resembling 

 twee, twee, ttvitcliie, while engaged in the chase. Like almost all its tribe 



* Wc add the following synonymes : — Motacilla mitrafa, Gmel. i., p. 977. — Si/lvia 

 milrata, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii., p. 528. — Vieill. Ois. d'Am. Sept. pi. 77. — Sylvia cucu- 

 lata, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii., p. 528. 



