Object Status:
Extant
Accession Date:
By 1799
Primary Source Reference:
Charles Willson Peale, Lecture on Natural History 36. (ca. 1799). Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40. / https://ansp.org/research/library/archives/0000-0099/coll0040/
Additional Source Text:
Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827) wrote, in his 36th Lecture (ca. 1799): "No. 1780. Yellow-Poll Warbler. The forehead and under part of the body a fine yellow; the brest streaked with red; the back & wings a yellow-green; primaries brown bordered with green; tail brown bordered with rich yellow. Motacilla aestiva Linn. Figuier de Canada Buff. pl. enl. 58. fig. 2. Yellow-Poll. Pennant & Latham. No. 1781. Female. The general Plumage like the male, a circumstance not known to Buffon or Pennant. Pennant says they are found as far north as Hudson's bay, and, according to Buffon, retire into South America. I think it very probable that they breed in Pennsylvania, as they are a common bird with us, in the summer. Want of leisure has as yet prevented one from ascertaining the fact." (Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University Archives, coll. 40)
In a draft copy of "A Walk Through the Philad[elphi]a Museum" (1805–1806), Peale listed "yellow pole W. (M. aestiva) very common" (Historical Society of Pennsylvania, coll. 0481). The page of the final draft containing this reference has not been located.
Alexander Wilson (1766-1813) described this species under the name "Blue-eyed Yellow Warbler / Sylvia citrinella" in American Ornithology vol. 2 (Pl. 15), where Peale's Museum No. 7266" was cited (Wilson 1810: 111). / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175511#page/127/mode/1up (text) / https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/175511#page/118/mode/1up (plate)
An unmounted specimen of "Motacilla aestiva (Yellow poll W)" was listed in "A Catalogue of Duplicate Specimens...", May 1822. [unpublished] American Philosophical Society Library (Mss.B.P31).
Notes:
Several references to "yellow birds" prior to C. W. Peale’s 36th Lecture may refer to this species, but probably refer to American Goldfinch Spinus tristis. For example, on 12 October 1792, C. W. Peale sent “Cock & Hen Yellow birds” to Thomas Hall in London, in exchange for European specimens (Miller 1988: 42, Selected Papers, Vol. 2, part 1, Yale University Press). On 9 December 1792, Peale sent a “small Yellow Bird” to Christian Magus, which may have been this species (Miller 1988: 44).
Specimen Type:
Dead/preserved
Current Common Name:
Yellow Warbler
Current Scientific Name
Parulidae | Setophaga petechia
