YELLOW-THROAT WARBLER. 137 
and spirited, very much resembled those of the indigo 
bird. It continued a considerable time on the same 
pine tree, creeping around the branches, and among the 
twigs, in the manner of the titmouse, uttering its song* 
every three or four minutes. On flying to another 
tree, it frequently alighted on the body, and ran nimbly 
up or down, spirally and perpendicularly, in search of 
insects. I had afterwards many opportunities of seeing 
others of the same species, and found them all to cor- 
respond in these particulars. This was about the 24th 
of February, and the first of their appearance there 
that spring, for they leave the United States about 
three months during winter, and, consequently, go to 
no great distance. I had been previously informed, 
that they also pass the summer in Virginia, and in the 
southern parts of Maryland; but they very rarely 
proceed as far north as Pennsylvania. 
This species is five inches and a half in length, and 
eight and a half broad ; the whole back, hind head and 
rump, is a fine light slate colour ; the tail is somewhat 
forked, black, and edged with light slate ; the wings 
are also black, the three shortest secondaries, broadly 
edged with light blue ; all the wing quills are slightly 
edged with the same ; the first ro w of wing-coverts are 
tipt and edged with white, the second, wholly white, or 
nearly so ; the frontlet, ear feathers, lores, and above 
the temple, are black ; the line between the eye and 
nostril, whole throat, and middle of the breast, brilliant 
golden yellow ; the lower eyelid, line over the eye, 
and spot behind the ear feathers, as well as the whole 
lower parts, are pure white ; the yellow on the throat 
is bordered with touches of black, which also extend 
along the sides, under the wings ; the bill is black ; the 
legs and feet, yellowish brown ; the claws, extremely 
fine pointed ; the tongue rather cartilaginous, and 
lacerated at the end. The female has the wings of a 
dingy brown, and the whole colours, particularly the 
yellow on the throat, much duller ; the young birds of 
the first season are without the yellow. 
