Ill 



BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. 

 SYLVIA CITEINELLA. 

 [Plate XV.— Fig. 5.] 



Yellow-poll Warbler, LatIi. Syn, v. II, JVo. 148. — Arct, Zool. p, 402, No. 292.— -Le Figuief- 

 tachete, Buff. Ois. V, p. 285. — Motacilla astiva, Turton's Syst. p. 615. — Parus luteiis, 

 Summer Yellow-bird, Bartram,/?. 292. — Vs. ^1^1.''^ Museum, JVo. 7266. 



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, unsuspicious and familiar little bird; is often 

 seen in and about gardens, among the blossoms of fruit trees and 

 shrubberies; and, on account of its color, is very noticeable. Its 

 nest is built with great neatness, generally in the triangular fork of 

 a small shrub, near, or among, briar bushes. Outwardly it is com- 

 posed of flax or tow, in thick circular layers, strongly twisted round 

 the twigs that rise thro its sides, and lined within with hair and the 

 soft downy substance from the stalks of fern. The eggs are four 

 or five, of a dull white, thickly sprinkled near the great end with 

 specks of pale brown. They raise two brood in the season. This 

 little bird, like many others, will feign lameness to draw you away 

 from its nest, stretching out his neck, spreading and bending down 

 his tail until it trails along the branch, and fluttering feebly along 

 to draw you aftei^ him ; sometimes looking back to see if you are 



