20 THE KENTUCKY FLYCATCHING-WARBLER. 



This species destroys great numbers of spiders, which it frequently obtains 

 by turning over the withered leaves on the ground. The young males do 

 not attain the full beauty of their plumage until the first spring, and resem- 

 ble the mother during their stay with us the first season. Young and old 

 associate together, and live in great harmony. I have not seen this species 

 farther eastward than North Carolina. 



The branch on which two of these birds are represented, is that of the tree 

 commonly called the white cucumber, a species of magnolia. It flowers as 

 early in the season as the dog-wood. The flowers open before the leaves are 

 expanded, and emit an odour resembling that of a lemon, but soon becoming 

 disagreeable, as the blossom fades. This tree seldom grows to the height of 

 thirty feet, and is consequently disregarded as a timber-tree. I have met 

 with it only in the States of Mississippi and Louisiana, where it grows on the 

 grounds preferred by the Kentucky Warbler during its stay in those States. 



Kentucky Warbler, Sylvia formosa, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. iii. p. 85. 



Sylvia Formosa, Bonap. Syn., p. 34. 



Kentucky Warbler, Sylvia formosa, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. i. p. 196. 



Third quill longest, second scarcely shorter, first longer than fourth, the 

 outer three being nearly equal. Tail slightly emarginate and slightly round- 

 ed. Male with the upper part of the head and a band from the base of the 

 upper mandible under the eye and down the side of the neck black; a streak 

 from the nostril over the eye, and all the lower parts bright yellow; the 

 upper parts yellowish-olive; wings brown, the feathers margined with yel- 

 lowish-olive; tail light greenish-brown. Female similar, without the black 

 band on the cheek and neck, and the black of the head less extended. 



Male, 5^-, S. 



Valley of the Mississippi, and Kentucky. Migratory. 



Magnolia auriculata, Wilid. Sp. PI., vol. ii. p. 1268. Pwsch, Flor. Amer., vol. ii. p. 

 482. Mich. Arbr. Forest, de l'Amer. Septentr., vol. iii. p. 1)4. PI. 7. — Polyandria Po- 

 lygynia, Linn. — Magnolle, Juss. 



This species, which is remarkable for the beauty of its foliage, is known 

 in America by the names of white cucumber tree, long-leaved cucumber 

 tree, and Indian pin/sic. The latter name it has obtained from the circum- 

 stance of its bark being used in intermittent fevers. It is characterized by 

 its rhomboido-oboval acute leaves, which are narrowed and two-lobed at the 

 base; and its ovate acute petals. The flowers are greenish-white. 



