SPECIES 28. SYLVIA RUBRICAPILLA. 



NASHVILLE WARBLER. 



[Plate XXVIL Fig. 3.] 



PEALE'S Museum, JVo. 7789. 



THE very uncommon notes of this little bird were familiar 

 to me for several days before I succeeded in obtaining it. These 

 notes very much resembled the breaking of small dry twigs, or 

 the striking of small pebbles of different sizes smartly against each 

 other for six or seven times, and loud enough to be heard at the 

 distance of thirty or forty yards. It was some time before I 

 could ascertain whether the sound proceeded from a bird or an 

 insect. At length I discovered the bird; and was not a little 

 gratified at finding it an entirely new and hitherto undescribed 

 species. I was also fortunate enough to meet afterwards with 

 two others exactly corresponding with the first, all of them 

 being males. These were shot in the state of Tennesee, not 

 far from Nashville. It had all the agility and active habits of 

 its family the Worm-eaters. 



The length of this species is four inches and a half, breadth 

 seven inches; the upper parts of the head and neck light ash, a 

 little inclining to olive; crown spotted with deep chestnut in 

 small touches; a pale yellowish ring round the eye; whole lower 

 parts vivid yellow, except the middle of the belly, which is 

 white; back yellow olive, slightly skirted with ash; rump and 

 tail coverts rich yellow olive; wings nearly black, broadly 

 edged with olive; tail slightly forked and very dark olive; legs 

 ash; feet dirty yellow; bill tapering to a fine point, and dusky 

 ash; no white on wings or tail; eye hazel. 



