SYLVICOLID.E — THE WAHBLERS. OQO 



Autuninal nuiles are browner on tlie cliin, yellower on the throat and 

 jnguluni. Head tinned with greenish ; secondaries edged with greenish-yel- 

 low. Autumnal females are light greeu- 

 ish-olive above, dirty-white l)eneath. 



In very brightly colored spring males, 

 there is frequently (as in ."iS,; ).*?'>, Phila- 

 delphia) a well-defined, broatl blackish 

 band across the jugulum, anterior to an 

 equally distinct and mther broader one 

 across the breast, of a brown tint, six)tte<l 

 with black, while the sides are much 

 spotted with chestnut-brown ; the blue 



above is very [)ure, and the green patch on the back very sharply de- 

 fined. 



Habits. Tlie Blue Yellow-I>ack is one of our most interesting and attrac- 

 tive AVarblers. Nowhere very abundant, it hiis a well-marked and restricted 

 tarea within which it is sparingly distributed. It is found from the Missis- 

 sippi Valley to the Atlantic, and from Canada southward. In its winter 

 migrations it visits the West Indies, the Bahamas, and Central and South 

 America. Halifax on the east, and Platte liiver on the west, appear to be 

 the northern limit of its distrilnition. Dr. Woodhouse met with it in the 

 Indian Territory during the breeding-season. Mr. Alfred Newton found this 

 species, apparently only a winter visitant, in tlie island of St. Croix. Most 

 of the birds left about the middle of March, though a few remained until 

 early in ^lay. 



A single sj)ecimen of this species was taken at South Greenland in 

 1857. 



This Warbler has been found breeding as far to the south as Tuckertown, 

 N. J., by Mr. W. S. Wood ; and at Cape May, in the same State, by Mr. 

 John Krider. At Washington, Dr. Coues found it only a spring and autunm 

 visitant, exceedingly abundant from April 25 to May 15. Possibly a 

 few remained to breed, as he met with them in the first week of August. 

 In the fall they were again abundant from August 25 to the second week in 

 October. He found them inhabiting exclusively high open woods, and 

 usually seen in the tops of the trees, or at the extremities of the branches, 

 in the tufts of leaves and blossoms. 



Even wdiere most conmicm it is not an abundant si)ecies,and is to be found 

 only in certain localities, somewhat open and swampy thickets, usually not 

 of great extent, and prefers those well covered with the long gray lichens 

 known as Spanish moss. In such localities only, so far as I know, do they 

 breed. 



This Warbler has also been ascertained to breed in Southern Illinois, where 

 Mr. Ridgway found it in July, engaged in feeding fully Hedged young birds. 

 It is there most common in spring and fall. 



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