PROTHONOTARY WARBLER. 23 



for them on the high lands, or at any considerable distance from the 

 places mentioned, would prove quite useless. 



The plant on which you see these birds, grows in swampy places, but 

 is extremely rare, and I have not been able to procure any scientific ap- 

 pellation for it. In Louisiana, it is called the Caiie Vine. It bears a 

 small white flower in clusters. The berries are bitter and nauseovis. The 

 stem, which runs up and over trees, resembles that of other climbing 

 plants, is extremely elastic, and as tough as a cord. The leaves, of which 

 you see the form and colour, are also tough and thick. 



Sylvia Protonotarius, Lath. Ind. Oniith. vol. u. p. 542.— CA. Bonaparte, Synops. 



of Birds of the United States, p. 86. 

 Prothonotary Warbler, Sylvia Protonotaeius, Wilson, Americ. Ornith. 



voL iii. p. 72- PI. xxiv. fig. 3. 



Adult Male. Plate III. Fig. 1. 



Bill nearly as long as the head, slender, tapering, nearly straight, as 

 deep as broad at the base. Nostrils basal, lateral, elliptical, half closed 

 by a membrane. Head rather sniall. Neck short. Body rather slender. 

 Feet of ordinary length, slender ; tarsus longer than the middle toe, 

 covered anteriorly with a few scuteUa, the uppermost long : toes scutel- 

 late above, the inner free, the hind toe of moderate size ; claws slender, 

 compressed, acute, arched. 



Plumage soft, blended, tufty. Wings of ordinary length, acute, tlie 

 first and second quills longest. Tail nearly even, of twelve straight, 

 rather narrow feathers. Bill brownish-black. Iris hazel. Feet and 

 claws greyish-blue. Head aU round, neck and under parts generally, of 

 a bright rich pure yellow, paler on the abdomen, and passing into white 

 on the under tail-coverts. Fore part of the back and lesser wing-coverts 

 yellowish-green. Lower back and wngs light greyish-blue. Inner webs 

 of the quills blackish. Inner webs of the tail-feathers bluish-grey at the 

 base, then white to near the tip, wliich is black, as well as the outer webs. 

 The two middle feathers blackish, tinged with greyish-blue. 



Length 5| inches, extent of wings 8 J ; beak along the ridge -j^^, along 

 the gap I ; tarsus \^. 



Adult Female. Plate III. Fig. 2. 



The differences which the female exhibits are so slight as scarcely to 

 be describable, the tints being merely a little duller. 



