462 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



common than the Canada warbler, but decidedly more common than the 

 Tennessee and Orange-crowned warblers during the spring migration. 



Haunts and habits. Wilson's black cap is usually noticed among the 

 lower shrubbery, thickets, brush piles and undergrowth at the edge of 

 the forest rather than in the taller trees. " Its song suggests somewhat 

 in miniature that of the Northern water thrush although it is itself quite 

 loud and rich, a bright, hurried, rolling twitter, suddenly changed into 

 more of a trill, richer and somewhat lower in tone. The first portion of 

 the song varies in length and richness, sometimes longer and fuller in tone, 

 more often shorter and weaker than the second, while some individuals 

 omit it altogether, uttering only the trill when the song is rather difficult 

 to recognize. This song is about as loud as that of the Nashville warbler 

 or slightly louder and resembles it somewhat. The call note is a weak 

 but ringing tschip." (Gerald Thayer MSS.) 



Wilsonia canadensis (Linnaeus) 

 Canada Warbler 



Plate 94 



Muscicapa canadensis Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 12. 1766. 1:327 

 Sylvicola pardalina DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 91, fig. 115 

 Wilsonia canadensis. A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 3. 1910. p. 325. No. 686 

 canadensis, of Canada, quite appropriate name of this warbler 



Description. Upper parts bluish gray; forehead and spot before and 

 behind the eye mostly black; under parts yellow; a well-defined necklace of 

 black streaks on the forebreast and lower neck; loral stripe and eye ring 

 yellow. Female: In similar pattern but less brightly colored, and black 

 on the forehead and cheeks obscured; the black necklace also less pro- 

 nounced. Young: Like the female but duller and tinged with brownish 

 on the back; black necklace scarcely discernible. 



Length 5.61 inches; extent 8.1; wing 2.53; tail 2.23; bill .4; tarsus .75. 



Distribution. Breeds from central Alberta, southern Keewatin, north- 

 ern Ontario, northern Quebec and Newfoundland south to Minnesota, 

 Michigan and Massachusetts; in the AUeghanies to North Carolina and 

 Tennessee; winters from Guatemala to Educador and Peru. The distri- 



