PALM WARBLER. 
377 
nest in the top, in the sort of hive formed at the base or inser- 
tion of the peduncle which sustains the clusters of fruit. 
Such are the facts we have gathered from authors ; but as 
the singular description of the nest coincides exactly with the 
manner of building of the Tanagra dominica<i and as, moreover, 
the palm warbler appears not to be known in its gayer vesture 
in the West Indies, we cannot easily believe that it breeds 
elsewhere than where we have stated ; that is, in the temper- 
ate, and even colder regions of America, and that what has 
been mistaken for its nest, in reality belongs to the above 
named, or some other bird. 
The first accounts of this species were given, as we have 
already stated, by Buffon, and from him subsequent writers 
appear to have copied what they relate of it. The bird which 
he described must have been a very young specimen, as its 
colours are very dull, much more so than the one figured and 
described by Vieillot, who supposes, though erroneously, Buf- 
fon’s specimen to have been a female. Even Vieillot’s, which 
is certainly our species in its winter dress, is much duller in 
colour than those we received from Florida ; and these again 
are far less brilliant than the bird in our plate represented, as 
it appears for a few days in the spring in Pennsylvania and 
New Jersey, and is found throughout summer in Maine ; thus 
exhibiting the several gradations of change which the plumage 
undergoes. 
Naturalists cannot be too circumspect in receiving reports 
even from the most respectable sources, their own senses af- 
fording the only authentic testimony to be relied on. From 
information derived from Mr T. Peale, who had no opportu- 
nity for making comparisons, we erroneously stated in the first 
volume of this work, that Sylvia celata, Say, was one of the 
most common birds in Florida during winter, keeping among 
the orange trees, &c. All this statement had reference to the 
present species ; and as soon as the specimens brought by Mr 
Peale as Sylvia celata^ were shown to us, the error was imme- 
diately perceived. We therefore hasten to correct this mis- 
