SYLVICOLlJJJi — THE WAUBLERS. 



211 



The eggs, four or five in number, have a clear white ground, and are spar- 

 ingly spotted with markings of reddish-brown, slate, purple, and lilac. In 

 some the fii'st predominate, in others the last three shades are more abundant, 

 and usually form a confluent ring around the larger end. They measure i'roui 

 .62 to .6.") of an inch in leimth, and from .49 to .50 in breadth. 



Sectio.v sylvicole/e. 



Tliis section lias been already characterized as having a distinctly notched 

 bill, well provided with bristles. Of the two geuei-a one, Perissoglossa, has 

 the bill slender, acute, something like Helminthophaga, and with the tongue 

 lengthene<l and much lacerated at end ; the other, Dcndroica, with less acute 

 biU and tongue shorter, merely notched at tip, and a little fri iiged only. 



Genus PERISSOGLOSSA, P.-vird. 



Perissoglossa, B.\ikd, Rev. Am. Birds, 1864, 181. (Type, MotaciUa. tifirmri, Gm.) 



Gen. Char. Form of Dendroica, but bill slender, acute, with very obsolete notch; the 

 commissure gently arched or curved from the base ; 

 the gonys also straight, or even slightly concave. 

 Tongue lengthened, narrow, deeply bifid (for one 

 third), and deeply lacerated or fringed externally 

 at the end ; the edge along the median portion folded 

 over on the upper surface, but not adherent. 



The curvature of the bill in Perissoglossa 

 tigrina is quite peculiar among the Sijlvi- 

 coluhe with notched bills. Some Helniin- 

 thophagas (without notch) approximate this Perissogh.-.s,, n^rUa, Daird. 



character, though in none, excepting H. hachmani, is it in ecjual amount, — 

 all the others having the gonys very slightly convex, instead of struiglit, or 

 even sUglitly concave. 



It is most probal)le that the Hdinaia carbonata of Audubon belongs here, 

 as it appears very closely allied to the type of this genus. The two species 

 may be distinguished as follows : — 



Co.MMOK Ch.\r.\cters. Male. Top of head black. Above olive, becoming yel- 

 lowish on rump. Head, neck, and lower parts bright yellow, becoming whitish 

 posteriorly. Dorsal feathers with black centres ; breast and sides streaked with 

 black. A Ijlack streak through the eye. 



P. tigrina. Large white patches on inner webs of tail-feathers. 



Sides of head and middle of throat tinged with chestnut. One large 

 white patch on wing, covering both rows of coverts. Outer web of 

 lateral tail-feather blackish. 



