8o SYLVIID^ : SYLVIANS. 



cognitions than those derived from eyesight or hear- 

 say, and feel little respect for a frame of mind that 

 prefers to take " ten to one " chances of blundering 

 empirically as against logical results of ratiocination. 



Polioptila ccerulca inhabits the whole of the Caro- 

 linian Fauna in the breeding season, and is apparently 

 restricted to that Fauna in its normal northward exten- 

 sion at that time. The Carolinian Fauna includes a 

 portion of New England. 



In 1868 I catalogued the bird as " a rare and per- 

 haps accidental summer visitor" in New England 

 (Proc. Essex Inst., v, p. 268). I quoted the authority 

 of Dr. Brewer, as given by Peabody (p. 297) for its 

 occurrence in Massachusetts, and as far north as Can- 

 ada, for Dr. Brewer had placed it inferentially in the 

 list of Massachusetts birds in 1836 (Journ. Bost. Soc, 

 i, p. 436). Allen had shortly before accredited it to 

 Connecticut (Pr. Ess. Inst., iv, 1864, p. ^2)), as Linsley 

 had long previously done (Am. Journ. Sci., xliv, 1843, 

 p. 259). Linsley's record is recognized by Merriam 

 (B. Conn., 1877, p. 144) as probably authentic. In 

 1875 Brewer expunged the species as being "wholly 

 unknown in any New England State" (Pr. Bost. Soc, 

 xiv, p. 451). In 1878 Mr. H. A. Purdie recorded sev- 

 eral instances of the occurrence of the species in Mas- 

 sachusetts and in Rhode Island (Bull. Nuttall Club, 

 ii, Jan., 1877, p. 20). In 1877 Mr. Merriam catalogued 

 the bird as "a rare summer visitant" in Connecticut, 

 with the following remarks: "'Stratford,' Linsley. 

 Two were shot at Wauregan (Windham County), 

 Conn., by Mr. C. M. Carpenter — a male in 1874 

 and a female in 1876. Three or four were seen by 

 me at Providence, R. I., May 23, 1875" — quoting 



