SYLVTCOLl D.K — THE WAHHLERS. 



309 



Audubon states tliat in their migrations tliey niovt; from bu.sli to bu.sli l)y 

 day, and frequently continue their march by niglit. Their flight at all times 

 is short and irregular. He also states that when on the ground they stjuat 

 jerk their tails, sja-ing on their legs, and are ever in a state of great activ- 

 ity. Although the existence of tiiis bird north of I'enn.sylvania is generally 

 disputed, I have no doubt that it has always been, and .still i.s, a constant 

 visitor of Massachusetts, and has been found to within a score of miles of 

 the New Hampshire line. Among my notes 1 find tiiat a nest was found 

 in Brook-line, in 1852, by Mr. Theodore hyman ;. in Dauvers, by Mr. J'.yron 

 Goodale ; in Lynn, by Messrs. Vickary and Welch ; and in many other parts 

 of the State. It certainly breeds as far south as < Jeorgia on the coast, and 

 ni Louisiana and Texas in the southwest. On the I'acilic coast it is replaced 

 by the long-tailed variety, lowjimuda. 



A nest of this species from Concord, Mass., oljlained by Mr. P.. V. Maun 

 and now in the collection of the Boston Xatuial History Scjciety, has a 

 diameter of four inches and a height of three and a half The cavity has a 

 depth of two and a quarter inches, and is two and a half wide. This is built 

 upon a base of coarse skeleton leaves,-and is made of coarse sedges, dried 

 grasses, and stems of ])lants, and lined with long, dry, aud wiry stems of 

 plants, resembling pine-needles. Another from I'omiret, ("onn., obtained by 

 Mr. Sessions, is a much larger nest, measuring live inches in diameter and 

 three and three quarters in height. The cup is two and a half inches deep 

 by three in width. It is nuide of an interweaving of leaves," l)ark of the 

 grapevine, aud stems of plants, anil is lined with fine, long wiry stems and 

 pine-needles. 



Their eggs are of a slightly rouiuled oval shape, vary in length from .8.5 

 to .95 of an inch, and in breadth irom .05 to .70. Thev have a white ground 

 with a very slight tinge of yellow, aud are marked with reddish-brown and 

 a few fainter purplish and lilac spots. 



Icteria virens, var. longicauda, Lawk 



LONG-TAILED CHAT. 



Mcria hngkamla, Lawrmn,-,.;, Ann. N. V. Iav. VI, .April, is.l.'t, 4. - Baiup ninls N 

 An>. 1858, 24!), pi. .v.x.viv, lis. •-' ; Uov. 2;iO. - .Srr.ATi-.ii, Catal. 42, no 2.-;:! ^FiN.ri,' 

 Abh. Nat. Hirm. 1870, xn (.Mnzatlan). ^Cnon,,,, (),„. Cal. I, l,s7(., !.,s > Mn-ia 

 a\irkollis{lAv\vv. Mus. liciH, Mun. Consp. ]sr,(i, ;t:n. 



Sp. Char. Similar to vur. vim,.^. F„M.th .piill 1,„ ,.vst ; thjnl an<l lilth short,-; Irst 

 -shorter than tho ..ovonth. .Vhovc asli-color, liiij;...! with oliv oi, tiio hack ami neck • tiio 

 outer .surface of th<. wiu-s ami tail olive. Th.. un.lcr |.,nts a.s far as the M.i,|,il.- .if the hellv 

 l.nght fra.nhofro-yellow, witli .•, tin-e oCoran^v ; Ihe rcnaliiiiin- portions white The ^nu^l 

 ciliary ami maxillary white ..tripes exteml some .listamv hcliiml tin- eye. Outer e<lf,'o of 

 the fust primary white. Leiifrtli. 7 inches: wim.s ;!.'_>0 ; tail. :!.70. 



Youug (8,841, boup Fork of I'latle, August :> ; F. V. IIay,l,'.n).' Ahove liglit grayish- 



