( 58 ) 



SYLVICOLA ESTIVA— GMEL. 



YELLOW-POLL WOOD WARBLER. 



Blue-eyed Warbler, Sylvia citrinella, Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 Sylvia aestiva, Bonap. Syn. 

 Summer Yellow Bird or Warbler. Nutt. Man. 

 Yellow-poll Warbler, Sylvia aestiva, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Upper parts yellowish-green ; lower parts 

 bright yellow, streaked with brownish red. Adult male with fore 

 part of head, cheeks, throat, sides of the neck, and lower parts pure 

 yellow ; breast and sides of the body streaked w T ith reddish-brown ; 

 upper parts pale yellowish-green ; wings brown, the primaries mar_ 

 gined with green, the secondaries and their coverts with yellow ; tail 

 feathers brown, with the greater portion of their inner webs yellow. 

 Female with the colors duller ; lower parts faintly streaked with 

 reddish brown, which color is wanting in the young. Length four 

 inches and three quarters, wing two and a quarter. 



This species is familiarly known by the name of Summer or False 

 Yellow Bird. It is one of our earliest visitors in the spring and re- 

 mains with us throughout the summer. As a vocalist, it has no 

 claims to our atttention — still it is universally admired on account of 

 its sprightly manners, sociable disposition, neat, rich attire, and 

 general pleasing appearance. 



Its usual employment is hunting for small caterpillers among the 

 shrubbery and fruit trees, and it is observed pursuing the same occu. 

 pation in the woods ; but its favorite resort seems to be the willows, 

 especially those which overhang a shallow brook, or occupy moist 

 situations on a mill stream. The nest is usually placed on some low 

 bush ; the materials used for its construction are dry grasses ; some" 

 times woven together with tow, or slender strips of the flexible bark 

 of the willow, selecting the softer and silken parts of plants, or hair, 

 for finishing the interior. The eggs, four — sometimes five, are of a 

 dull white color, finely dotted near the larger end with pale- 

 brown. 



