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Wilson, Alexander, 1766-1813. / American ornithology; or The natural history of the birds of the United States
(1828)

Species 17. Sylvia cærulea. Cerulean warbler,   pp. [361]-362


Page [361]


SPECIES 17. SYLVI. C.RULEa.
                CERULEAN WARBLER.
                  [Plate XVII. -Fig. 5.]
                  PEALE'S J*Iuseuin, .)Vo. 7S09.
  THIS delicate little species is now, for the first time, intro-
duced to public notice. Except my friend Mr. Peale, I know
of no other naturalist who seems to have hitherto known of its
existence. At what time it arrives from the south I cannot
positively say, as I never met with it in spring; but have seve-
ral times found it during summer. On the borders of streams
and marshes, among the branches of the poplar, it is sometimes
to be found. It has many of the habits of the Flycatcher;
though, like the preceding, from the formation of its bill we
must arrange it with the Warblers. It is one of our scarce birds
in Pennsylvania; and its nest has hitherto eluded my search. I
have never observed it after the twentieth of August, and there-
fore suppose it retires early to the south.
  This bird is four inches and a half long, and seven and a half
broad; the front and upper part of the head is of a fine verditer
blue; the hind head and back of the same colour, but not quite
so brilliant; a few lateral streaks of black mark the upper part
of the back; wings and tail black, edged with sky blue; the three
secondaries next the body edged with white, and the first and
second row of coverts also tipt with white; tail coverts large,
black, and broadly tipt with blue; lesser wing coverts black,
also broadly tipt with blue, so as to appear nearly wholly of
that tint; sides of the breast spotted or streaked with blue; belly,
chin and throat pure white; the tail is forked, the five lateral
feathers on each side with each a spot of white, the two middle
more slightly marked with the same; from the eye backward,
  VOLT. I-z Z


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