94 The Ottawa Naturalist. [July 



my hands. How convenient to say "That is a Parula Warbler !" 

 For two or three years after I began preserving specimens, I did 

 not meet with a single example of this bird. 



My interest in the species became quickened when I read in 

 The Auk, vol. xiii, page 44, Mr. William Brewester's description 

 of a new sub-species to be known as the Northern Parula. To 

 obtain a Parula Warbler would no longer suffice. 



From the given range, I surmised ours should be the northern 

 form, but I wished to verify the theory. Since then I have taken 

 one specimen only an adult ^ shot in a thick thorn tree in the 

 Thames valley, i6th May, 1899. On my request for the loan of 

 specimens, Mr. W. E. Saunders kindly placed three adult ^ $ aX. 

 my disposal. 



While the series is much too small to expect very definite con- 

 clusions, I offer the following notes on the classification of these 

 four birds. 



To briefly summarize Mr. Brewester's comparative diagnosis 

 the Northern Parula, Cotnpsothlypis americajia iisfiecv may be 

 distinguished from typical C. aniericana by the following points: 

 Slightly larger, with shorter bill. Adult ^ with less yellow on under 

 parts, more black on lores, collar across jugulum broad and black, 

 chest spotted with rich brownish chestnut. 



On being compared with my specimen, two of Mr. Saunders's 

 birds are seen to belong to the northern form. His third specimen 

 so closely approaches mine and differs so much from the first two 

 as to afford a rather striking contrast to them. The only feature 

 in which my specimen differs from C. americana, is in the extent of 

 the black on lores and malar region This is more pronounced in 

 mine than in any of l:he others ; in typical arnericnna it is less. A 

 row of minute white feathers bordering the yellow on throat may 

 be ascribed to albinism. In all other respects viz : smaller size, 

 larger and longer bill, amount of yellow, narrowness of collar and 

 diffusion of the chestnut wdth the yellow of chest mine agrees 

 completely with the published description of aniericana. 



Mr. Saunders's third specimen has unfortunately lost the tip 

 of the bill, but, judging from its size at base, it was apparently lar- 

 ger than in the other two, Mr. Brewester moreover expressly 



