104 NEW- YORK FAUNA — BIRDS. 



THE CAPE-MAY WARBLER. 



. , Sylvicola maritima. 



PLATE LVIH. FIG. 132 (Male). 

 (STATE COLLECTION.) 



Sylvia maritima. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 6, p. 99, pi. 51, fig. 3 (male). 

 S. maritima. Bonaparte, Am. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 32, pi. 3, fig. 3 (female?). 



Cape-May Warbler. Audubon, folio, pi. 414 ; Orn. Biog. Vol. 5, p. 156. Nuttall, Man. Orn. Vol. 1, p. 371. 

 Cape-May Wood-warbler. Audubon, B. of A. Vol. 2, p. 44, pi. 85 (male and female). Gibaud, Birds of Long 

 island, p. 61. 



Characteristics. Yellow olive, spotted with black. Crown and line through the eye blackish : 

 a chesnut spot around and behind the eye. Beneath yellow spotted 

 with black. Female, dusky olive ; beneath greyish, streaked. Length, 

 5 inches. Rare. 



Description. Bill very slender ; the notch scarcely visible. First and second quills sub- 

 equal, longest. Tail emarginate, 0*5 longer than the tips of the closed wings. 



Color. Summit of the head deep brownish black, with a faint mixture of reddish : a ches- 

 nut spot on the cheeks. Back yellow olive, spotted with black ; the feathers being black in 

 their centres, and edged with yellow olive. Quills and tail brown ; the outer webs light 

 yellowish. Rump bright greenish yellow : a broad white band over the wings. Inner webs 

 of lateral tail-feathers broadly marked with white, except at their extreme tips. Beneath the 

 chin and throat yellow unspotted, extending up the sides of the neck, and completely sur- 

 rounding it. Black confluent spots on the breast and sides. Female, without the spot on 

 the cheeks. Summit of the head olive-cinereous ; beneath whitish, spotted, slightly tinged 

 with yellowish. 



Length, 4*5 -5*5. Alar extent, 7*5 -8'5. 



This is a very rare species. My description of the male is taken from a specimen shot in 

 May, on the south side of Long island. For the description of the supposed female, I am 

 indebted to the work of Bonaparte cited above. Its highest northern range, according to 

 Audubon, is the Blue mountains of Vermont. Little or nothing is known of this beautiful 

 species : its shy and solitary habits may have contributed to elude our observation. 



