AND AMERICAN RURAL SPORTS. 
133 
It k stated to prefer the bare fields for its haunts, where 
the lands are fallow; but we have seen it near houses, and 
within the yards, and sometimes even in the adjoining 
apartments. 
According to Bingley, it lays between seven and eight 
hundred eggs, which are hatched in the spring; the pa- 
rents being very short-lived, and seldom surviving the 
winter. Like other spiders, it makes a net or wall round 
its dwelling, which is generally about four inches deep in 
the ground, and half an inch wide. 
[Lempriere’s Nat. Hist. 
BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. 
S YL VIA C I TR INE L LA. 
[Plate XII. Vol. 2. Size of life.] 
Yellow-poll Warbler , Lath. Syn. v. u.p. 515, No. 148. — ■ 
Arct. Zool. p. 402, No. 292. — Le Figuier tachete , 
Buff. Ois. v. p. 285. — Motacilla sestiva, Turton’s 
Syst. p. 615. — Parus luteus, Summer Yellow-bird , 
Bartram, p. 292. — Motacilla sestiva, Gmel. Syst. i. 
p. 996. — Sylvia sestiva , Lath. Ind. Orn. n. p. 551. — 
Vieill. Ois. del Am. Sept.pl. 95. — Motacilla albicol- 
lis, Gmel. Syst. i. p. 983, young. — Sylvia albicollis, 
Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 535, young. — Ficedula Cana- 
densis, Briss. iii./;. 492, 51, t. 2§,Jig. 3, male adult. — 
Ficedula dominieensis, Briss. hi. p. 494, 52, t. 26, f. 
5. — Figuier de Canada , Buff. PI. Enl. 58, f. 2, adult 
male. — J. Doughty’s Collection. 
This is a very common summer species, and appears 
almost always actively employed among the leaves and blos- 
soms of the willows, snow-ball shrub, and poplars, search- 
ing 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 Pennsylva- 
nia 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 colour, 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 composed 
of flax or tow, in thick circular layers, strongly twisted 
L L 
round the twigs that rise through its sides, and lined within 
with hair, and the soft downy substances 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 broods 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 bend- 
ing down his tail until it trails along the branch, and flut- 
tering feebly along to draw you after him; sometimes look- 
ing back to see if you are following him, and returning 
back to repeat the same manoeuvres, in order to attract 
your attention. The male is most remarkable for this 
practice. 
The Blue-eyed Warbler is five inches long and seven 
broad; hind head and back greenish yellow; crown, front, 
and whole lower parts, rich golden yellow; breast and sides 
streaked laterally with dark red; wings and tail deep 
brown, except the edges of the former, and the inner 
vanes of the latter, which are yellow; the tail is also 
slightly forked; legs a pale clay colour; bill and eye-lids, 
light blue. The female is of a less brilliant yellow, and 
the streaks of red on the breast are fewer and more obscure. 
Buffon is mistaken in supposing No. 1, of PL Enl. Plate 
lviii. to be the female of this species. — Wilson. 
SCARLET TANAGER. 
TAN AGRA RUBRA. 
[Plate XII. Vol. 2. Size of life.] 
Tcmagra rubra, Linn. Syst. i. p 314, 3. — Cardinal de 
Canada, Briss. Orn. m.p. 48, PI. 2, jig. 5. — Lath, 
ii. p. 217, No. 3. — Scarlet Sparrow, Edw. PI. 343. — 
Canada Tanager, and Olive Tanager, Arct. Zool. p. 
369, No. 237-238. — J. Doughty’s Collection. 
This is one of the gaudy foreigners, (and perhaps the 
most showy,) that regularly visit us from the torrid regions 
of the south. He is drest in the richest scarlet, set off 
with the most jetty black, and comes, over extensive 
countries, to sojourn for a time among us. While we 
consider him entitled to the rights of hospitality, we may 
be permitted to examine a little into his character, and 
endeavour to discover, whether he has any thing else to 
recommend him besides that of having a fine coat, and 
being a great traveller. 
On or about the first of May this bird makes his appear- 
