A Synopsis of the Birds of North America. John James Audubon
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, with a patch of white on the inner web. Young with the upper parts, including the forehead, yellowish-green, the lower pale greenish-yellow.
Male, 43/4, 7.
From Texas to Massachusetts. In the interior, to Kentucky. Rather rare. Migratory.
Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. ii. p. 109.
Sylvia solitaria, Bonap. Syn. p. 87.
Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, Sylvia solitaria, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 410.
Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, Sylvia solitaria, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 102.
112. 9. Helinaia celata, Say. Orange-crowned Swamp-Warbler.
Plate CLXXVIII. Male and Female.
Bill shorter than the head, very much attenuated; wings with the outer four quills almost equal, the second longest; tail even. Male with the upper parts dull green, the rump yellowish-green; a patch of dull reddish-orange on the crown, concealed by the grey tips of the feathers; lower parts dull olivaceous yellow; lower tail-coverts light yellow; quills and tail-feathers greyish-brown, edged with yellowish-green. Female similar, with the orange on the crown duller. Young with the lower parts paler, and without red on the head.
This species and the next seem to form the transition from the Sylvicolinæ to the Reguli, as Mniotilta varia does to the Certhiæ.
Male, 51/2, 711/12.
In summer from Texas to Nova Scotia. Winters in the southern states. Columbia River. Rather common.
Sylvia celata, Say, Long's Exped. v. i. p. 169.
Sylvia celata, Bonap. Syn. p. 38.
Orange-crowned Warbler, Sylvia celata, Bonap. Amer. Orn. v. i. p. 45.
Orange-crowned Warbler, Sylvia celata, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 413.
Orange-crowned Warbler, Sylvia celata, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. ii. p. 449.
113. 10. Helinaia rubricapilla, Wils. Nashville Swamp-Warbler.
Plate LXXXIX. Male and Female.
Bill shorter than the head, very much attenuated; wings with the outer four quills almost equal, the second longest; tail slightly emarginate. Upper part of the head, cheeks, hind part and sides of neck light bluish-grey; a patch of dull red on the crown, concealed by the grey tips of the feathers; upper parts of the body yellowish-green, lower parts greenish-yellow; quills and tail-feathers greyish-brown, edged with yellowish-green, the primaries with greyish-white. Female similar but paler, and with faint indications of red on some of the feathers on the crown. Young similar to the female.
Male, 41/2, 7.
Texas to Massachusetts. Inland to Kentucky. Columbia River. Rare. Migratory.
Nashville Warbler, Sylvia rubricapilla. Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 120.
Sylvia rubricapilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 87.
Nashville Warbler, Sylvia rubricapilla, Nutt. Man. v. i. p. 412.
Nashville Warbler, Sylvia rubricapilla, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 450.
GENUS V. MNIOTILTA, Vieill. CREEPING-WARBLER.
Bill rather long, straight, very slender, nearly as broad as high at the base, much compressed toward the end; upper mandible with the dorsal line very slightly convex, the edges a little inflected toward the end, the notches obsolete, the tip acute; lower mandible with the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, the edges involute, the tip attenuated. General form slender. Feet of moderate length, very slender; tarsus shorter than the middle toe and claw, much compressed, the upper scutella blended; toes rather long, extremely compressed, the first very long, the second shorter than the third, which is adherent at the base, claws rather long, well arched, extremely compressed, and acute. Plumage very soft and blended. Bristles obsolete. Wings long, with the second and third quills longest and about equal, the first slightly shorter, and exceeding the fourth. Tail of moderate length, nearly even. This genus connects the Sylvicolinæ with the Certhianæ.
114. 1. Mniotilta varia, Linn. Black-and-white Creeping Warbler.
Plate XC. Male.
Male with the plumage white, variegated with glossy black, longitudinally disposed; a band along the middle of the head and hind neck, a streak over the eyes, a band along the sides of the neck, two bars on the wings, the middle of the breast and abdomen, with a patch at the end of the outer two tail-feathers, white. Female with the upper parts similar, but with the black less deep, the lower parts greyish-white, the sides and lower tail-coverts marked with black. Young light brownish-grey above, paler beneath, with the abdomen white.
Male, 51/2, 71/2.
Generally distributed. Migratory.
Black-and-white Creeper, Certhia varia, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. iii. p. 23.
Sylvia varia, Bonap. Syn. p. 81.
Black-and-white Creeper, Certhia varia, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. i. p. 452; v. v. p. 471.
FAMILY IX. CERTHIANÆ. CREEPERS.
Bill of moderate length or rather long, slender, slightly arched, much compressed, acute; upper mandible with its dorsal outline convex or arched, the ridge narrow, the notches slight or obsolete, lower mandible with the angle rather long and narrow, the dorsal line straight or slightly decurved, the edges inclinate, the tip acute. Head moderate, ovate; neck short, body slender. Feet of moderate length, or rather short; tarsus about the same length as the middle toe, compressed, with eight anterior scutella, toes of moderate length, much compressed, hind toe proportionally long, outer adherent at the base; claws rather long, extremely compressed, arched, acute. Wings short or of moderate length. Tail of twelve feathers, generally much rounded. Tongue slender, emarginate and papillate at the base, very narrow, tapering to a lacerated point. Œsophagus of moderate width, without crop; proventriculus bulbiform; stomach of moderate size, oblong, or elliptical, moderately muscular, with the muscles distinct; epithelium dense, longitudinally rugous; intestine short, rather wide; cœca very small; cloaca globular. Trachea simple, with four pairs of inferior laryngeal muscles.
GENUS I. CERTHIA, Linn. TREE-CREEPER.
Bill about the same length as the head, very slender, arched, much compressed, acute; upper mandible with the dorsal line arched, the ridge narrow, the sides sloping at the base, nearly erect in the rest of their extent, the edges sharp, arched, without notch, the tip acute; lower mandible with the angle rather long, narrow, and pointed, the outline decurved, the sides erect and convex, the edges inclinate, the tip acute. Nostrils linear-oblong, operculate. Head ovate; neck short; body slender. Feet rather short, very slender, tarsus rather shorter than the middle toe, very slender, much compressed; toes extremely compressed; the first comparatively large, longer than the middle toe, including the claw; the inner toe shorter than the outer; claws long, moderately arched, slender, extremely compressed, laterally grooved, acute, that of the hind toe very long. Plumage long, loose, very soft. Bristles obsolete. Wings of moderate length, very broad; the first quill very short, the fourth and fifth longest. Tail long, graduated, of twelve moderately stiff pointed feathers.
115. 1. Certhia familiaris, Linn. Brown Tree-Creeper.
Plate CCCCXV. Male and Female.
Upper parts reddish-brown, the head darker, the rump light brownish-red; all the feathers with a central dull whitish streak; wings deep brown, the coverts tipped, the secondaries barred at the base with dull yellow, of which a broad band, in the midst of a brownish-black space, crosses both webs of the quills, excepting the inner webs of