Species XXIX. SYLVIA PUSILLA. 
BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER. 
[Plate XXVIII. Fig. 3.] 
Panis Americanas, Linn. Syst. 341. — Finch Creeper, Catesb. r., 64. — Latham, ii., 
558. — Creeping Titmouse, Arct. Zool. 423, No. 326. — Parus varius, Various- 
colored little Finch Creeper, Bartram, p. 292.* 
Notwithstanding the respectability of the above authorities, I must 
continue to consider this bird as a species of Warbler. Its habits 
indeed partake something of the Titmouse ; but the form of its bill is 
decisively that of the Sylvia genus. It is remarkable for frequenting 
the tops of the tallest trees, where it feeds on the small winged insects 
and caterpillars that infest the young leaves and blossoms. It has a 
few feeble chirrupping notes, scarcely loud enough to be heard at the 
foot of the tree. It visits Pennsylvania from the south, early in May ; 
is very abundant in the woods of Kentucky ; and is also found in the 
northern parts of the state of New York. Its nest I have never yet 
met with. 
This little species is four inches and a half long, and six inches and 
a half in breadth ; the front, and between the bill and eyes, is black ; 
the upper part of the head and neck a fine Prussian blue ; upper part 
of the back brownish yellow, lower and rump pale blue ; wings and tail 
black, the former crossed with two bars of white, and edged with blue ; 
the latter marked on the inner webs of the three exterior feathers with 
white, a circumstance common to a great number of the genus ; imme- 
diately above and below the eye is a small touch of white ; the upper 
mandible is black, the lower, as well as the whole throat and breast, 
rich yellow, deepening about its middle to orange red, and marked on 
the throat with a small crescent of black ; on the edge of the breast is 
a slight touch of rufous ; belly and vent white ; legs dark brown ; feet 
dirty yellow. The female wants both the black and orange on the 
throat and breast ; the blue on the upper parts is also of a duller tint. 
* Panis Americanus, Linn. Syst. Ed. 10, i., p. 190. — Gmel. Syst. i., p. 1007. — 
Lath. Ind. Orn. a., p. 571. — Motacilla americana, Gmel. Syst. i., 960. — Sylvia 
americana, Ind. Orn. n., p. 520. — Motacilla ludoviciana, Gmel. Syst. i., p. 983. — 
Sylvia ludoviciana, Lath. Ind. Orn. n., p. 535. — Figuier cendre" de la Caroline, 
Burr. PI. Enl. 731, f. 1. — Sylvia torquata, Vieill. Ois. de V Am. Sept. pi. 99. 
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