BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 
383 
Its length is about 5 inches or a little more ; the alar extent 11. 
The crown a very bright bay. Beneath, except the sides, ochreous 
white ; hind-head and back streaked with black on a greyish buff 
ground. Wings brownish-black with 2 bars of white. Tail forked, 
brownish-black, edged with ash. Behind the eye is a broad oblong 
spot of yellowish-white, inclining to buff. Legs dusky. Bill black. 
Iris hazel. 
BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 
(Sylvia striata , Lath. Wilson, iv. p. 40. pi. 30. fig. 3. [male] ; and 
vi. p. 101. pi. 54. fig. 3. [female.] Phil. Museum, No. 7054.) 
Sp. Charact. — Crown black ; cheeks and beneath white; wings 
with 2 white bands, the tail blackish ; 2 or 3 lateral tail-feathers 
marked internally with white. — Female and young dull yellow- 
ish-olive, streaked with black and grey; beneath white ; cheeks 
and sides of the breast tinged with yellow. 
This rather common and well marked species is ob- 
served to arrive in Pennsylvania from the South about 
the 20th of April, but in Massachusetts hardly before the 
middle of May ; it returns early in September, and ap- 
pears to feed wholly on insects. In the Middle States it is 
confined chiefly to the woods, where, in the summits of the 
tallest trees, it is seen in busy pursuit of its favorite prey. 
On its first arrival it keeps usually in the tops of the ma- 
ples, darting about amidst the blossoms. As the woods 
become clothed with leaves, it may be found pretty gen- 
erally as a summer resident ; it often also seeks the banks 
of creeks and swamps, in which situations it probably 
passes the breeding season, but its nest is yet unknown. 
In this vicinity they are sometimes familiar visitors in 
the lowest orchard-trees, where they feed on canker- 
worms and other small caterpillars, as well as flies of dif- 
ferent kinds, &c. At this time, towards the month of 
June, it is no longer a restless wanderer, but having fixed 
upon its station for the summer, it now begins, in a hum- 
ble way, to display its musical talents in the cherished 
