SYLVICOI.ID.E — THE WARIiLEKS. gQl 



Geothlypis Philadelphia, Haiud. 



MOUBNINa WAHBLEB. 



Si/loia iMluUel/ihia, Wii.s. Am. (tin. II, hSlo, 101, pi. xiv; Ari). ; Nrrr. rriclin.i pliih- 

 iMiihid, .lAiii). ~ li'KiMiAiiDr, Vidriisk. iMcddt-l. lor IS.'ia, iukI Iliis, mn, (i ((iirn- 

 liiiitl). aailJili/iiis /i/ii/ii. llAiKi), lliid.s N. Aim. 18ri8, 243, pi. l.'c.\i.\, li^. 3; Ufv. -I'M. 

 — ScLATKli, Catal. 1801, -Zl (Orizalia). — La\vi'>,n<i:, Ann. N. Y. I,yc. ISOl, ;i-J2 

 (I'liniima). — .Sa.miti-,i..s, 207. - Dui:s.si:ii, llil.s, l>sti.-,; trii. 



FiKurra : WiLs. Am. Oiii. II, pi. .\iv. — Ai,i). liiids Am. II, pi. ci. 



Sp. Ciiau. Wings hut iitllf Iom-it than the tail, iviiching hut litllo h.'yond its ha.sc. 

 Adult mule. Iffacl and ncrk all round, with throat and Ibrqiart <if brca.st, ash-irray. pak-r 

 honeath. Thu toathcMs of llu; I'hin, throat, and Coro hroii.Kt in reality hlack, hut with nar- 

 row nshy nnirf;in8 nioru or less concealinfr tlio hlai'k, cxc-pl on the hiva.st. Lores and rcfrion 

 roinid Ihc eye dusky, without any trace of a pale ring. Upper part.s and sides of the 

 hndy clear olive-green ; the under parts bright yellow. Tail-feathers uuilbrm olive; lir.st 

 primary, with the outer half of the outer web, nearly wliite. Fcmnh- with the gray of the 

 crown glossed with olive ; tlu; chin and throat jialer centrally, and tinged with fulvous; a 

 dull whitish ring rounil the eye. Length, o.no; wing, 2.4'/; tail, 2:S>. Y„iiii,/ not seen. 



ILui. Eastern I'roviuce of United States to IJriti.sh America; Urreeiilaiid ; Southeastern 

 Mexico, I'ainimivH. K., and Colombia. Not rcjcorded from West Indies or (iuatemala. 

 Costa Rica (Lawu.). 



Specimens vary in the amount of black on ilie jugulum, and tiie purity 

 of the ii,sh of the throat. The specie.s is often confounded witli Oporornis 

 (ujUis, to which the resemhlance is (piite close. They may, li(j\ve\'er, be dis- 

 tiiij,niishe(l by tlie much longer tind more pointed wings, iiiul more even tail, 

 shorter legs, etc., of (((jilis. The wliite ring round the eye in the female 

 philiiddphia increases the ditKculty of separation. 



The adult male in autumn is sctircely dill'erent h\m\ the spring bird, tliere 

 being merely a iaiut olive-tinge to the asii on top of tlie head, and the black 

 jugular patch more restricted, being more concealed by tlie ashy b(jrd(.'rs to 

 the featliers ; the yellow beneath somewhat deeper. 



Haiwts. The Mourning Warbler was first di.'iicovered and described by 

 Wilson, who captured it in the early part of June, on tiie borders of a marsh, 

 witliin a few miles of I'hiladelpliia. This was tlje only specimen lie ever 

 met with. He found it Hitting from one low bu,sh to anotlier in search of 

 insects. It had a sprigiitly and pleasant warbling song, tiie novelty of wliicli 

 first attracted his attention. For a long while Wilson's single bini reniiiined 

 unitxue, and from its excessive rarity Bonaparte conjectured that it might 

 be an accidental variety of the Yellow-Throat. At ])resent, though still 

 of unfretpient occurrence, it is by wo meiins a doubtful, though generally 

 a comparatively rare species. Audubon mentions having received several 

 specimens of this Warbler, procured in the neigliborhood of Philadelphia, 

 New York, and A'^ermont, all of which were obtained in the sjiring or sum- 

 mer months. He met witli a single specimen in Louisiana, and thinks its 

 habits closely resemble those of the Maryland Yellow-Throat. 



