I^HHnaS 



A Theoretical Analysis of the Colors of Familiar Warblers 



By John Treadwell Nichols 



HE writer has based this discussion on twenty-five species of 

 Warblers 1 with which he is familiar in life. It is the relation 

 between color, life histories, and habitat which is treated of, a 

 large and fascinating subject to write on, and entirely beyond 

 the scope of the present paper to deal with exhaustively. Its aim is then to 

 touch only on a few salient correlations or problems and perhaps clear the 

 field for further discussion or investigation. 



It is hoped that readers unfamiliar with the plumages of the birds dis- 

 cussed will refer to some good plates or descriptions of them 2 , but for the 

 sake of completeness a brief review of plumages is given here. 



Black and White Warbler. Black and white everywhere. The crown streaked 

 lengthwise, some slight brownish wash, more pronounced in the young, which are, 

 however not dissimilar to the adult female. Adult male with more black on the un- 

 derpays and the throat black instead of white. 



Golden-Winged Warbler. (Jray, pale below, crown and wing patch vellow, the 

 female with broad black throat and eye patches, separated from one another and the 

 crown by white stripes, the black replaced by gray in the female. Tail with white 

 markings. In the female the crown is greener than in the male, the golden patch on 

 the wing more restricted, with a tendency to break into bars, and the upper parts 

 washed with olive green. The young are still duller, with a heavy olive wash above 

 and below. 



Blue-Winged Warbler. Above olive green, crown and underparts vellow. cris- 

 sium white. A narrow black noticable, diagnostics line from the bill through the 

 eye. Wings gray with two white bars. Tail marked with white. Females and 

 young are somewhat duller with greener crown and duskier eyestripe, but essentially 

 have the same plumage 



Parula Warbler. Adult male, above and wings gravish-blue, the wings with two 

 conspicuous white bars which hold m all plumages Tail marked with white. Breast 

 yellow, belly white Center of the back yellowish-green, a black patch before the 

 eye A black and brown band across the breast Females and y«»ung have the eve 

 patch and breast band reduced or wanting, the grav-blues washed with olive-green or 

 becoming gravish olive-areen Nestlings are grayish white below. 



Yellow Warbler. Yellow, becoming yellowish olive-green on upper parts, wings 

 and tail dusky, edged and marked with yellow. Adult males are brighter with the 

 underparts streaked with chestnut red. Young are more olive above, paler below.' All 

 plumages have some yellow in the tail, ind almost all give the impression of a yellow 

 bird. 



1. Black and White, Golden Winged, Blue Winged, Parula, Yellow, Magnolia. Cape May, 

 Black-throated Blue. Myrtle, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian. Chestnut-sided, Bay Breasted, 

 Biackpoll. Palm. Pnirie, and Yellow Palm Warblers; Ovenbird Louisiana Waterihrusri, Northern 

 Waterthrush and Maryland Yellowthroat; Hooded, Wilsons and Canadian Warblers; and American 

 Redstart 



2. 1907. Chapman, Frank M. The Warblers of North America. 



