258 BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. 



This species very much resembles the prothonotary warbler 

 of Pennant and Buffon ; the only difference I can perceive, on 

 comparing specimens of each, is, that the yellow of the pro- 

 thonotary is more of an orange tint, and the bird somewhat 

 larger. 



BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. {Sylvia citrinella.) 



PLATE XV.— Fig. 6. 



Yellow-poll Warbler, Lath. Syrt. vol. ii. No. 148.— Arct. Zool. p. 402, No. 292.— 

 Le Figuier tachete, Buff. Ois. v. p. 285.— Motacilla sestiva, Turtons Syst. p. 

 615. — Parus luteus, Summer Yellow Bird, Bartram, p. 292. — Pealts Museum, 

 No. 7266. 



SYLVICOLA JESTirA.-SitA.vssox. 



Sylvia sestiva, Bonap. Synop. p. 83. — Sylvicola jestiva, North. Zool. ii. p. 212. 



This is a very common summer species, and appears almost 

 always actively employed among the leaves and blossoms of 

 the willows, snowball shrub, and poplars, searching after small 

 green caterpillars, which are its principal food. It has a few 

 shrill notes, uttered with emphasis, but not deserving the 

 name of song. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the beginning 

 of May, and departs again for the south about the middle of 

 September. According to Latham, it is numerous in Guiana, 

 and is also found in Canada. It is a very sprightly, unsus- 

 picious, and familiar little bird ; is often seen in and about 

 gardens, among the blossoms of fruit trees and shrubberies ; 

 and, on account of its colour, is very noticeable. Its nest is 

 built with great neatness, generally in the triangular fork of a 

 small shrub, near or among brier bushes. Outwardly it is 

 composed of flax or tow, in thick circular layers, strongly 

 twisted round the twigs that rise through its sides, and lined 

 within with hair and the soft downy substance from the 

 stalks of the fern. The eggs are four or five, of a dull white, 

 thickly sprinkled near the great end with specks of pale brown. 



