300 BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 



* 



GENUS SYLVANIA* NUTTALL. 

 Sylvania mitrata (GMEL.). 



Hooded Warbler. 



DESCRIPTION (Plate 98, male). 



Length about 65 ; extent about 8 ; bill (dried skins) dark brownish-black. 



Male. Forehead back to middle of eye, a streak above and behind eye and a 

 large patch from base of lower mandible extending back over ears, bright yellow ; 

 top of head, chin, large throat patch enclosing yellow auricular patch, continuous, 

 with that of head, all deep black ; rest of under parts yellow ; inner webs of three 

 outer parts of tail-feathers white. 



Female similar to male, but black much less distinct, sometimes entirely absent. 



Habitat. Eastern United States, west to the plains, north and east to Michigan, 

 southern New York, and southern New England. In winter, West Indies, eastern 

 Mexico and Central America. 



Summer resident from early in May until about middle of Septem- 

 ber ; tolerably common in some localities and rare in other sections. 

 A nest with young of the Hooded Warbler was found some few years 

 ago in Chester county, where this species is usually observed as a rare 

 migrant. The late Prof. S. F. Baird noted this handsome and active bird 

 as a regular summer resident in the higlands of Cumberland county. 

 Reports received from the following-named gentlemen show that the 

 species breeds regularly in a number of localities in our state. Lycom- 

 ing county (A. Kock)-, Lancaster county, breeds occasionally (Dr. A. C. 

 TreicMer) ; Clinton, Clearfield and Northumberland counties (Dr. Van 

 Fleet) ; Erie county (George B. Sennett) ; Perry and Centre counties (H. 

 J. Roddy). I have shot specimens of this species during the summer 

 months in the counties of Elk, Cameron, Somerset, Susquehanna, 

 Wayne, Schuylkill, Blair and Cambria, where doubtless these birds an- 

 nually rear their young. Frequents usually secluded places in high 

 damp woods, or thickets in close proximity to streams. Food consists 

 chiefly of beetles, larvae, aphides and spiders and occasionally, I think^ 

 it feeds on berries. I believe berries are sometimes eaten, because I 

 have taken two specimens in the late summer which were more or less, 

 stained about the head with what appeared to be berry-juice. 



Sylvania pusilla (WiLS.). 



Wilson's Warbler. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Length about 4^ ; extent about 6f ; top of head black ; forehead line over eye and en- 

 tire under parts bright yellow ; sides of body and sides of head same color as back, 



* Bill broad and depressed ; distinctly notched near end ; culmen and commissure about straight to 

 near the tip of maxilla which is slightly curved ; rictal bristles long and conspicuous ; wings longer than 

 nearly even or slightly rounded tail ; wings unmarked; eyes brown; legs (dried skins) pale brownish- 

 yellow. 



