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CiERULEAN WARBLER. 

 SYLVIA CERULEA. 

 [Plate XVII.— Fig. 5.] 



Pe ale's Museum, No. 7309. 



THIS delicate little species is now, for the first time, intro- 

 duced to public notice. Except my friend Mr. Peale, I know of 

 no other naturalist who seems to have hitherto known of its exist- 

 ence. At what time it arrives from the south I cannot positively 

 say, as I never met with it in spring; but have several times found 

 it during summer. On the borders of streams and marshes, among 

 the branches of the poplar, it is sometimes to be found. It has 

 many of the habits of the Flycatcher ; tho, like the preceding, from 

 the formation of its bill we must arrange it with the Warblers. It 

 is one of our scarce birds in Pennsylvania; and its nest has hitherto 

 eluded my search. I have never observed it after the twentieth of 

 August, and therefore suppose it retires early to the south. 



This bird is four inches and a half long, and seven and a half 

 broad ; the front and upper part of the head is a fine verditer blue ; 

 the hind head and back of the same color, but not quite so bril- 

 liant; a few lateral streaks of black mark the upper part of the 

 back ; wings and tail black, edged with sky blue ; the three secon- 

 daries next the body edged with white, and the first and second 

 row of coverts also tipt with white ; tail coverts large, black, and 

 broadly tipt with blue ; lesser wing coverts black, also broadly tipt 

 with blue, so as to appear nearly wholly of that tint; sides of the 

 breast spotted or streaked with blue ; belly, chin and throat pure 

 white ; the tail is forked, the five lateral feathers on each side with 



VOL. II. N n 



