YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER. 435 



of Creepers or Titmice, do not acquire the yellow on the throat, nor the 

 full brilliancy of their plumage, until the first spring. 



These birds confine themselves to the Southern States, seldom moving 

 farther towards the Middle Districts than North Carolina. They do not 

 even ascend the Mississippi farther than the Walnut Hills. They are 

 abundant in the neighbourhood of the Red River, and probably do not 

 go farther south than Mexico, during their short absence from the United 

 States. 



Happening to shoot several of these birds on a large Chinquapin tree, 

 growing on the edge of a hill close to a swamp, I have put a male on 

 one of its twigs, which is furnished with a few fruits quite ripe and 

 ready to leave their husks. In the Southern States this tree is rare. It 

 generally prefers elevated places, and rocky declivities, with an arid 

 soil. The wood resembles that of the Chestnut, but the trees being ge- 

 nerally small, little use is made of it as timber. The fruit is eaten by 

 children. This tree is abundant along the greater part of the range of 

 the AUeghanies and its branches. 



Sylvia pensilis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 520 — Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Bb-ds 



of the United States, p. 79' 

 Peksile Warbleb, Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 441. 

 Yellow-throated Warbler, Sylvia flavicollis, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ii. 



p. 64. PL 4. fig. 6. 



Adult Male. Plate LXXXV. 



Bill shortish, nearly straight, subulato-conical, acute, as deep as broad 

 at the base, the edges acute, the gap line a Uttle deflected at the base. 

 Nostrils basal, elliptical, lateral, half-closed by a membrane. Head rather 

 small. Neck short. Body slender. Feet of ordinary length, slender ; 

 tarsus longer than the middle toe, covered anteriorly by a few scutella, 

 the uppermost long ; toes scutellate above, the inner free, the hind toe of 

 moderate size ; claws slender, compressed, acute, arched. 



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

 second quill longest. Tail longish, slightly emarginate. 



Bill brownish-black. Iris dark-brown. Feet yellowish-brown. The 

 general colour of the upper parts is light greyish-blue, the head darker. 

 A white line from the base of the upper mandible over the eye. Fore- 

 head, loral space, a line behind the eye, and a patch including the ear- 



E e2 



