56 DENDKCEOA MACULOSA. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of twenty-five specimens. Length, 4-20; stretch, 8-11; wing, 2-19; tail, 1-85; bill, -40; 

 tarsus, -80. Longest specimen, 5-40; greatest extent of wings, 8-50; longest wing, 2-CO; tail, 2-03; bill, -50; tarsus, 

 95. Shortest specimen, 4-70; smallest extent of wings, 7-60; shortest wing, 2-33; tail,' 1-76; bill, -42; tarsus, -70. 



DESCRIPTION OF EGGS. 



I have never seen the nest of this species, but the following is a description of some eggs in the Smithsonian 

 Institution which were taken at Spanishtown, Jamaica, in June, 1862. I am indebted to Mr. Eidgway for this 

 account. 



Eggs, oval in form, dull white in color with blotches of lilac, spots and occasional scraggy lines of black around 

 the larger end. Dimensions, -75x'55. 



HABITS. 



Upon visiting the extensive coniferous forests of northern Maine, in summer, I was much 

 surprised to find these beautiful little Warblers abundant there. They frequented the tops of the 

 huge spruces and pines often more than one hundred feet in air. The birds were ever busy 

 in searching for insects among the thick foliage so that it was almost impossible to see one. 

 But the lively and varied songs of the males, which came floating downward through the 

 perfumed air and mingled with other harmonious sounds, which are constantly heard in these 

 sylvan retreats, during the pleasant June weather, informed us of their presence, even though 

 we could not see the authors of the melodious strains. 



The Cape May Warblers doubtless breed in the 'tops of these densely foliaged trees, for 

 we shot several females which bore signs of incubation. We also observed a female that 

 appeared extremely uneasy whenever we approached a certain spruce tree ; but, although we 

 ascended it and searched carefully among the branches, we were unable to discover the nest. 

 This Warbler is extremely rare in eastern Massachusetts, passing through the interior during 

 the migrations. 



They were very abundant at Key West, in November, frequenting the gardens near the 

 houses where they were searching among the tropical trees and shrubs for insects. The birds 

 were very unsuspicious, often clinging to branches which overhung the sidewalks within a few 

 feet of passengers. They appeared to prefer the inhabited portion of the Key for I rarely found 

 them in the wooded districts. The majority left the island before the first of December, but 

 a few remained all winter. They are common, however, throughout the state in the spring 

 and may then be found in almost any hummock in company with other warblers. 



DENDRCECA MACTTLOSA. 



Black and Yellow Warbler. 

 Dendrceca maculosa BAIRD, Birds of North America, 1858, 284. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. cA Form, quite slender. Size, not large. Bill, short, not acuminate. Tail, slightly rounded. Sternum, 

 rather slender; coracoid bones, equal in length to the top of the keel, which is only as high as one-half the width 

 of the sternum. Tongue, rather short, thin, horny and not very acuminate ; tip, slightly cleft and ciliated on the 

 extreme end. 



COLOR. Adult male. Top of head, slaty-blue. Back, patch on the side of the head, including a narrow frontal 

 line, upper tail coverts and tail, black ; the latter having a broad median band of white across the inner webs of 

 all but the two central feathers. Beneath, bright yellow, with the lower part of the throat, sides and flanks streaked 

 with black. These streaks sometimes congregate on the throat and form a large patch. Abdomen, under tail coverts, 

 stripe over the eye, extending down on the neck, spot on the under eyelid and on the side of neck, edging on the 

 inner webs of wing feathers, under wing coverts and upper wing coverts, white, the feathers of the latter having 

 black centres. Wings, dark brown, edged externally with slaty. The rump is yellow. 



