i>56 AZURE WARBLER. 



with expanded tail and drooping wings, and utters a plaintive note, re- 

 sembling in air these circumstances the Blue-eyed Warbler. I am not 

 sure that they raise more than one brood in a season. When the young 

 abandon the nest, their plumage partakes of a greenish tinge, and no dif- 

 ference can be perceived between the sexes without dissection. The little 

 family move and hunt together, and exhibit much pleasure in pursuing 

 smaU insects on wing, which they seize without any clicking sound of 

 their bill. They seem at this period to evince a great partiality for 

 trees the tops of which are thickly covered by grape vines, amongst the 

 broad leaves of which they find ample supplies of food. They also some- 

 times alight on the tall weeds, and pick a few of their seeds. The males 

 or females do not assume the full brilliancy of their plumage until the 

 following spring. 



I am inclined to think that this species is extremely abundant in the 

 Mexican dominions, as I have observed these birds more numerous to- 

 wards Natchitochez and along the waters of the Red River. On the 

 other hand, I have not observed it eastward of the State of Tenessee. 



The twig on which it is represented, belongs to a small tree or shrub, 

 which grows along the skirts of the forests in the State of Louisiana. 

 The bark is easily stripped off, when the wood shews a yellow, resinous 

 colovir. It is brittle, and is not applied to any use. The berries are 

 eaten by different species of birds. 



STtviA AZUREA, Stephens, Cont. Shaw's Zool. vol. i. p. 653 — Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. 



of Birds of the United States, p. 85 ; and Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 27. PI. xL 



Fig. 2. Young female. 

 CffiHULEAN Warbleh, Sylvia coerulea, Wilson, Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 141. 



PI. xvii. fig. 5. Male. 



Adult Male. Plate XLVIII. Fig. 1. 



Bill of ordinary length, straight, much broader than deep at the base, 

 tapering, compressed toward the acute tip. Nostrils basal, oval, exposed. 

 Head of ordinary size. Body rather slender. Feet of ordinary length, 

 slender ; tarsus compressed, covered anteriorly with a few long scutella, 

 acute behind, scarcely longer than the middle toe ; toes free, scutellate 

 above ; claws arched, slender, much compressed, acute. 



Plvmiage soft and blended, glossy. Wings of ordinary length, the 

 first and second quills longest. Tail longish, even, of twelve rather nar- 



2 



