PARULA WARBLER. 



BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER. 

 COMPSOTHLYPIS AMERICANA. 



Char. Male: above, bright ashy blue, an olive patch on the back; 

 throat and breast yellow, a patch of rich brown on the breast; belly 

 white ; wings with 2 broad white bars ; white patches on inner web of 

 outer tail-feathers. Female : similar, but colors duller and the patches on 

 back and breast obscure or absent. Length 4% to 4j^ inches. 



Nest. In moist woodland or on border of swamp ; usually in a bunch 

 of "beard-moss " (usnea) hanging from the trunk or branch of a tree 10 

 to 40 feet from the ground, and composed of threads of the moss and fine 

 grass or hair comjJactly woven; sometimes lined with pine-needles or 

 hair. 



Eggs. 3-7 (usually 4) ; white or creamy, thickly spotted with several 

 shades of reddish brown ; 0.65 X 0.45. 



This remarkable species visits the Middle and Northern 

 States about the ist to the 15 th of May, and is seen again 

 early in October on its way to the West Indies (St. Domingo 

 and Porto Rico), whithfer it retires at the approach of winter. 

 A few, according to Catesby, pass the whole year in South Car- 

 olina. It is very abundant in the summer in the woods of 

 Kentucky, is active and restless on its first arrival, and fre- 

 quents the summits of the highest trees, being particularly 

 fond of the small caterpillars and flies of various kinds which 

 are, in the early part of spring, attracted to the open blossoms 

 and tender shoots. It also possesses in some degree the 

 creeping and prying habits of the Titmouse, to which genus it 

 it was referred by Linnaeus and Pennant. Entering the south- 



