It is six inches long, its color brown above and yellowish-white beneath. This genus also includes the CISTICOLE WARBLER, D. cisticola, four and a half inches long, and celebrated for the ingenuity with which it builds its nest. This is placed in a tuft of strong, coarse grass, and is purse-shaped, with an opening at the side.

Genus EPTHIANURA: Epthianura.-The species of this belong to Australia, of which an example is the WHITE-FRONTED EPTHIANURA, dark gray above, white beneath; forehead, face, and throat white.

The American Warblers are very numerous, about forty species being known in the United States; far the greater part are migratory, as are their congeners in Europe, moving to the north in spring and to the south in autumn; most of them, however, spending the gay season among us, and enlivening our spring and summer landscapes by their lively sports, their cheerful labors, and their delicious songs. They are embraced by naturalists under the family name of Sylvicolide, and ranged under several genera.

Genus TRICHAS: Trichas, includes the Ground-Warblers. The YELLOW-THROAT, T. Marilandica, is five inches long; olive-green above; beneath yellow; makes an oven-shaped nest, similar to that of the Golden-crowned Thrush; lays from four to six'eggs; ranges from Mexico to fifty degrees north. This is one of the species in the nest of which the cow-bunting often deposits one of its eggs, in the manner of the European cuckoo. The nest is placed on the ground, and partly sunk in it, and is oven-shaped. The MOURNING-WARBLER, T. Philadelphia, is five and a half inches long; olive-green above, yellow beneath; a rare species, of shy and solitary habits; little known: MACGILLIVRAY'S GROUND-WARBLER, T. Macgillivrayi, six inches long; olive-green above, bright yellow beneath; found on the Columbia River: DELAFIELD'S WARBLER, T. Delafieldi, five and a quarter inches long; olive-gray above, beneath yellow; found in California. Genus HELINAIA: Helinaia.-This includes the Swamp- Warblers, according to Audubon, and is equivalent to the Vermivora of De Kay, and nearly the same as the Dacnis of Cuvier, which includes the Pit-Pits of Buffon. The BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER, H. solitaria, is four and three-quarter inches long; grass-green above, bright yellow beneath; found from Louisiana to New Jersey. It frequents gardens, orchards, and willow-trees, and makes its nest in a tussock of long grass, occasionally shielded by a briar, in the form of an inverted funnel. After its northern migration in summer, it retires to tropical America to spend the winter. The WORM-EATING WARBLER, H. Pennsylvanica, is five and a half inches long; of a deep olive-green above; beneath buff; found from Carolina to the fur countries. SWAINSON'S WARBLER, H. Swainsonii, is five and a half inches long; the upper parts rich brown; under parts brownish-gray; found in the Middle and Eastern States. The PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, H. protonotarius, is five and a half inches long; yellowish-green above, pale yellow beneath; found in the Southern and Western States. The GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, H. chysoptera, is four and a quarter inches long; light ash-gray above and white beneath; found in the Middle and Western States. BACHMAN'S WARBLER, H. Bachmani, is four inches long; brownish-olive above, breast yellow, sides greenishgray, tail-coverts white; found in South Carolina. The CARBONATED WARBLER, H. carbonata, is four and three-quarter inches long; upper parts dusky and dull yellowish-green, fore part of the back and sides dusky, lower back yellowish-green, under parts yellow; found in Kentucky. The TENNESSEE WARBLER, H. peregrina, is four and a half inches long; yellow-olive above, whitish-cream color beneath; found in the Southern States. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, H. celata, is five and a half inches long; brownish-green above, olive-yellow beneath; found from Mexico to Labrador. The NASHVILLE WARBLER, H. rubricapilla, is four and a half inches long; upper parts brownish-green, beneath greenish-yellow; found in the Southern and Western States. Genus SYLVICOLA: Sylvicola. This includes the Wood-Warblers. The SUMMER YELLOW-BIRD, S. æstiva, is five inches long; pale yellowish-green above, beneath yellow; common throughout the Atlantic States. The nest, formed externally of hemp, flax, or woolly substances, is strongly fastened to the forked branches of a small tree, usually near a house. It is then lined with hair and feathers. Into this, as it sometimes happens, the insidious cow-bird drops its egg, in the expectation that it will be hatched by the unsuspecting proprietor of the nest. But the little bird perceives the imposition, and weaves above it a matting which covers it, and prevents its receiving the warmth necessary for incubation. The engraving at page 154 represents a section of such a nest, with the parasitic egg below and the lawful eggs above.

