YELLOW PALM WARBLER, 373 



of tlie breast ; auiicular mixed olive and chestnut (the latter prevailing), 

 somewhat darker immediately behind the eye; lore, with an indistinct dusky 

 streak ; entire pileum, rich chestnut, becoming darker next the bill when 

 divided medially by a short and rather indistinct yellow streak ; rest of the 

 upper parts, olive, tinged with Ijrown on the back and brightening into 

 yellowish olive-green on the rump and upper tail coverts, the latter having 

 shaft streaks of reddish-chestnut ; tail feathers, dusky, edged externally with 

 yellowish-olive, the innei' webs of the two outer feathers broadly tipped with 

 white ; wings, dusky, all the feathers edged with pale brownish-olive, this 

 edging rather \\idest on the ends of the middle and gi'eater coverts, where, 

 however, they do not form any indication of bands. Wing, 2.65; tail, 2.50. 



Hab. — Atlantic States north to Hudson's Bay. Breeds from New Bruns- 

 wick and Nova Scotia northward ; winters in the South Atlantic and Gulf 

 States. * 



Nest, on the ground, Iniilt of bark fibre', grass and moss, and lined with 

 hair and feathers. 



Eggs, four, creamy-white, Ijiotched with reddish-brown and lilac at the 

 larger end. 



As this interesting bird is said to be abundant in the Eastern 

 .States as far west as the Plains, we should expect to find it also 

 plentiful in Ontario, but I have not so observed it near Hamilton. 

 Occasionally, late in the fall or early in spring, it is seen running 

 about on the ground, by the roadsides or in bare weedy fields, but 

 it is not at any time abundant, and sometimes is altogether absent. 

 It is very different, in many respects, from the other members of 

 the group in which it has been placed ; the building of its nest on 

 the ground and the jerky motions of its tail suggesting relationship 

 with the Tit Lark. 



Home ten years ago, while examining a large series of specimens 

 of this species in the National Museum, Mr. Ridgway observed a 

 wide difference in the intensity of the coloring of different individuals 

 in the group. An examination, as to the localities from which they 

 had been obtained, showed that the highly colored individuals were 

 from the east of the Alleghanies, while those in plainer attire were 

 all from farther west. A comparison of specimens in the possession 

 of differeiat collectors in these districts, showed that the differences 

 referred to were constant, and this has led to the variety we are 

 now considering being descriljed as a sub-species, under the name of 

 Bendroica palmarum hypochrysea : the original Dendroica palmarum 

 of Gmelin being supposed to be the plain colored form observed in 

 the west. I have described both, so that collectors may satisfy 

 themselves as to whether we have here the eastern form, or the 

 western, or both. 



