62 



CHESTNUT-SIDED AND BLACK-POLLED WARBLERS. 



alarmed, it escapes from the nest in great silence and rapidity, 

 running along the ground like a worm, as if afraid to tread too 

 heavily on the leaves. If you stop to examine its nest, it also 

 stops, droops its wings, flutters, and tumbles along, as if hardly 

 able to crawl, looking back now and then to see whether you are 

 taking notice of it. If you slowly follow, it leads you fifty or sixty 

 yards off, in a direct line from its nest, seeming at every ad- 

 vance to be ga ning fresh strength; and when it thinks it has 

 decoyed you to a sufficient distance, it suddenly wheels off and 

 disappears." 



The Cow-pen Bunting frequently selects this oird to act the part 

 of a foster parent to its young. It deposits its eggs in the nest, 

 and leaves the result to the tender mercy of the Thrush, who gen- 

 erally performs the duties with care. 



This species is six inches long, and nine inches from tip to tip 

 of wing. Below, pure white, the breast covered with deep-brown 

 pencil-shaped spots ; above, rich yellow-olive ; the tips of the wings 

 and inner vanes of the quills dusky brown ; the three first prima- 

 ries are about equal ; from the nostrils a dusky line passes to the 

 hind head; crown brownish orange; legs pale flesh color; bill 

 dusky. 



PLATE XXXVIII. 



The Chestnut-sided Warbler. {Dendroica pennsylvanica^) 

 Fig. i, Male. Fig. 2, Female. 



This is one of our rare and beautiful species that probably winter 

 in tropical America. It generally appears in the Middle and 

 Eastern States early in May, on its way to breed. In Canada and 

 around Hudson's Bay, they may be seen in the spring. Accord- 

 ing to Dr. Coues, "They are abundant in woodland in the east- 

 ern part of the United States." According to Wilson : " It is one 

 of those transient visitors that pass through Pennsylvania in April 

 and May, on their way farther north to breed. During its stay 

 here, which seldom exceeds a week or ten days, it appears actively 

 engaged among the opening buds and young leaves, in search of 

 insects ; has no song but a feeble chirp or twitter, and is not nu- 

 merous." According to Nuttall : " A few remain, no doubt to 

 rear their young, in secluded mountainous situations in the North- 

 ern States. The note of the male was very similar to that of the 

 Summer Yellow-bird, being only a little louder and less whistling. 

 It resembles Hsh, Hsh> tsh, 'tshy'ia, given at about an interval of 

 half a minute, and answered by his mate at some distance, near 

 which, it is probable, there was a nest. He appeared to be no way 

 suspicious of our approach. His restlessness was subdued, and he 

 quietly sat near the same low bushes, amusing himself and his 

 consort for an hour at a time, with the display of his lively and 

 simple ditty." 



The length of this species is about five inches, and about eight 

 inches broad ; the bill is black ; the iris dark hazel ; the front line 

 over the eye and ear-feathers pure white ; the crown is a brilliant 

 yellow ; a triangular patch of black beneath the eye and connected 

 with the lores ; the hind head and back are streaked with gray, an 

 obscure black, and a dull yellow; feathers of the back and rump 

 black, edged with greenish-yellow. The wings are dusky, the 

 primaries edged with whitish ; the first and second row of coverts 

 broadly tipped with pale yellow; the secondaries edged with 

 greenish-yellow. The tail is forked, dusky exteriorly, edged with 

 ash or with greenish-gray. Sides, from the back beneath the eye 

 to the thighs, furnished with a broad stripe of bright chestnut ; the 

 rest of the parts below, pure white. The legs and feet are of a 

 light-ash color. 



The Black-polled Warbler. {Dendroica striata.) 



Fig- 3- 



This species is one of those silent, shy, and solitary birds that 

 mostly seek the deep retreats of the forest, and are not very gen- 

 erally known to the public. It is said when the Black-polls appear 

 in force, the collecting season is about over. Wilson says : "This 

 bird may be considered as occupying an intermediate station be- 

 tween the Fly-catchers and the Warblers, having the manners of 

 the former, and the bill, partially, of the latter. The nice grada- 

 tions by which nature passes from one species to another, even in 

 this department of the great chain of beings, will forever baffle all 

 the artificial rules and systems of man. And this truth every fresh 

 discovery must impress more forcibly on the mind of the observing 

 naturalist." 



This species is an active insect-hunter, and keeps much toward 

 the tops of the highest trees, where it darts about with great activ- 

 ity, and hangs from the twigs with fluttering wings. Audubon 

 says : 



" It enters Louisiana as early as the middle of February. At 

 this time it is seen gleaning food among the taller branches of the 

 willows, maples, and other trees that overhang the rivers and 

 lakes. Its migrations eastward follow the advance of the season, 

 and I have not been able to comprehend why it is never seen in 

 the maritime parts of South Carolina, while it is abundantly found 

 in the State of New Jersey close to the sea-shore. There you 

 would think that it had changed its habits ; for, instead of skipping 

 among the taller branches of trees, it is seen moving along the 

 trunks and large limbs, almost in the manner of a Certhia, search- 

 ing the chinks of the bark for larvae and pupae. They are met 

 with in groups of ten, twelve, or more, in the end of April, but 

 after that period few are to be seen. In Massachusetts, they begin to 

 appear nearly a month later, the intervening time being no doubt 

 spent on their passage through New York and Connecticut. I 

 found them, at the end of May, in the eastern part of Maine, and 

 met with them wherever we landed on our voyage to Labrador, 

 where they arrive from the 1st to the 10th of June, throwing them- 

 selves into every valley covered by those thickets, which they 

 prefer for their breeding places. It also breeds abundantly in New- 

 foundland. 



" In these countries, it has almost become a Fly-catcher. You 

 see it darting in all directions after insects, chasing them on wing, 

 and not unfrequently snapping, so as to emit the clicking sound 

 characteristic of the true Fly-catcher. Its activity is pleasing, but 

 its notes have no title to be called a song. They are shrill, and 

 resemble the noise made by striking two small pebbles together, 

 more than any other sound that I know. They may be in some 

 degree imitated by pronouncing the syllable sche, sche, sche, scke, 

 so as progressively to increase the emphasis." 



According to Maynard — " In April, when the great Magnolia 

 is in full bloom, the Black-polled Warblers may be found in Flor- 

 ida. Later, in May, when all the apple orchards of New England 

 are snowy with blossoms, the same birds appear and linger a time, 

 then depart for the north, arriving in the British Provinces and 

 Labrador when nature has assumed her most festive garb." 



The Black-poll Warbler is a gentle bird, by no means afraid of 

 man, although it pursues some of its smaller enemies with consid- 

 erable courage. The sight of a Canadian Jay excites it greatly, 

 as that marauder often sucks its eggs or swallows its young. 



This species is five and one-half inches long, and eight and a 

 half inches broad. Whole crown pure black, upper parts streaked 

 with black and grayish-white ; cheeks white ; below the eye, from 

 the lower mandible, runs a streak of small black spots — the rest 

 of the lower parts white ; primaries black, with greenish-yellow 

 at the end, the first and second coverts broadly tipped with white ; 

 tail black, edged with ash ; vent white ; upper mandible black ; 

 lower mandible, legs, and feet flesh-color ; iris hazel. 



