MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT. 



89 



of Aprils and begins to build its nest about the middle of May : this 

 is fixed on the ground, among the dried leaves, in the very depth 

 of a thicket of briars, sometimes arched over, and a small hole left 

 for entrance; the materials are dry leaves and fine grass, lined with 

 coarse hair; the eggs are five, white, or semi-transparent, marked 

 with specks of reddish brown. The young leave the nest about 

 the twenty-second of June ; and a second brood is often raised in 

 the same season. Early in September they leave us, returning to 

 the south. 



This pretty little species is four inches and three quai ters 

 long, and six inches and a quarter in extent ; back, wings, and tail 

 green olive, which also covers the upper part of the neck, but ap- 

 proaches to cinereous on the crown ; the eyes are inserted in a band 

 of black, which passes from the front, on both sides, reaching half 

 way down the neck; this is bounded above by another band of 

 white, deepening into light blue ; throat, breast and vent brilliant 

 yellow; belly a fainter tinge of the same color; inside coverts of 

 the wings also yellow; tips and inner vanes of the wings dusky 

 brown; tail cuneiform, dusky, edged with olive-green; bill black, 

 straight, slender, of the true Motacilla form; tho the bird itself 

 was considered as a species of Thrush by Linnaeus; but very pro- 

 perly removed to the genus Motacilla by Gmelin ; legs flesh color- 

 ed; iris of the eye dark hazel. The female wants the black band 

 thro the eye, has the bill brown, and the throat of a much paler 

 yellow. This last, I have good reason to suspect, has been de- 

 scribed by Europeans as a separate species; and that from Loui- 

 siana, referred to in the synonyms, appears evidently the same as 

 the former; the chief difference, according to Buffon, being in its 

 wedged tail, which is likewise the true form of our own species ; 

 so that this error corrected will abridge the European nomencla- 

 ture of two species. Many more examples of this kind will occur 

 in the course of our descriptions. 



A a 



