80 NEW- YORK FAUNA BIRDS. 



FAMILY SYLVICOLIDM. 

 Bill short, moderate, slender, subcorneal, gradually compressed towards the tip. Upper 

 mandible straight to near the tip, where it is slightly notched. Tongue cartilaginous, 

 tapering to the tip. Tarsus with eight scutellce ; the upper ones blended, compressed, 

 longer than the middle toe. Claws rather small, much compressed. Tail moderate, of 

 twelve feathers. 



GENUS TRICHAS. Swainson. 



Bill slightly bent. Tarsus longer than the middle toe and claw. Claws moderately long, 

 laterally grooved. Tongue slit and lacerated. Wings short, convex, rounded : the third 

 and fourth quills usually longest ; the fifth somewhat shorter. Tail much rounded, uni- 

 form in color. 



THE YELLOW-THROAT. 



Trichas marilandica. 



plate liv. fig. 123. 



(STATE COLLECTION) 

 Turdus trichas, Linnj:us. Yellow-breasted Warbler, Pennant, Arct. Zoology, Vol. 2, p. 399. 

 Sylvia marilandica. Wilson, Am. Ornith. Vol. 1, p. 88, pi. 6, fig. 1 (male) ; Vol. 2, p. 163, pi. 18, fig. 4 (female). 

 S. trichas. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. Nat. Hist. N. Y. Vol. 2. p. 84. 

 Sylvia roscoe. Audobon, fol. pi. 23 and 24 ; Orn. Biog. Vol. 1, p. 124 (young) ; trichas, Id. Vol. I, p. 121 (adult); 



Vol.5, p. 463. 

 Maryland Yellow-throat. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 401, figure. 

 Trichas marilandica. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 2, p. 78, pi. 102 (male, female and young). 

 Maryland Ground Warbler. Giraud, Birds of Long Island, p. 64. 



Characteristics. Olive-green ; front, and stripe through the eye, black, bordered above by 

 grey. Female, dull olive; no black stripe; beneath reddish brown. 

 Young male, the stripe only extending to the eye. Length 5 inches. 



Description. First quill longest. Color. A rich olive-green above. A broad black 

 band over the front, and passing through the eyes, terminates in a point on the sides of the 

 neck, bounded above by a bluish grey line. Throat, breast and vent yellow ; darker on the 

 belly and flanks ; more distinct on the chin, throat and breast. Bill dark brown. Feet flesh- 

 colored. Wings and tail dusky brown ; their feathers edged with yellowish olive. Female : 

 Above light olive ; beneath reddish brown : the eye stripe wanting. Autumnal male : Stripe 

 only passing through the eye, and not bordered. Summit of the head reddish olive. 



Length, 5-0-5-3. Alar extent, 6' 0-6-5. 



The Yellow-throat is a common species in this State, where it is found from May to Sep- 

 tember. It builds a nest in the ground somewhat like the Oven-bird, laying from four to six 

 white eggs speckled with reddish brown. It feeds chiefly on caterpillars and spiders. It 

 ranges from Mexico to the 50th degree of north latitude. 



