290 THE BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 



lower parts white ; primaries black, edged with yellow ; rest 

 of the wing black, edged with ash ; the first and second row 

 of coverts broadly tipt with white ; back ash, tinged with 

 yellow ochre, and streaked laterally with black ; tail black, 

 edged with ash, the three exterior feathers marked on the 

 inner webs with white ; bill black above, whitish below, 

 furnished with bristles at the base ; iris hazel ; legs and feet 

 reddish yellow. 



The female differs very little in plumage from the male. 



Pennant, who describes this species, says that it inhabits 

 during summer Newfoundland and New- York, and is called 

 in the last Sailor. This name, for which however no reason 

 is given, must be very local, as the bird itself is one of those 

 silent, shy and solitary individuals that seek the deep retreats 

 of the forest, and are known to few or none but the naturalist. 



Length of the female Black-cap five inches and a quarter, 

 extent eight and a quarter ; bill brownish black ; crown yel- 

 low olive, streaked with black ; back the same, mixed with 

 some pale slate ; wings dusky brown, "edged with olive ; first 

 and second wing-coverts tipt with white ; tertials edged with 

 yellowish white ; tale-coverts pale gray ; tail dusky, forked, 

 the two exterior feathers marked on their inner vanes with a 

 spot of white ; round the eye is a whitish ring ; cheeks and 

 sides of the breast tinged with yellow, and slightly spotted 

 with black ; chin white, as are also the belly and vent ; legs 

 and feet dirty orange. 



The young bird of the first season, and the female, as is 

 usually the case, are very much alike in plumage. On their 

 arrival early in April, the black feathers on the crown are fre- 

 quently seen coming out, intermixed with the former ash- 

 colored ones. 



