MACGILLIVRAY'S GROUND-WARBLER. 75 



beneath, and brightish yellow-olive above. The nest was chiefly made of 

 stripes of the inner scaly bark of probably the white cedar, thuya occidenta- 

 l's, lined with slender wiry stalks of dry weeds, and concealed near the 

 ground in the dead mossy limbs of a fallen oak, and further partly hidden 

 by a long tuft of usnea. It was less artificial than the nest of the Yellow- 

 throat, but of the same general appearance, and concealed in a similar situa- 

 tion, probably in a thicket near the ground. On returning the nest to the 

 place it had been taken from, I had almost immediately the satisfaction of 

 seeing the anxious parents come to feed their charge, and for some days they 

 shewed great anxiety on being approached." 



"This," says my friend Mr. Harris, "is the warbler that so closely re- 

 sembles the S. Philadelphia. Mr. Townsend has brought in more speci- 

 mens, which agree with the others in the very distinctive mark of the white 

 ej-elids, with dark spots from the base of the bill to the eyes, and also dark 

 on the front at the root of the upper mandible. I cannot but think it en- 

 tirely distinct." 



This species, as has already been observed, is very intimately allied in 

 form, proportions, colours, and habits with that described by Wilson under 

 the name of "Mourning Warbler, Sylvia Philadelphia" His account of 

 the latter is as follows: — "The bird from which the figure in the plate was 

 taken, was shot in the early part of June, on the border of a marsh, within a 

 few miles of Philadelphia. It was flitting from one low bush to another, 

 very busy in search of insects, and had a sprightly and pleasant warbling 

 song, the novelty of which first attracted my attention. I have traversed 

 the same and many such places, every spring and autumn since, in expecta- 

 tion of again meeting with some individual of the species, but without suc- 

 cess. I have, however, the satisfaction to say, that the drawing was done 

 with the greatest attention to peculiarity of form, markings, and tint of 

 plumage; and the figure on the plate is a good resemblance to the original." 



Macgillivray's Warbler, Sylvia Macgillivrayi, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. v. p. 75. 



Wings rather short, the second quill longest, the fourth longer than the 

 first, the tail long, considerably rounded, its feathers rounded; tarsus longer 

 than the middle toe and claw. Male olive-green above; the head, hind part, 

 and sides of the neck bluish-grey; the fore neck and part of the breast 

 greyish-black, lunulated with greyish-white; a black loral band; a conspicu- 

 ous white spot on each eyelid; the lower parts bright yellow. Female olive- 

 green above, yellow beneath, the sides of the neck and a band across the 

 breast ash-grey. 



Male, 5\, 6£. Female, 5, wing 2f|. 



Columbia river. Common. 