The YELLOW-CROWNED WOOD-WARBLER, S. coronata, is five and a quarter inches long; ashygray above; breast and sides variegated with black; rest of the lower parts white; found throughout the United States. AUDUBON'S WARBLER, S. Audubonii, five and three-quarter inches long; in color resembling the preceding; found on the Columbia River. The BLACK-POLL WARBLER, S.. striata, is five and a quarter inches long; bluish ash-gray, streaked with black above; lower parts white; found from Texas to Labrador. The YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, S. pensilis, is a beautiful species, five and a half inches long; upper parts grayish-blue; throat yellow; breast and lower parts white; found from Texas to New Jersey. The BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, S. castanea, is five and a quarter inches long; the head chestnut-red; back bluish ash-gray; lower parts white, tinged with reddish; found from Texas northward. The CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, S. icterocephala, is five and a half inches long; bluish-ash above; lower parts white; found from Texas VOL. II.-20

northward; the PINE-CREEPING WARBLER, S. pinus, is five inches long; light yellowish-green above, yellow beneath; found from Texas to Maine. The HEMLOCK WARBLER, S. parus, is five and a half inches long; yellowish-green above; breast yellow; rest of the lower parts white; common in the Middle States. The BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, S. virens, is five inches long; upper parts light yellowish-green; fore part of the neck black; lower parts white, tinged with yellow; found from Texas to Newfoundland. The CAPE MAY WARBLER, S. maritima, is five and a half inches long; head and part of the back yellowish-olive; other portions above yellow; lower parts yellow, streaked with black; a rare species; found in New Jersey and Vermont. The BLUE-GRAY WARBLER, S. cærulea, four and a half inches long; upper parts fine light blue; lower parts white; found from Texas northward. The BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, S. Blackburnia, is four and three-quarter inches long; black, streaked with white, above; breast dull yellow; the rest white; found from Texas northward. RATHBONE'S WARBLER, S. Rathbonii, is four and a half inches long; general color bright yellow; found in Mississippi. The YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER, S. petechia, is four and a half inches long; yellowish-olive, streaked with brown, above; lower parts yellow; an abundant species from Texas northward, spending the winter in the Southern States. The BLUE YELLOW-BACKED WARBLER, S. Americana, is four and a half inches long; light blue above; breast yellow; lower parts yellowish-white; it is a beautiful species; found throughout the United States. The HERMIT WARBLER, S. occidentalis, is three and a half inches long; the upper parts bluish-gray; throat black; breast and abdomen white; found on

the Columbia River. The BLACK-THROATED GRAY WARBLER, S. nigrescens, is five inches long; upper parts bluish ash-gray; portion of the breast black; the lower parts white, tinged with gray; found on the Columbia River. The BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, S. Canadensis, is five inches long; light blue above; white beneath; and found from Texas northward. The BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER, S. maculosa, is five inches long; neck and head ash-gray; back and upper tail-coverts black; lower parts and rump yellow; found from Texas northward. The PRAIRIE WARBLER, S. discolor, is five inches long; upper parts yellowish-green; lower parts bright yellow; found from Texas to Massachusetts. The BLUE MOUNTAIN WARBLER, S. montana, is four and a half inches long; upper parts greenish-olive; lower parts yellowish-olive; found in the Blue Mountains of Virginia, and west of the Rocky Mountains. The CONNECTICUT Warbler, S. agilis, is five and three-quarter inches long; olive-green above; breast ash-gray; rest of the lower parts bright yellow; a rare species; found from Connecticut to New Jersey. The ORANGEBREASTED WARBLER, S. olivacea, is found in Texas and Mexico. KIRTLAND's Warbler, S. Kirtlandi, is found in Ohio.

Genus MNIOTILTA: Mniotilta.-This includes the BLACK AND WHITE CREEPING-WARBLER, M. varia, five and a half inches long; the back and breast streaked with black and white; found throughout the United States. It builds its nest on the ground, lays from three to five eggs, and seems to combine the habits of the creeper and warbler.

Genus MYIODIOCTES, or WILSONIA: Myiodioctes.-This includes the Fly-catching Warblers: the HOODED WARBLER, M. mitratus, is five and a half inches long; upper parts yellowisholive; beneath yellow; found in the Middle and Southern States: the CANADA FLY-CATCHER, M. Canadensis, is five and a quarter inches long; ash-gray above; beneath yellow; found in the Western States: BONAPARTE'S WARBLER, M. Bonapartii, five and a quarter inches long; upper parts grayish-blue; lower parts ochre-yellow; found in Kentucky: the KENTUCKY WARBLER, M. formosus, is five and a half inches long; upper parts yellowish-olive; beneath bright yellow; common in the Southern States; rare in the Western: WILSON'S WARBLER, M. Wilsonii, is four and a half inches long; upper parts yellowish-green; beneath bright yellow; found from Texas to Labrador.

