158 
SYLVIA PETECHIA. 
the woodpeckers, few of them excel in song; their 
tongues seem better calculated for extracting noxious 
insects from the bark of trees, than for trilling out 
sprightly airs ; as the hardened hands of the husband- 
man are better suited for clearing the forest or guiding 
the plough, than dancing among the keys of a forte- 
piano. Which of the two is the most honourable and 
useful employment is not difficult to determine. Let 
the farmer, therefore, respect this little bird for its 
useful qualities, in clearing his fruit and forest trees 
from destructive insects, though it cannot serenade him 
with its song. 
The length of this species is five inches and a half; 
extent, seven and a half ; crown, white, bordered on 
each side with a band of black, which is again bounded 
by a line of white passing over each eye ; below this is 
a large spot of black covering the ear feathers ; chin 
and throat, black ; wings, the same, crossed transversely 
by two bars of white ; breast and back, streaked with 
black and white ; tail, • upper, and also under coverts, 
black, edged, and bordered with white ; belly, white ; 
legs and feet, dirty yellow ; hind claw the longest, and 
all very sharp pointed ; bill, a little compressed side- 
wise, slightly curved, black above, paler below ; tongue, 
long, fine pointed, and horny, at the extremity. These 
last circumstances, joined to its manners, . characterize 
it, decisively, as a creeper. 
The female, and young birds of the first year, want 
the black on the throat, having that part of a grayish 
white. 
128 . SYLVIA PETECHIA , LATHAM AND WILSON. 
YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER. 
WILSON, PLATE XXVIII. FIG. IV. — ADULT MALE IN SPRING. 
This delicate little bird arrives in Pennsylvania early 
in April, while the maples are yet in blossom, among 
the branches of which it may generally be found at 
that season, feeding on the stamina of the flowers, and 
