6784 



Birds. 



Humming or Bird {Trochilwt coluhris). August 28th. Observed one 

 hovering over the flower of a scarlet-runner. They are said to be 

 common wherever flower-gardens abouud, but I have seen but two or 

 three of these solitary wanderers. 



Goldfinch Yellow Bird (Fringilla tristis). August. This goldfinch 

 in miniature is an elegant little bird, and, like its European relative, 

 might be named the thistle finch, as the seeds of that plant form its 

 chief food. It is seen flitting from thistle to thistle, and clinging to 

 the capsules. The summer plumage of the male — black and yellow — 

 is very brilliant ; but after the autumnal moult it assumes its dusky 

 green and olive hues; it is then not unlike the siskin, except in length 

 of bill. It is a very common, tame and familiar species, and has a 

 pleasing twittering song emitted on the wing, reminding one of our 

 native songster. Length 5 inches. Extent of wings 9 inches. Fore- 

 head black. Nape and back greenish yellow. Neck, breast and 

 belly bright yellow. Under tail-coverts white. Under wing-coverts 

 gray, tinged with yellow. 



Cat Bird (Turdtts lividus). August. Saw two or three of these 

 birds, which, though smaller, are very like the common blackbird (of 

 Europe) when seen at a distance, and, like that bird, it is shy and 

 wary, concealing itself among low trees and bushes, but generally in 

 wet. or swampy ground. Its cat-like note I never heard. A female 

 that I shot measures 9\ inches in length ; tail, 4 inches. Extent of 

 wings, 12 inches. Upper mandible, 3-fourths of an inch from gape. 

 Bill and head black ; back dark ash-gray ; throat, sides and whole of 

 the under parts light ash-gray. The tail has twelve black feathers, 

 margined with gray on the outer webs for two-thirds of their length, 

 the centre ones longest, the rest regularly graduating, giving the tail 

 a rounded form. The wing has nineteen quills, of a dark brown on 

 the outer webs and light on the inner: fourth longest, fifth and sixth 

 nearly of equal length ; the first is but If inch in length, and two of 

 the quills, about the centre of the wing, are short, new feathers. 

 Upper wing-coverts dark brown in the centre, margined with gray. 

 Under wing-coverts light gray. Under tail-coverts bright chestnut, 

 the centre ones extending to half the length of the tail. Thigh, 

 1 inch 6-tenths in length. Tarsus, ] inch 2-tenths. Middle toe, 

 3-fourths of an inch. Inner toe, J an inch ; outer toe, J an inch ; 

 back toe, 4-tenths of an inch. The legs, toes and claws are black. 



Blueeyed Yellow Warbler {Sylvia citrinella). August. This beau- 

 ful but common little bird bears so striking a resemblance to the yel- 

 low wood wren (of Europe), that it was not until I had shot one and 



