I 74 VERTEBRATES I BIRDS. 



with white ; the head black ; a median, superciliary, and 

 maxillary stripe, the middle of the belly, two bands upon 

 the wings, outer edges of tertials, inner edges of wing 

 and tail feathers, and a spot on the inner webs of the 

 outer two tail feathers, white. Its notes are few, being a 

 series of rapidly repeated tweets, the last one much pro- 

 longed. It flies only from one tree to another which 

 is nearest, and which it ascends or descends in a spiral 

 direction, searching for insects and larvae. 



The Genus Parula comprises the Blue Yellow-backed 

 Warbler, P. americana, Bonap., of North America east 

 of the Missouri, which is four and three quarters inches 

 long, the wing about two and one third inches ; the color 

 blue above, with a patch of yellowish green upon the 

 back ; under parts yellow before and white behind ; two 

 white bands across the wings, a small white spot on 

 either eyelid, and a conspicuous white spot on the outer 

 two tail feathers. This species utters a soft prolonged 

 twitter, its only song. 



The Genus Protonotaria comprises the Prothonotary 

 Warbler, P. citrea, Baird, of the Southern and Western 

 States, which is less than five and a half inches long, 

 and the wing less than three inches ; the head, neck, and 

 under parts rich yellow ; back dark olive-green, with a 

 tinge of yellow ; rump, tail above, and wings, bluish ash. 

 The Genus Geothlypis has the bill distinctly notched, 

 bristles short or wanting, wings short and rounded, tail 

 long, the general color olive green above, yellow below. 



The Maryland Yellow-throat, 

 G. trichas, Cab., of North Amer- 

 ica, is five and a half inches long, 

 the wing two and four tenths 

 inches ; and readily distinguished 

 by a band of black on the fore- 



Maryland Yellow-throat, female, 1111 j 



G. trichas, Cab. head, cheeks, and ear-coverts. 



