122
M A R Y L A N D Y E L L O W - T H R O A T.
States seem to attract and detain more individuals, during the breeding
season, than any others. Very few breed in Louisiana. In Kentucky,
however, many breed in the barrens. The neighbourhood of swamps and
such places is their favourite ground, but every field provided with briar
patches or tall weeds harbours some of them. It leaves the Central Districts
about the middle of September. The male bird does not attain its
full colouring until the first spring, being for several months of the same
tints as the female.
The twig on which the male is seen, is commonly called in Louisiana
the Wild Olive. The tree is small, brittle and useless. It bears an acid
fruit, which is sometimes employed as a pickle, and eaten when ripe by
some people.
The female is perched on a twig of the Bitter-wood Tree, the wood
of which is hard, and resembles that of the Crab. This is also a small
tree, and grows along fences, amongst the briars, where the birds are
found. Both these trees I have seen in Louisiana only.
SYLVIA TRICIIAS, Lath. Ind. Ornith. voL iL p. 519.
TURDUS TRICHAS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 293.
SYLVIA MARILANDICA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 85.
YELLOW-BREASTED WARBLER, Lath. Synops, vol. iv. p. 438.
MARYLAND YELLOW-THROAT, SYLVIA MARILANDICA, Wilson, Americ. Ornith.
vol. i. p. 88. PI. 6. fig. 1. Male; and vol. ii. p. 163. PI. 18. fig. 4. Female.
Adult Male. Plate XXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill of ordinary length, tapering, slender, nearly straight, acute.
Nostrils basal, lateral, elliptical, half-closed by a membrane. Head and
neck of ordinary size, the latter short. Body rather short. Feet longish,
slender ; tarsus longer than the middle toe, covered anteriorly with a few
scutella, the uppermost long; toes scutellate above, the inner free, the
hind toe of moderate size ; claws slender, compressed, acute, arched.
Plumage loose, blended. Wings very short, the first quill longest.
Tail rounded.
Bill dark brown. Iris dark hazel. Feet flesh colour. A broad
band of black across the forehead, including the eyes, and terminating
in a pointed form half-way down the neck; behind which is a narrower
band of very pale blue; a slender white streak under the eye. Fore
part of the neck bright ochre-yellow, the rest of the under parts pale
M A R Y L A N D Y E L L O W - T H R O A T.
brownish-yellow, fading into white on the abdomen and under tail-coverts.
Upper parts dull greyish-olive, on the head tinged with red. Inner webs
of the quills deep brown.
Length 5\ inches, extent of wings 6£ ; bill along the ridge T% ; along
the gap | ; tarsus \% ;
Adult Female. Plate XXIII. Fig. 2.
The female has the upper parts lighter, the under parts tinged with
reddish-brown, and wants the two bands on the head, which is of a pale
brownish red colour.
T H E S N O W - D R O P T R E E , S I L V E R - B E L L T R E E , O R W I L D O L I V E .
HALESIA TETRAPTERA, Willd. Sp. PI. vol. ii. p. 849. Pursh, Flor. Amer. vol. ii.
p. 448.—MONADELPHIA DECANDRIA, Linn. GUAIACANÜ:, JUSS.
Leaves ovate, acuminate, serrate; flowers with twelve stamina; the
fruit rhomboidal. It grows in shady woods, generally near rivers.
THE BITTER-WOOD TREE.
VIBURNUM PRUNIFOLIUM, Wild. Sp. PI. vol. i. p. 1847. Pursh, Flor. Amer. vol. i.
p. 201.—PENTANDRIA DYGYNIA, Linn. CAPRIFOLIA, Juss.
Glabrous; the branches spreading; the leaves roundish; crenato-serrate;
the petioles smooth; the cymes sessile; the fruit round. The
flowers are white, the berries dark purplish-blue.