PALM WARBLER. 229 



was first made known by Buffon, who adopted the name of BimbelS, 

 given to it in the West Indies, and in this state it is figured by Vieillot, 

 as the Sylvia palmarum. The following description is drawn up from a 

 specimen procured in Florida, in winter. 



Length five inches ; bill half an inch, slender, almost straight, and 

 very slightly notched, blackish, paler beneath ; the feet are blackish ; 

 .irides very dark brown. The general plumage above, is olive-brown, 

 each feather being dusky along the middle : the feathers of the head are 

 dusky at base, as is the whole plumage, then they are chestnut nearly 

 to the tip (forming a concealed spot of that color on the crown), where 

 they are of the common color, but somewhat darker ; the rump and 

 superior tail-coverts are yellow-olive ; a well defined yellowish- white 

 line passes over the eye, which is encircled with white ; the cheeks are 

 dusky, as well as a streak through the eye ; the inferior parts are whit- 

 ish, slightly tinged with yellowish, and with a few blackish streaks each 

 side of the throat, and on the breast and flanks ; the belly is immacu- 

 late, and more richly tinged with yellow ; the inferior tail-coverts being 

 pure yellow ; the wing-coverts are of the color of the feathers of the 

 back, the blackish centre being more extended and deeper ; the wings 

 have no bands ;. the quill-feathers are blackish, edged externally with 

 pale yellow-olive, becoming whitish towards the tip ; the five outer ones 

 are subequal ; the tail is even, its feathers are somewhat pointed, edged 

 externally with yellow-olive, internally with whitish, the outer one also 

 externally whitish ; the two outer ones with a large pure white spot on 

 their inner vane at tip, the third and fourth each side with an inner 

 white terminal margin. 



In this plumage, this bird resembles so nearly Sylvia coronata in its 

 most humble dress, that it is distinguishable only on a close examina- 

 tion. However, the bill is longer, and more slender, the crown-spot 

 chestnut, instead of yellow, the feathers being destitute of the white 

 which is observable in the other by separating the feathers ; the rump 

 is olive-yellow, not pure yellow, and that color extending on the tail- 

 coverts, which it do-es not in Sylvia coronata. The under parts tinged 

 with yellow, and especially the pure yellow tail-coverts, which are pure 

 white in S. coronata, will sufficiently distinguish them. 



It is a remarkable circumstance, that there is no obvious difference 

 to be observed between the plumage of the sexes, notwithstanding the 

 statements of authors to the contrary. This is the case, however, in *S'. 

 coronata, and in almost all the Warblers that change periodically from 

 a dull to a bright plumage, and in fact, in most birds in which this 

 change takes place. 



According to Buffon and Vieillot, this bird is a permanent resident in 

 the West Indies, where, as they state, the name is sometimes applied to 

 it of Fauise Linotte. We, however, can perceive scarcely any resem- 



