286 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



of five of these birds which 1 have examined, consisted of beetles, larvae 

 and flies. 



" The females and immature males of this species differ much from 

 the spring males, and are often confounded with other species, especially 

 with D. striata. A careful comparison of an extensive series of imma- 

 ture specimens of the two species shows that in castanea the under parts 

 are seldom washed uniformly on the throat and breast with yellowisK- 

 green, but while this may be seen on the sides of the neck and breast, 

 or even across the latter, the chin and throat are nearly white, the sides 

 tinged with dirty brown, even if the (generally present) trace of chest- 

 nut be wanting on the sides. There is a buff tinge to the under tail- 

 coverts ; the quills are abruptly margined with white, and there are no 

 traces (however obsolete) of streaks on the breast. In D. striata the 

 under parts are quite uniformly washed with greenish-yellow nearly as 

 far back as the vent, the sides of the breast and sometimes of the belly 

 with obsolete streaks ; no trace of the uniform dirty reddish-brown on 

 the sides; the under tail -coverts are pure white. The quills are only 

 gradually paler towards the inner edge instead of being abruptly 

 white." Ridgw. Orn. of III. 



Dendroica striata (FoRST.). 



Black-poll Warbler. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length about 5 ; extent 8 to 9| inches. Maxilla brownish ; mandible paler ; legs 

 and feet yellowish. 



Male, in spring. Upper half of head, on a level with middle of eye, also nape, pure 

 black ; sides and back of neck white streaked with black ; upper parts generally ash- 

 gray thickly streaked with black ; two white wing bars ; two outer pa irs of tail- 

 feathers with conspicuous white spots on inner webs near ends; lower half of head 

 including ear-coverts white ; median under parts white, streaked and spotted with 

 black from chin along sides of neck back to tail. 



Female greenish olive above (including crown) streaked with black ; lower parts 

 streaked as in male, yellowish ring about eye, and the white of lower parts, especi- 

 ally on breast, in nearly all specimens is tinged with yellowish ; dusky streak in 

 front of and behind eye. The fall plumage is very different. Above light olive- 

 green indistinctly streaked with dusky ; below white and yellowish with or without 

 streaks ; but both old and young in any plumage have white lower tail-coverts, not 

 pale buff as in D. castanea. 



Habitat. Eastern North America to the Rocky mountains, north to Greenland, 

 the Barren Grounds, and Alaska, breeding from northern New England northward. 

 South in winter to northern South America. 



Abundant spring and fall migrant ; frequents forests and orchards, and 

 shade trees in the streets, parks and lawns. Individuals of this species 

 have been observed here (Chester county) sometimes as late as the 12th of 

 June. The Black-poll Warbler breeds most abundantly in the far north ; 

 its nests, eggs, and young have been found by Mr. E. W. Nelson in 



