258 Catalogue of the Birds of Connecticut 



Warbler 



York and Massachusetts. 



*91. S. agilis, Wilson, Connecticut Warbler, New York and 



Massachusetts. 



*92. S. chrysaptera, Wilson, Golden-winged Warbler, New 



York and Massachusetts. 

 *93. S. pensilis, Audubon, Yellow-throated Grey Warbler, 



New York and Massachusetts. 



*94. Sylvia flava? West River. 



Family Muscicapidcs. 

 95. Muscicapa ruticilla, Wilson, Red Start, Stratford and New 



Haven. 



*90, 91, 92, 93. These four warblers are said by Rev. Mr. Peabody and Dr. De- 

 kay, to have been found in Massachusetts and New York. I have the S. pensilis, 

 which I shot in Georgia, and the chrysaptera, from Ohio, through the kindness of 

 Prof. J. P. Kirtland, and though I have no knowledge of their being found living 

 in this state, yet there is good evidence of their occasional visits during migration 

 seasons. 



*94. The Sylvia jlava of Linnaeus, yellow wagtail, I have, with some hesitation, 

 dded to the above list of our Sylvias. In the autumn of 1840, I saw a large flock 

 of wagtails near West River, (New Haven,) and had a good opportunity to watch 

 them and their motions for some length of time, while they were apparently feed- 

 ing on insects among the high grass. At every instance when one alighted, it 

 toagged the tail four tiwics, invariably; even if it changed position every moment, 

 there were four distinct wags of the tail, and no more. They are thus described: 

 st breast and abdomen yellow, the two outer tail feathers obliquely half white at 

 the tips, length about six and a half inches, weight five drachms — are diffused 

 throughout Europe, Siberia, and in Madeira, in moist situations." To the above 

 description, as far as I could discover without taking in hand, these birds agreed. 

 They appeared unusually tame and fearless, but I had no means of securing one; 

 and therefore with much regret left them feeding where 1 found them. They are 

 said to feed on the aurelia of Phryganea, and these abound in our fresh-water 

 streams, as I have witnessed. [This species occurs in spring and fall at New Ha- 

 veil. It is a late visitant and rarely seen. — J. D. W.l 



We have no other bird, or any description of authors that has fallen under my 

 observation, which corresponds to these. The Turdus aquaticus, of Audubon, is 

 about the same length, but these birds had longer tails and less bodies, and much 

 more yellow on the breast, and certainly were not that species, (T. aquaticus.) I 

 only hesitate to add this species to our list, because they have not been otherwise 

 named as belonging to this country. I trust, however, they will yet be found not 

 only to be American birds, but actual tenants of Connecticut, at the season of their 

 migrations. 



Sir Wm. Jardine, Nat. Library, division Ornithology, birds of Great Britain and 

 Ireland, Vol. xi, page 200, says: "They are found at the extreme counties of 

 Scotland, and southward it reaches Spain and ItaJy, and its extra- European range 

 is India, Japan, Java, and Sumatra." It therefore can be nothing surprising, 

 should it wander here in its southern and western flights. 





