CAPE MAY WARBLER. 
371 
northern breeding-places. In Massachusetts, I have seen 
it in this vicinity about the middle of May. Its return 
to the South is probably made through the western inte- 
rior, a route so generally travelled by most of our birds of 
passage at this season, in consequence of which they are 
not met with, or but very rarely, in the Atlantic States in 
the autumn. In this season they have been seen at sea 
off the island of Jamaica, and have been met with also in 
Hispaniola, whither they retire to pass the winter. Like 
all the rest of the genus, stimulated by the unquiet pro- 
pensity to migrate, they pass only a few days with us, 
and appear perpetually employed in pursuing or searching 
out their active insect prey or larvae ; and, while thus en- 
gaged, utter only a few chirping notes. According to Mr. 
Hutchins, around Hudson’s Bay, it builds in the willows 
a nest composed of grass and feathers, lays 4 eggs, and 
hatches its young in July. It has a shrill song, more 
than usually protracted on the approach of wet weather, 
so that the Indians bestow upon it the name of Rain 
Bird. 
The length of this species is about 5 inches ; alar extent 7J. Front, 
lores, and behind the ear black, a white line over the eye, and a 
small touch of the same immediately under. The back nearly all 
black; rump yellow; tail coverts deep black. Below rich yellow, 
spotted from the throat downwards with black ; vent white ; tail 
emarginate. Wings black, crossed with 2 broad bars of white. 
Crown fine ash. Legs brown. Bill black. 
CAPE MAY WARBLER. 
(. Sylvia maritima , Wilson, vi. p. 99. pi. 54. fig. 3. [male.] Bonap. 
Am. Orn. i. p. 32. pi. 3. fig. 3. [female ?]) 
Sp. Charact. — Yellow-olive spotted with black; crown and line 
through the eyes black ; cheeks and beneath yellow ; the breast 
spotted with black ; a broad white band on each wing ; 3 lateral 
tail-feathers with a spot of white. — Female dull olive ; beneath 
whitish, spotted with dusky, 
