WOOD WARBLERS. 359 



marked, chiefly at the larger end, distinctly and obscurely with cinnamon-, 

 olive-, or rufous-brown, - 72 x -52. 



During its migrations this tastefully marked Warbler is generally 

 uncommon enough to be considered somewhat of a prize, though at 

 irregular intervals it becomes comparatively common. It is said to 

 be much rarer in fall than in spring, but the immature Bay-breasts so 

 closely resemble the usually abundant young Black-polls that it is 

 sometimes difficult to determine specimens, while living birds could 

 not possibly be distinguished. 



In the summer the Bay-breasts inhabit the northern coniferous for- 

 ests, living, it is said, in the tree tops. Mr. Langille writes : ' Their 

 song, said to begin like that of the Black-poll and end like that of the 

 Redstart, bears to my ear no resemblance whatever to either, but is a 

 very soft warble, somewhat resembling the syllables tse-chee, tse-chee, 

 tae-chee, tse-chee, tse-chee, but far too liquid to admit of exact spelling." 



661. Dendroica striata (Forst.). BLACK-POLL WARBLER. (Fig. 

 102.) Ad. $ . Crown black ; ear-coverts white ; nape streaked, black and 

 white; back and rump ashy, streaked with black; two white wing-bars; 

 inner vanes of outer tail-feathers with white patches at their tips : under 

 parts white, streaked with black, the streaks most numerous on the sides, 

 and wanting on the middle of the breast and belly. Ad. 9 . Upper parts 

 olive-green, distinctly streaked with black ; wings and tail as in the $ ; under 

 parts white, tinged with yellow, the breast and sides distinctly streaked with 

 black. Im. Similar to 9 , but the upper parts brighter and not distinctly 

 streaked, the under parts yellower and not distinctly streaked. L., 5-56 ; W., 

 2-92 ; T., 2-05 ; B. from K, -30. 



Remarks. No two of our Warblers more closely resemble each other than 

 do immature examples of this and the preceding species. There is no differ- 

 ence in the color of the upper parts, but castanea has the under parts tinged 

 with delicate cream-buff, strongest on the flanks, while striata is distinctly 

 yellowish below. 



Range. " Eastern North America to the Rocky Mountains, north to Green- 

 land, the Barren Grounds, and Alaska, breeding from northern New England 

 northward : south in winter to northern South America " (A. O. U.). 



Washington, abundant T. V., May 1 to June 5 ; Sept. 5 to Oct. 20. Sing 

 Sing, common T. V., May 7 to June 6 ; Aug. 30 to Oct. 16. Cambridge, abun- 

 dant T. V., May 12 to June 5; Sept. 8 to Oct. 15. 



Nest, of twigs, moss, rootlets, etc., lined with fine grasses and tendrils, gen- 1 

 erally in spruce trees, about six feet up. Eggs, four to five, white, more or 

 less speckled and spotted, and generally heavily blotched at the larger end 

 with cinnamon-, olive-, or rufous-brown, -70 x -54 . 



Black-polls are rather more leisurely in their movements than most 

 of their congeners. Adults should be identified without difficulty, but 

 the immature birds, which are generally abundant in the fall, may oc- 

 casion some trouble. Mr. Langille describes their song as one of the 



