244 ORNITHOLOGY AND OOLOGY. 



Wilson says, in his description of the habits of these 

 birds, — 



"They seem to prefer these open plains and thinly wooded 

 tracts, and have this singularity in their manners, that they are 

 not easily alarmed, and search among the leaves the most leisurely 

 of any of the tribe I have yet met with ; seeming to examine every 

 blade of grass and every leaf ; uttering, at short intervals, a feeble 

 chirr. I have observed one of these birds to sit on the lower 

 branch of a tree for half an hour at a time, and allow me to come 

 up nearly to the foot of the tree, without seeming to be in the least 

 disturbed, or to discontinue the regularity of its occasional note. 

 In activity, it is the reverse of the preceding species ; and is rather 

 a scarce bird in the countries where I found it. Its food consists 

 ^principally of small caterpillars and winged insects.'' 



In closing with the genus Dendroica, I give the remarks 

 of J. A. Allen concerning the distribution of the different 

 species at Springfield, Mass. : — 



" Of the twenty-two species of Dendroica inhabiting the United 

 States, thirteen have been found at Springfield, and one other 

 (D. cmruled) may occur as accidental or extremely rare. Four of 

 them (D. virens, pinus, Pennsylvanica, cestiva) are known to breed 

 here, and two others (D. BlacMnirnicB, castanea) have been taken 

 in the breeding season. None are permanent residents, and none 

 are seen in the winter. The remaining five (D. coronata, striata, 

 maculosa, tigrina, palmarum) are at present known merely as 

 spring and autumn visitants. D. coronata is most abundant; 

 striata next so ; virens, Canadensis, maculosa, (Estiva, and palma- 

 rum are but little less common ; Blachburnice is more rare ; casta- 

 nea and discolor are quite rare, while tigrina is extremely rare. 

 The earliest to arrive are pinus and palmarum, commonly appearing 

 early in April ; striata is rarely seen before May 30 : the others 

 commonly arrive from May 5th to May 12th, and stragglers remain 

 till June. D. coronata is decidedly gregarious in its migrations, 

 and is everywhere about equally abundant. The others are usually 

 6een in small parties, and keep pretty closely to the woods, except 

 D. (estiva and palmarum, (estiva, being never found in the deep 

 woods." 



