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HELINAIA RUBRICAPILLA— WILSON. 



NASHVILLE WARBLER. 



Nashville Warbler, Sylvia rubricapilla, Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 Sylvia rubricapilla, Bonap. Syn. 

 Nashville Warbler, Sylvia rubricapilla, Nutt. Man. 

 Nashville Warbler, Sylvia rubricapilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Bill shorter than the head ; very slender to- 

 ward the end ; lower mandible horn color ; darker above ; the sec- 

 ond and third quills equal ; fourth scarcely shorter, longer than the 

 first. Adult with the upper parts of the head and neck light ash, a 

 little inclining to olive; crown spotted with deep chestnut, in small 

 touches ; a pale yellowish ring round the eye ; whole lower parts 

 bright yellow, except the middle of the abdomen, which is white ; 

 back yellowish-olive, slightly skirted with ash ; rump and tail cov- 

 erts brighter ; wings darker ; outer primaries edged with grayish 

 white ; secondaries broadly edged with green ; tail slightly forked, 

 lighter than the wings and edged with the color of the back. — 

 Female faintly spotted on the crown v/ith dull red, which color is 

 wanting in the young. Length four inches and a half, wing two and 

 three-eighths. 



This species was first discovered by Wilson in the State of Ten- 

 nessee, not far from Nashville. On Long Island it is not very abun- 

 dant, though by no means rare. It is found in various parts of the 

 Union, and seems to prefer the orchards and Ioav woods. With us, 

 it is a bird of passage, arriving in spring usually about the middle 

 of May — spends a short time among its favorite haunts — and passes 

 on to breed. According to Svvainson, some extend their migrations 

 to the fur countries. It is a well marked species, and has a sharp 

 shrill note. 



