attentively searching the leaves, and crevices of the. bark, and at
intervals taking' its food on the wing in the* inanhlr of the Flycatchers.
It warbled; in an unete'r tone,' not ver#nhlike that of
the Blue-gray Fly-catcheV of Wrlsdii,' (Sylvm coerulea, L.)ta circumstance
that would lead to* the supppsition of its being a male in
summer dréss* but on dissection it proofed to be a female.
The Female Azure War hier is foin? and three-quarter; inches
long, and eight and a quarter in extents* Bill Il$tMtsh”ab$ye, pale
bluish.^beneath; feet light blue;' irifles Very dark broifn; head, and
neck aboyé,‘ and back, rich siiky-^greeh, brighter onphe head, and
passing ^gradually^^wo dull MuSn on the rum^j .E e from jmÆHu.
ov'ér ‘the eye whitish, aboyé which is the indication of a blue-black
fine widening behind; a dusky ' streak ’ p a s s ^ through the. eye ;
chéék^dusky greenish; beneath entirely whitish^atrongly ^i-E^d
with yeÈow. on the chin ; sides of tlfe neck, breast, flanks, and
vent, streaked with dark bluish; the base of the whole plumage is
bluish-white; inferior tail-covtlrts pure white; wings and ta®l!5^ f |.
similar to ’thoseSafutb© maley^bodghrmnchTehs béillihnt,i sma|»r
wing-coverts* bluish, tipped with :green; middling and large wing-
coverts blackish, widely tipped-with white, cmistitvitingm^s^ve#
apparent bandsxaeross the wings, the white, slightly tinged with
yellowish at tip ;•■ spurious wing bfacMsh$ quill-feathe^^blateMsM,
edged externally with greeny « internally and at tip with whitish?,
the three nearest the<>bbdy mor©'<widely so; u& ilqferidr wing-
coverts white ; |tail hardly rounded, feathers dusky slate, slightly
tinged with bluish'externally, and lined withqmre white internally,
eacb*with a white spot towards* the : tip on ’the mrter web. -This
spot is larger on the outer feathers, and decreases gradually until
it b e çiÿ es ïhconspîcuou^ on the two middle oneiu
* The dimensions given by Wilson of the male must be ratbar below the standard,
as they are inferior to those of ÜK&female, whereas all the specimens we examined
were larger, as usual.
The'd^cpiption of the male need noLÏiernïbu repeated; having"
b e e n ?alfeapy*gîi.vçn with suBieicflt■ açcwapÿ<hy Wilson, to whose
!wql’k i l h ^ K e t u l e d • > of the description
and figure^, hq< wiJl^firm^tA ^ ^S e ^hlef^Wftcrêny'eapetwèen the
Séxés'fcQnsiÿ^'kim®female being*.grèmrjnstead.of bljfëÿ in her
waMisug >fhp hlac^^&fKcaks,' "and ’ir^btin'gTiinged with yellow
beneath.
We ’have to regret, our inability! to add mffiejitjo Wilsonfs short
an^fittqj'erf^k’ m^coufit, of the^Jpeiuks. t It is by no means morfe-
àagnfiji afe-fji*st^tjmgffihan. it?yas.yv^i,en he*wr^®; which .may
account, for the difficulty of^geertaining the period.of .its migrations',
’ and?- fqr* the' pir cumstamîe Jtôf our‘ having .never met with the
hest, and our waht of acquaintance wi 1 h .1 f^Tabitsy ^ We can, only
dud fbt d^Til8t«BP^;'tlmyBMLsTfomidA in tfip*|®ans-Mils^sippian
territory ; .fourth e jSylyia mfascùita of *»&ay,gaccurately described
in I^ n g ’a'nmt jexpeaition,' is no otner;than the male. . We.ha.ye
j am m e d the .specimen shot a f^ n g ineh rSan tonfimn t. ». •
. Although thè undisputed merit ip frfirst ma^mg^Jknown this
^p^&s.belcmgs to Wilson,'yet thpsciernificjxÆ ^hat^hfe applied
1R) it -^n^bt be;a‘&taine^ife]^^mucRm#olt;iakpEe-PGcM .edIBv the
Blue-^^y. Wa^Wffiry a Limièan 'apêêj®,. "which W ilgnn&plaged
iii Muscicdp'hj ]mt ,w,hicn vregopsj.der^ a sylvia; notwithstanding
that it docs in'Jspriîe Ijegr@7aberrate fr.om tne typical species of
that genu&* Under; simm cir.enmstancglATOy .cannot . hesitallk in
adbptin^ the^naâpé 'substituted by Mr. Stephens, the continuaÆnr
of Shawls. compilation:
•%'See'my Observations orj^the Nomenclature of Wilson’s Ornithology.
VOL.