24 THE YELLOW-CROWNED WOOD-WARBLER. 



rambled among the low bushes of the gardens, and often dived among the 

 large cabbage-leaves, where they searched for worms and larvae. At night 

 they roosted on the branches of the orange trees, in the luxuriant groves so 

 abundant in that country. Frequently, in the early part of warm mornings, 

 I saw flocks of them fly off to sea until they were out of sight, and again 

 observed their return to land about an hour after. This circumstance I con- 

 sidered as indicative of their desire to migrate, and as shewing that their 

 journeys are performed by day. 



In the beginning of May, I found them so abundant in Maine, that the 

 skirts of the woods seemed alive with them. They appeared to be merely 

 waiting for warmer weather, that they. might resume their journey north- 

 wards. As we advanced towards Labrador, I observed them at every place 

 where we happened to land. They were plentiful in the Magdaleine Islands; 

 and when we landed on the Labrador coast, they were among the first birds 

 observed by our party. 



As Professor MacCulloch of Halifax, Nova Scotia, informed me, few 

 breed in the province of Nova Scotia, nor had his sons, who are active col- 

 lectors, ever found one of their nests in the vicinity of that town. I am 

 indebted to his liberality for a nest with four eggs, which formed part of his 

 fine collection. Although they are abundant in Labrador, we did not find 

 any of their nests; but we had the good fortune to procure several young 

 birds scarcely able to fly. The nest above mentioned was placed near the 

 extremity of the branch of a low fir-tree, about five feet from the ground. 

 It resembles that of the Sylvia aesliva of Latham, being firm, compact, the 

 outer parts formed of silky fibres from different plants attached to the twigs 

 near it by means of glutinous matter, mixed with stripes of the inner bark 

 of some tree unknown to me. Within this is a deep and warm bed of thistle- 

 down, and the inner layer consists of feathers and the fine hair of small quad- 

 rupeds. The eggs are rather large, of a light rosy tint, the shell thin and 

 transparent; they are sparingly dotted with reddish-brown near the larger 

 end, but in a circular manner, so that the extremity is unspotted. 



This species feeds on insects, is an expert fly catcher, and a great devourer 

 of caterpillars. During winter, however, its principal food consists of berries 

 of various kinds, especially those of the Myrtle and Pokeweed. They also 

 feed on the seeds of various grasses. When, at this season, a warm day 

 occurs, and the insects are excited to activity, the Warblers are sure to be 

 seen in pursuit of them. The rows of trees about the plantations are full of 

 them, and, from the topmost to the lowest branches, they are seen gliding 

 upwards, downwards, and in every direction, in full career after their prey, 

 and seldom missing their aim. At this time of the year, they emit, at every 

 movement, a single twcet : so very different from that of any other Warbler, 



