SPECIES 29. SYLVIA PUSILLA. 



BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER. 



[Plate XXVIII. Fig. 3.] 



Parus JLmericanus, LINN. Syst. 34 J. Finch Creeper, CATESB. x, 

 64. LATHAM, n, 558. Creeping Titmouse, Jirct. Zool. 423, 

 JVo. 36. Parus varius, V arious coloured little Finch Creeper, 

 BARTRAM,JP. 292. PEALE'S Museum, JVo. 6910.* 



NOTWITHSTANDING the respectability of the above authori- 

 ties, I must continue to consider this bird as a species of War- 

 bler. Its habits indeed partake something of the Titmouse; but 

 the form of its bill is decisively that of the Sylvia genus. It is 

 remarkable for frequenting the tops of the tallest trees, where it 

 feeds on the small winged insects and caterpillars that infest the 

 young leaves and blossoms. It has a few feeble chirrupping 

 notes, scarcely loud enough to be heard at the foot of the tree. 

 It visits Pennsylvania from the south, early in May; is very 

 abundant in the woods of Kentucky; and is also found in the 

 northern parts of the state of New York. Its nest I have never 

 yet met with. 



This little species is four inches and a half long, and six in- 

 ches and a half in breadth; the front, and between the bill and 

 eyes, is black; the upper part of the head and neck a fine Prus- 

 sian blue; upper part of the back brownish yellow, lower and 

 rump pale blue; wings and tail black, the former crossed with 

 two bars of white, and edged with blue; the latter marked on 



* Parus Jmericanus, LIWN. Syst. Ed. 10, i, p. 190. GMEL. Syst. i, p. 1007. 

 LATH. Ind. Orn. u, p. 571. Motacllla americana, GMEL. Syst. i, 960. Sylvia 

 americana, Jnd. Orn. n, p. 520. Motacitta ludoviciana, GMEL. Syst. i, p- 983. 

 Sylvia ludoviciana, LATH. Jnd. Orn. 11, p. 53o.Figuier cendrc de la Caroline, 

 Burr. PL Enl. 731, / 1. Sylvia torquata, YIEILL. Ois. de i'^m. Sept. pi. 99. 



