_ THE NORTHERN PARULA Ww ARBLER. 131 
No. 58. 
NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER. 
A. O. U. No. 648a. Compsothlypis americana usnez Brewster. 
Synonym.—BLvuE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER. 
Description.—Adult male: Above and on sides of head and neck grayish 
blue; a large greenish golden patch on back; wings and tail dusky with obscure 
bluish bordering; tips ‘of middle and greater coverts white, forming two con- 
spicuous bars; two outer pairs of tail-teathers with white blotches on the inner 
webs; lores broadly bluish black; a white spot on lower eyelid; chin and breast 
yellow,—connection almost cut off by encroaching blue of sides; a blackish or 
blue-black dab on lower throat; below this, in turn, a rich orange-brown patch, 
each feather with a yellow tip, producing a shingled effect; below sordid white. 
Adult female: Similar but the orange-brown and black of throat often absent ; 
paler everywhere. Young of the year: Upper parts tinged with olive-green, 
thus giving a peculiar plue- green effect, especially on head; “yellow of lower parts 
paler. Length of males about 4.75 (120.6) ; wing 2.38 (60.6) ; tail 1.67 (CEA 
bill .38 (9.7) 
Recognition Marks.—Smallest of American Warblers (wsneae is however 
the largest of the three allied forms) ; golden patch on back; the orange-brown 
on the breast of high plumage male is distinctive. 
Nest, a pouch, formed oftenest of a bunch of pensile moss (Usnea), or high 
water debris, gathered together at the bottom, felted, and carefully lined, and with 
entrance at side. Eggs, 4 or 5, sometimes 6 or 7, glossy white or creamy white, 
speckled with cinnamon-red, chestnut, and gray, usually in a wreath about larger 
end. Av. size, .66 x .47 (10.8 x 11.9). The breeding bird is perhaps the next 
form, C. a. ramalinae. 
General Range.—New England, New York and westward at least to Long. 
82°, and north into the Maritime Provinces and Ontario, migrating southward 
beyond the United States in winter. 
Range in Ohio.—Rather rare during migrations. 
A recent overhauling of this genus by one of the masters has left us 
in temporary uncertainty regarding the Ohio forms, but it seems altogether 
probable that the larger bird is strictly migrant. Dr. Wheaton, relying 
upon the observations of Messrs. Read and Kirtland, gives the Parula War- 
bler as a summer resident in northern Ohio. More recently Thomas Mc- 
Ilwraith in his “Birds of Ontario,” states that he has not heard of a nest’s 
being found in that province, since the majority of the birds pass still farther 
north to breed. More lately still they have been found breeding by Fleming 
in the districts adjoining Georgian Bay. No recent records of breeding are 
at hand from the northern part of this state, and it would appear at least 
possible that the more robust form has pushed its way further northward 
1 Measurements of all but length are from Ridgway. See “The Birds of North and Middle America,” 
part II, p. 484. 
