BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. 
141 
deep greenish olive; the tips of the wings, and the 
centre of the tail feathers excepted, which are brownish ; 
the whole head is of a dull slate colour ; the breast is 
ornamented with a singular crescent of alternate trans- 
verse lines of pure glossy white, and very deep black ; 
all the rest of the lower parts are of a brilliant yellow ; 
the tail is rounded at the end ; legs and feet, a pale flesh 
colour; bill, deep brownish black above, lighter below ; 
eye, hazel. 
110 . SYLFIA CITRINELLA, WILSON. S. JESTIFJ, LATHAM. 
BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. 
WILSON, PLATE XV. FIG. V. 
This is a very common summer species, and appears 
almost always actively employed among the leaves and 
blossoms of the willows, snowball shrub, and poplars, 
searching after small green caterpillars, which are its 
principal food. It has a few shrill notes, uttered with 
emphasis, bvr^mot deserving the name of song. It 
arrives in Pennsylvania about the beginning of May, 
and departs again for the south about the middle of 
September. According to Latham, it is numerous in 
Guiana, and is also found in Canada. It is a very 
sprightly, unsuspicious, and familiar little bird ; is often 
seen in and about gardens, among the blossoms of fruit 
trees and shrubberies ; and, on account of its colour, is 
very noticeable. Its nest is built with great neatness, 
generally in the triangular fork of a small shrub, near 
or among brier bushes. Outwardly it is composed of 
flax or tow, in thick circular layers, strongly twisted 
round the twigs that rise through its sides, and lined 
within with hair and the soft downy substance from 
the stalks of fern. The eggs are four or five, of a dull 
white, thickly sprinkled near the great end with specks 
of pale brown. They raise two brood in the season. 
This little bird, like many others, will feign lameness, to 
draw you away from its nest, stretching out his neck. 
