PARULA WARBLER. 
BLUE-YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER. 
COMPSOTHLYPIS AMERICANA. 
Char. Male: above, bright ashy blue, an olive patch on the back; 
throat and breast yellow, a patch of rich brown on the breast ; belly 
white ; wings with 2 broad white bars ; white patches on inner web of 
outer tail-feathers. Female : similar, but colors duller and the patches on 
back and breast obscure or absent. Length 4% to 4^ inches. 
Nest. In moist woodland or on border of swamp; usually in a bunch 
of “ beard-moss ” (usuea) hanging from the trunk or branch of a tree 10 
to 40 feet from the ground, and composed of threads of the moss and fine 
grass or hair compactly woven; sometimes lined with pine-needles or 
hair. 
3“7 (usually 4) ; white or creamy, thickly spotted with several 
shades of reddish brown ; 0.65 X 0.45. 
This remarkable species visits the Middle and Northern 
States about the ist to the 15 th of May, and is seen again 
early in October on its way to the M^est Indies (St. Domingo 
and Porto Rico), whither it retires at the approach of winter. 
A few, according to Catesby, pass the whole year in South Car- 
olina. It is very abundant in the summer in the woods of 
Kentucky, is active and restless on its first arrival, and fre- 
quents the summits of the highest trees, being particularly 
fond of the small caterpillars and flies of various kinds which 
are, in the early part of spring, attracted to the open blossoms 
and tender shoots. It also possesses in some degree the 
creeping and prying habits of the Titmouse, to which genus it 
it was referred by Linnaeus and Pennant. Entering the south- 