CONIROSTRES.

In the birds of this division,* as already stated, the bill is of a more or less conical form— sometimes short, very thick at the base, and rapidly diminishing at the tip; in other cases it is more elongated and tapering, and sometimes slightly curved. The tip of the upper mandible is usually entire, but occasionally there is a slight tooth on each side near the extremity. The wings are generally rather long and pointed, the tarsi long, and the toes of moderate length, the outer one being frequently united at its base to the middle one. This group includes the essentially granivorous birds, but a considerable number of the species are not confined to a grain diet; many of them feed upon fruits and insects, and larvæ form a portion of the nourishment of most of the species. Some appear to feed upon almost any animal or vegetable substances that come in their way, these constituting the greater part of the order of Omnivores, according to some naturalists. Among the families and sub-families included in this extensive division are the following the FRINGILLIDE, including the Weaver-Birds, Grosbeaks, Tanagers, Sparrows, Linnets, Finches, Buntings, Larks, Bull-Finches, Cross-Bills, and Plant-Cutters; the STURNIDÆ, including the Glossy Starlings or Bower-Birds, Grackles, Ox-Peckers, the True Starlings, Meadow-Lark, Blackbirds, Baltimore Oriole, Orchard Oriole, Red-winged Oriole, Cow-Bird, and Boblink; the BUCERIDE or Horn-Bills; the MUSOPHAGIDE or Plantain-Cutters; the COLIIDÆ or Colies; the CORVIDE, including the Piping-Crows, the Jays, the Tree- Crows, the True Crows, the Raven, Rook, Jackdaw, Magpie, Chough, Birds of Paradise, &c.

THE FRINGILLIDE.

Under this head we shall include the vast family of the Finches, a group of birds which in

Cuvier, to whom we are indebted for the divisions of Conirostres, Dentirostres, Tenuirostres, and Fissirostres, which we have adopted, added a fifth, that of the Syndactyli, in which the two outer toes are united for the greater part of their length; this group, however, included birds of very different descriptions, and has since been suppressed by many authors.

cludes an immense number of species, exhibiting a great variety of structure and habit. They are characterized by having a short, stout, conical bill, with an acute tip, of which the upper mandible has no notch at the extremity. The tongue is rather fleshy, with the tip horny, and usually more or less slit. The œsophagus forms a small crop, and the stomach a powerful gizzard, indicating, with the peculiar form of the bill, that the food of the birds consists principally of grain. The toes are of moderate length, armed with long curved claws, that of the hinder toe being often longer than the rest. The wings are rather short, and somewhat pointed at the ex

tremity, and the tail is composed of twelve feathers. These birds are active on the wing, their flight being usually effected by a series of jerks or undulations. On the ground they generally progress by hopping with both legs at once. They always pair, and their nests are usually beautifully constructed; some of them are in fact most elaborate and ingenious structures.

THE PLOCEINE OR WEAVER-BIRDS. These birds, the Tesserins of the French -some of which are so renowned for their ingenious architecture-are mostly inhabitants of Africa, but a few species are found in India and the islands of the eastern archipelago. They are all small birds; their food generally consists of insects and seeds; but one species-those of the genus Textor -accompany the buffaloes and perch on their backs, for the purpose of picking off the parasitic insects that infest them.

Genus VIDUA: Vidua.-This includes the WHIDAH-FINCH OF WIDOW-BIRDVeuve of the French-V. paradisea. The upper parts are of a deep brownish-black; lower parts pale buff. The bird is about the size of a canary, but in some specimens the tail-feathers of the male are a foot in length. Those of this species are favorites for cages, on account of their extraordinary and not ungraceful appearance; they are found in Senegal and South Af rica. The RED-BELLIED WHIDAH-FINCH, V. erythrorhynchus, is a smaller species, inhabiting Senegal.

Genus EUPLECTES: Euplectes.-This includes a species of which we know but little, except their nests, but these are curious enough. They are most ingeniously woven of grass, in the shape of a chemist's retort, and are suspended from the branch of a tree over a lake, pool, or river, with the mouth down and nearly touching the water. The object of this arrangement is to protect the eggs and young from the monkeys and serpents which abound in these regions. Genus PLOCEUS: Ploceus.-This includes the REPUBLICAN WEAVERS or SOCIABLE WEAV