A Synopsis of the Birds of North America. John James Audubon
IV. HELINAIA, Aud. SWAMP-WARBLERS
Bill rather long, being nearly of the same length as the head, straight, or slightly decurved, tapering to a very acute point, much compressed; the upper mandible with the ridge distinct, the sides declinate and flat at the base, the edges somewhat inflected beyond the middle, the notch obsolete; lower mandible with the dorsal line straight, the edges involute, the tip extremely acute. Nostrils oblong; exposed. Feet of moderate length; tarsus about equal to the middle toe and claw, slender, much compressed, with the upper scutella blended; toes slender; claws rather long, moderately arched, slender, much compressed, laterally grooved, extremely acute, plumage soft and blended. Bristles obsolete. Wings rather long, somewhat pointed, the outer three nearly equal, the second longest. Tail of moderate length, nearly even. – Name from [Greek: Helos], a swamp, and [Greek: Naiô], to inhabit.
104. 1. Helinaia Swainsonii, Aud. Swainson's Swamp-Warbler
Plate CXCVIII. Male.
Bill as long as the head, much compressed; wings rather long, second and third quills equal and longest; tail even; upper parts olive-brown, the head strongly tinged with red; lower parts and a band over the eye pale yellowish-grey, the feathers on the cheeks tipped with brown, the sides of the neck and body more grey, the abdomen whitish.
Male, 51/4, 81/2.
South Carolina to Massachusetts. Very rare. Migratory.
Swainson's Warbler, Sylvia Swainsonii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 568; v. v. p. 462.
105. 2. Helinaia vermivora, Lath. Worm-eating Swamp-Warbler
Plate XXXIV. Male and Female.
Bill nearly as long as the head, less compressed than in the last; wings rather long, second quill longest, first and third equal; tail very slightly rounded. Upper parts light olive-green; head and lower parts pale brownish-yellow, the former with four longitudinal black bands; throat and abdomen nearly white.
Male, 51/2, 81/2.
From Texas northwards, and in the interior to the Missouri. Not very abundant. Migratory.
Worm-eating Warbler, Sylvia vermivora, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 74.
Sylvia vermivora, Bonap. Syn. p. 86.
Worm-eating Warbler, Sylvia vermivora, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 177; v. v. p. 460.
106. 3. Helinaia Protonotarius, Lath. Prothonotary Swamp-Warbler
Plate III. Male and Female.
Bill nearly as long as the head; first quill longest; tail even. Male with the head, neck, breast, and sides rich yellow, abdomen and lower tail-coverts white; hind neck and fore part of back greenish-yellow, rump, tail-coverts, smaller wing-coverts and margin of the quills and tail-feathers light greyish-blue; the latter, except the middle, having the greater part of their inner webs white.
Male, 51/2, 81/2.
From Texas eastward to Nova Scotia. In the interior to Kentucky. Saskatchewan. Rather rare. Migratory.
Prothonotary Warbler, Sylvia Protonotarius, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 72.
Sylvia Protonotarius, Bonap. Syn. p. 86.
Prothonotary Warbler, Sylvia Protonotarius, v. i. p. 410.
Prothonotary Warbler, Sylvia Protonotarius, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 22; v. v. p. 460.
107. 4. Helinaia chrysoptera, Linn. Golden-winged Swamp-Warbler
Plate CCCCXIV. Fig. 1. Male. Fig. 2. Female.
Bill slightly shorter than the head, tapering to an acute point; wings with the second and third quills equal and longest, the fourth and first about equal; tail even. Male light ash-grey above, greyish-white beneath; upper part of head, and a patch on the wing, formed by the first row of small coverts and the secondary coverts, bright yellow; a band from the bill to the eye, continued under it, and including the ear-coverts, black, as is the throat; a white band from the upper mandible over the eye, and another from the lower mandible down the neck. Female with the tints less bright, the back tinged with green, the side of the head and the throat grey, and the white bands on the head narrower and less extended.
Male, 51/4, 75/8. Female, 5, 71/4.
From Texas to Nova Scotia. In the interior to Kentucky. Rather rare. Migratory.
Golden-winged Warbler, Sylvia chrysoptera, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p. 113.
Sylvia chrysoptera, Bonap. Syn. p. 87.
Golden-winged Warbler, Sylvia chrysoptera, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 411.
Golden-winged Warbler, Sylvia chrysoptera, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. v. p. 154.
108. 5. Helinaia Bachmanii, Aud. Bachman's Swamp-Warbler
Plate CLXXXV. Male and Female.
Bill nearly as long as the head, slightly decurved, much attenuated; outer four quills nearly equal, second longest, tail even. Male with the upper parts yellowish-green, the feathers of the crown black, with greyish margin; the hind neck grey; forehead, a line over the eye, cheeks, chin, sides of neck, flexure of wing, lower wing-coverts, and breast, yellow; sides greenish-grey, lower tail-coverts white; a patch of black, enlarging beneath, on the fore neck; quills and tail greyish-brown; a patch of white on each of the tail-feathers, excepting the middle. Female with the tints fainter, the forehead yellowish-green, the fore neck dusky.
Male, 41/12, 61/4. Female, 310/12.
South Carolina. Rare. Migratory.
Bachman's Warbler, Sylvia Bachmanii, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 483.
109. 6. Helinaia carbonata, Aud. Carbonated Swamp-Warbler
Plate LX. Male.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, very acute; wing with the second quill longest; tail slightly emarginate. Male with the upper part of the head black; fore part of back, smaller wing-coverts, and sides dusky green, spotted with black; a line over the eye, the sides of the neck, throat, the rest of the lower parts, and the rump yellow.
Male, 43/4.
Kentucky. Only two specimens procured. Migratory.
Carbonated Warbler, Sylvia carbonata, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 308.
110. 7. Helinaia peregrina, Wils. Tennessee Swamp-Warbler
Plate CLIV. Male.
Bill shorter than the head, straight, very acute; wing with the second and third quills longest; tail nearly even. Upper parts yellowish-olive, the head darker; lower parts cream-coloured, fading behind into white; a pale yellow line over the eye; quills and tail-feathers dusky, the primaries margined with whitish, the secondaries with greenish-yellow.
Male, 41/2, 8.
Florida to New York, and in the interior to Kentucky. Rare. Migratory.
Tennessee Warbler, Sylvia peregrina, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 83.
Sylvia peregrina, Bonap. Syn. p. 87.
Tennessee Warbler, Sylvia peregrina, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 412.
Tennessee Warbler, Sylvia peregrina, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 307.
111. 8. Helinaia solitaria, Wils. Blue-winged Yellow Swamp-Warbler
Plate XX. Male and Female.
Bill shorter than the head, straightish, very acute; wings with the outer four quills almost equal, the second longest; tail nearly even. Forehead, crown, and lower parts bright yellow; hind part of the head, neck, and back light green, rump greenish-yellow; lore black; wings and tail greyish-blue, the feathers margined with greyish-white; two bands of white on the wing, formed by the tips of the first row of small coverts and the secondary coverts; tail-feathers, except the middle,