306 BIRDS OF J^ORTH CAROLINA 



The Hooded Warbler arrives in North Carolina about the middle of April, and 

 appears to leave late in September. While here it frequents shady woods, but is 

 most abundant in the low woodlands of the eastern part of the State, where it seems 

 to breed chiefly in reed thickets. 



The nest is usually built at a height of two to four feet from the ground, in the 

 top of a cluster of reeds or in a low bush, and is composed of reed-leaves, bark 

 strips, pine needles, and similar materials, lined with fine grass and roots. The 

 eggs are three or four in number, laid in May or occasionally in June, and have a 

 white ground-color, spotted and speckled, chiefly near the larger end, with brown 

 and gray. Size .70 x .55. 



FIG. 250. HOODED WARBLER. 



The Hooded Warbler is another species that habitually wags its tail, and it also 

 has a habit, shared by some other warblers, as the Redstart and Magnolia Warbler, 

 of opening and shutting the tail, which alternately exhibits and hides the white 

 blotches on the outer tail-feathers. 



In common with the other members of the genus, it has the bill broad and de- 

 pressed at the base, and this character, added to the fact that it is provided with 

 bristles at the gape, gives force to the name "Fly-catching Warbler," by which it 

 is sometimes called. 



311. Wilsonia pusilla pusilla (Wils.). WILSON'S WARBLER; WILSON'S 

 BLACKCAP. 



Description. Clear yellow olive, forehead, sides of head, and whole underparts bright yel- 

 low; crown black in adult male, the black usually less distinct or even absent in female and 

 young birds; no wing-bars. Extreme measurements of 4 males from Raleigh: L., 4.75-5.00; 

 W., 2.20-2.25; T., 1.95-2.08. 



Range. Eastern North America, breeding from northern United States northward; winters 

 in Mexico and Central America. 



Range in North Carolina. -A rare transient visitor between Raleigh and the mountains. 



Our only records of this species are Raleigh, May 17, 1880; May 13, 1882; 

 May 11, 16, 1893 (H. H. and C. S. Brimley); May 19, 1915 (S. C. Bruner); Dur- 

 ham, April 14, 1903 (Seeman); Weaverville, May 8, 1890; May 7, 1884; and Sep- 

 tember 22 and 25, 1894 (Cairns). 



