YELLOW-RUMP WARBLER. 
129 
Whether they retire to the north, or to the high ranges 
of our mountains to breed, like many other of our 
passengers, is yet uncertain. They are a very numerous 
species, and always associate together in considerable 
numbers, both in spring, winter, and fall. 
This species is five inches and a half long, and eight 
inches broad ; whole back, tail-coverts, and hind head, 
a fine slate colour, streaked with black ; crown, sides 
of the breast, and rump, rich yellow ; wings and tail, 
black ; the former crossed with two bars of white, the 
three exterior feathers of the latter spotted with white ; 
cheeks and front, black ; chin, line over and under the 
eye, white ; breast, light slate, streaked with black 
extending under the wings ; belly and vent, white, the 
latter spotted with black ; bills and legs, black. This 
is the spring and summer dress of the male ; that of 
the female of the same season differs but little, chiefly 
in the colours being less vivid, and not so strongly 
marked with a tincture of brownish on the back. 
In the month of October the slate colour has changed 
to a brownish olive; the streaks of black are also 
considerably brown, and the white is stained with the 
same colour; the tail-coverts, however, still retain their 
slaty hue, the yellow on the crown and sides of the 
breast becomes nearly obliterated. Their only note is 
a kind of chip, occasionally repeated. Their motions 
are quick, and one can scarcely ever observe them at 
rest. 
Though the form of the bill of this bird obliges me 
to arrange him with the warblers, yet, in his food and 
all his motions, he is decisively a flycatcher. 
On again recurring to the descriptions in Pennant 
of the “ yellow-rump warbler,” * “ golden crowned 
warbler,”'}' and “ belted warbler,” J I am persuaded 
that the whole three have been drawn from the present 
species. 
* Arctic Zoology , p. 400, No. 188. 
f Ibid. No. 294. 1 Ibid. No. 306. 
VOL. II. 
I 
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