AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 



61 



pieces of post oak, or white ash. Yet I have seen the fields 

 of several habitations, in the environs of Augusta, in Geor- 

 gia, of which the fences were, in part, made of Willow 

 Oak; but they last, at most, eight or nine years, while 

 those made of chesnut white oak last fourteen or fifteen. 

 The Willow Oak yields but very indifferent fire-wood; 

 and, when felled for this purpose, is always ranked with 

 what is sold at the lowest price. 



From the foregoing remarks, it maybe considered, that 

 this tree, with respect to the advantages which arts and 

 trade can derive from it, cannot much interest Europeans, 

 nor even the inhabitants of the United States, who, in clear- 

 ing their lands, ought not to take any care for its preser- 

 vation. — Michaux. 



CHES NUT-SIDED WARBLER. 



SYLVIA PENNSYLVANIA. 



[Plate VI. Vol. 3.] 



Linn. Syst. 333. — Bed-throated Flycatcher, Edw. 301. — 

 Bloody-side Warbler, Turton, Syst. i. p. 596. — La 

 figuier a poitrine rouge, Buff. v. 308. — Briss. App. 

 105. — Lath. it. 490. — Arct. Zool. p. 405. No. 298. — 

 Motacilla icterocephala, Linn. Syst. i. p. 325. — Gmel. 

 Syst. i. p. 9S0. — Sylvia icterocephala, Lath. Ind. Orn. 

 ii. p. 538. — Vieil. Ois. del' Am. Sept.pl. 90. — Sylvia 

 Pennsylvanica, Gmel. Syst. i. p. 971. — Lath. Ind. 

 Orn. ii. p. 540. — Ficedula Canadensis icterocephalas, 

 Briss. hi. p. 517, 64, t. 27,/. 2.— Id. Svo. i. p. 451.— 

 Ficedula Pennsylvanicaicterocephalas, ~&\\\%%.App. p. 

 105. — Id. Svo. i. p. 458, 78. — Collection of L. J. Sa- 

 laignac, Esq. 



Of this bird I can give but little account. 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 numerous. As it leaves 

 us early in May, it probably breeds in Canada, or perhaps 

 some parts of New-England, though I have no certain 

 knowledge of the fact. In a whole day's excursion, it is 

 rare to meet with more than one or two of these birds, 

 though a thousand individuals of some species may be seen 



Q 



in the same time. Perhaps they may be more numerous 

 in some other parts of the continent. 



The length of this species is five inches, the extent 

 seven and three quarters. The front, line over the eye, 

 and ear feathers, are pure white; upper part of the head 

 brilliant yellow; the lores, and space immediately below, 

 is marked with a triangular patch of black; the back, and 

 hind head, is streaked with gray, dusk)', black, and dull 

 yellow; wings black, primaries edged with pale blue, the 

 first and second row of coverts broadly tipt with pale yel- 

 low, secondaries broadly edged with the same; tail black, 

 exteriorly edged with ash, the inner webs of the three ex- 

 terior feathers with each a spot of white; from the extre- 

 mity of the black at the lower mandible on each side, a 

 streak of deep reddish chesnut descends along the sides of 

 the neck, and under the wings to the root of the tail; the 

 rest of the lower parts are pure white; legs and feet ash; 

 bill black; irides hazel. The female has the hind head 

 much lighter, and the chesnut on the sides is considera- 

 bly narrower and not of so deep a tint. 



Turton, and some other writers, have bestowed on this 

 little bird the singular epithet of bloody-sided, for which I 

 was at a loss to know the reason, the colour of that part 

 being a plain chesnut; till on examining Mr. Edwards's 

 coloured figure of this bird in the public library of this 

 city, I found its side tinged with a brilliant blood colour. 

 Hence, I suppose, originated the name! — Wilson. 



BALTIMORE ORIOLE. 

 ICTERUS BALTIMORUS. 



[Plate VI. Vol. 3.] 



Linn. Syst. i. p. 162, 10. — Icterus minor, Briss. ii. p. 

 109, pi. 12., Jig. 1. — Le Baltimore, Buff. hi. p. 231. 

 PI. Enl. 506, Jig. 1. — Baltimore Bird, Catesb. Car. 

 1, 48. — Arct. Zool. ii. p. 142. — Lath. Syn. n. p. 432, 

 19, Bartram, p. 290. — Collection of L. J. Salaignac, 

 Esq. 



This is a bird of passage, arriving in Pennsylvania, 

 from the south, about the beginning of May, and departing 

 towards the latter end of August, or beginning of Septem- 

 ber. From the singularity of its colours, the construction 

 of its nest, and its preferring the apple-trees, weeping- 

 willows, walnut and tulip-trees, adjoining the farm-house, 

 to build on, it is generally known, and, as usual, honored 

 with a variety of names, such as Hang-nest, Hanging-bird, 

 Golden Robin, Fire-bird, (from the bright orange seen 



