PASSERES — SYLVIC0LIDJ3 — WILSONIA. 107 



THE HOODED WARBLER. 



WlLSONIA MITRATA. 



PLATE LVII. FIG. 128 (Mali). 



(STATE COLLECTION.) 



Motacilla mitrata, Gmelin. Sylvia id. Latham. S. id. Vieillot, pi. 77. 



Hooded Warbler. Pennant, Arct. Zool. Vol. 2, p. 400. 



Muscicapa cucullata. Wilson, Am. Orn. Vol. 3, p. 101, pi. 20, fig. 3< 



Sylvia mitrata. Bonaparte, Ann. Lye. N. Y. Vol. 2, p. 79. AueuboN, folio, pi. 90 (adult) ; Orn. Biog. Vol. 2, 



p. 66, and Vol. 5, p. 465. 

 Muscicapa selbyii. Aodcbon, fol. pi. 9; Orn. Biog. Vol. 1, p. 46. 

 Wilsonia mitrata. Bonaparte, Comp. and Geog. List. p. 23. 

 Myiodioctes milratus. Aodubon, B. of A. Vol. 2, p. 12, pi. 71 (male and female). 

 M. id., Flycatching Warbler. Giraud, Birds of Long island, p; 47. 



Characteristics. Olive yellow above. Head, neck, chin and throat black ; forehead, cheeks 

 and beneath yellow ; lateral tail-feathers partly white. Female and 

 young : throat and breast tinged with dusky. Length, five inches. 



Description. Bill stout, depressed at the base, carinate and faintly notched ; the bristles 

 at the base more than half the length of the bill. Third or fourth primary longest. Tail 

 slightly emarginate, rounded, and l'O longer than the tips of the closed wings. 



Color. Forehead, cheeks, breast, abdomen, lower wing and tail-coverts bright yellow. 

 Summit of the head, hind-head, chin, throat and upper part of the breast jet black. Wings 

 and tail dusky brown : outer vanes of the primaries and secondaries yellow olive. The three 

 lateral tail-feathers with a patch of white on their inner webs, towards the tip. Female : 

 Hind-head, throat and breast only tinged with dusky. 



Length, 5* 0-5*5. Alar extent, 8" 0. 



This well marked but rare species in this State, was shot in Westchester county, about the 

 middle of May. It ranges from Mexico to 52° north. It enters Louisiana about the middle 

 of March ; and along the Atlantic coast, as far as Virginia, is rather common. Farther north, 

 it is rare and accidental. It builds in low bushes, and lays from four to six greyish eggs with 

 reddish brown spots at the larger end. A bold courageous bird, feeding on insects which it 

 takes on the wing. 



14* 



