YELLOW-THROATED FLYCATCHER. 77 
found a large cluster of minute eggs, to the number of fifty, or up- 
wards, in the beginning of the month of March. 
This species inhabits a large extent of country, in all of which it 
seems to be resident, or nearly so. I found them abundant in Upper 
Canada, and in the northern parts of the state of New York, in the 
month of November; they also inhabit the whole Atlantic states as 
far as Georgia, and the southern extremity of Florida, as well as the 
interior parts of the United States, as far west as Chilicothe, in the 
state of Ohio, and, according to Buffon, Louisiana. They are said 
to be the only Woodpeckers found in Jamaica, though I question 
whether this be correct, and to be extremely fond of the capsicum, or 
Indian pepper.* They are certainly much hardier birds, and capable 
of subsisting on coarser and more various fare, and of sustaining a 
greater degree of cold, than several other of our Woodpeckers. They 
are active and vigorous; and, being almost continually in search of 
insects that injure our forest-trees, do not seem to deserve the injurious 
epithets that almost all writers have given them. It is true, they fre- 
quently perforate the timber, in pursuit of these vermin; but this is 
almost always in dead and decaying parts of the tree, which are the 
nests and nurseries of millions of destructive insects. Considering 
matters in this light, I do not think their services overpaid by all the 
ears of Indian corn they consume, and would protect them, within 
my own premises, as being more useful than injurious. 
YELLOW-THROATED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA 
SYLVICOLA. — Fie. 27. 
Peale’s Museum, No. 6827. 
VIREO{ FLAVIFRONS. — Virtor. 
Vireo flavifrons, Bonap. Synop. p. 70. 
Tis summer species is found chiefly in the woods, hunting among 
the high branches; and has an indolent and plaintive note, which it 
repeats with some little variation, every ten or twelve seconds, like 
* SLOANE. 
+ Vireo is a genus originally formed by Vieillot to contain an American group 
of birds, since the formation of which several additions have been made by Bona- 
parte and Swainson of species which were not at first contemplated as belonging 
to it. 
The group is peculiar to both continents of America, — they inhabit woods, feed 
on insects and berries, and in their manner have considerable alliance to the War- 
blers and Flycatchers. By Mr. Swainson they are placed among the Ampelide, 
or berry-eaters, but with a mark of uncertainty whether they should stand here or 
at the extremity of some other famiy. The arctic expedition has added a new 
svecies much allied to V. olivaceus. *Ir. Swainson has dedicated it to the venera- 
ce naturalist Bartram, tne inumate fr:ena a Wauson, ana menuons. tnat on com- 
banng seventeen species, Vireo Barcrame was m2ta smene: 22 come ne 
