SYLVICOLID.t; — THE WARBLERS. 



215 



Dentlroica rornnala. 



Genus DENDROICA, Gray. 



Sj/hicri/n, OuAV, (Icnciii Birds, 2(1 eil. 1841, 32. (Xot of Iluiinilircys nor Swaiusou.) 

 Dcnilriiicd, (iiiAY, (iciicia IJiiils, ApjH'iulix, 1842, 8. 



Ithiinam/ihufi, Hauti.auii, Hi'v. Zool. 184."), 342. (Not of l{aliiR'.siiiU", Am. Monthly Mng. 

 1818, and Jour, de l'liy.s. 1819.) 



Gen. Char. JJill conical, attoiiiuitcd, doprossod at the ba.se, where it is, however, scarcely 

 lu'oader than hij^h, (.'onipressed from the mid- 

 dle. Culincn .straif^ht for the ha.sal half, then 

 rather rapidly curving, the lower edge of up- 

 per mandible al.so concave. Gonys slightly 

 con ve.K and asccMding. A distin!;t notch near 

 till end of the bill. Bristles, though short, 

 gcncally quite distinct at the base ol' the bill. 

 Tarsi long; decidedly longer than middle 

 toe, which is longer than the hinder one ; 

 the claws rather small and much curved ; 

 the hind claw nearly as long as its digit. 

 Tli(^ wings long and pointed ; the second quill 

 usually a very little longer than the first. The tail slightly rounded and eniarginatc. 



Colors. Tail always with a white or yellow spot; its ground-color never clear olive- 

 green. In D. O'stivd edged internally with yellow. 



Eggs iisually with a white or a bluish-wliite ground, marked with purplish-brown and 

 obscure lilac; in some, mingled with varying shailcs of sienna-brown. Nest, so far as 

 known, in bushes and trees, except D. ijalmarum, which is on the ground. 



The genus Dcndroica is one of the most extensive as to species of any in 

 North America, and scarcely admits of any subdivision. There is a little vari- 

 ation in the bill, wings, etc., the chief peculiarities being in D. cantvnca and 

 pcnntujlvanim, in whicli the bill is broader, and more depressed, with longer 

 bristles ; in D. striitfn, where the bill is narrow with scarcely any bristles ; and 

 in D. palmaram and kirtlnndi, where the wings are very short, scarcely 



longer tlian the tail. D. pnliiiantm has 

 the tarsus unusually long. Tiie colors 

 in all are strongly marked, and the spe- 

 cies are among the most beautiful of 

 all belonging to our fauna, and an; the 

 most conspicuous for their numbers and 

 in tlieir migrations. 



The dini'rence in manners between 

 certain members of this genus is re- 

 markable ; tints, the J), pnlinnriim is 

 very torre.striul in its Imliits, walking 

 up n the ground with (lie (Mise and 

 gnice of ii Titlark {Jiit/ms), and, like 

 these birds, it has a wagging motion 

 On the other hand, tiie Ikmh-oivti dominim is as much a 



Vfnilinirii niiftitbfltti. 



of the tail. 



