WOOD WARBLERS 407 



from the Atlantic to the base of the Rocky Mountains ; migrates to the 

 West Indies, eastern Mexico, and Nicaragua ; casual in Greenland. 



Nest. Placed within hanging tufts of lichens or ' beard ' mosses, 

 bunches of dead leaves or other rubbish, caught on hanging branches 

 during freshets. Eggs : 3 to 5, white or creamy, thickly speckled with 

 reddish brown, chiefly around larger end. 



Food . Insects. 



The parula warbler is taken occasionally in southeastern Colorado. 

 It is most at home in swampy woods, where it may be seen in the 

 treetops quietly looking for insects, raising its head as it hunts so 

 that the dark chest band shows to good advantage. 



649. Compsothlypis nigrilora (Coues). SENNETT WARBLER. 



Adult male : Upper parts bluish gray with olive green patch on back ; 

 wings with two broad white bands ; throat, breast, and sides yellow, be- 

 coming saffron on chest ; rest of under parts white, sides tinged with gray- 

 ish and sometimes brown ; eyelids dusky ; lores blackish. Adult female : 

 similar, but slightly smaller and much duller; upper parts tinged with 

 olive green ; lores grayish dusky, under parts paler yellow. Length : 4.25- 

 4.75, wing 2.00-2.20, tail 1.58-1.75. 



Distribution. Lower Rio Grande Valley in Texas and southward to 

 Nuevo Leon, Tamaulipas, and southeastern San Luis Potosi. 



Nest. As described by Sennett, a cavity excavated in a mistletoe- 

 like air-plant, lined with cottony wood fibers. Eggs : dull white, flecked 

 with lilac and brown over the whole surface, and with a broad band around 

 the larger end. 



GENUS DENDROICA. 



General Characters. Bill slenderly conical, tapering gradually to tip ; 

 rictal bristles obsolete ; tarsus a quarter to a third as long as 

 wing ; scutella indistinct. 



Fig. 505. KEY TO ADULT MALES IN SPRING. 



1. Throat yellow or orange yellow. 



2. Throat orange blackburnise, p. 417. 



2'. Throat yellow. 



3. Tail with yellow patches on outer tail feathers. 



4. Under parts yellow, broadly streaked with reddish 

 brown aestiva. p. 411. 



r* 



Fig. 507. 



4'. Under parts yellow, narrowly streaked with reddish 



brown. 



5. Upper parts yellowish green. sonorana, p. 411. 

 5'. Upper parts olive green . . rubiginosa. p. 412. 

 3'. Tail without yellow patches on outer tail feathers. 

 4. Rump yellow. 



