428 BULLETIN ")(), UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



allowing- for forms .suhsociuontly doseribed and additional (••onoi'a which 

 it .seems desirable to recog"nize, 2()0 species and subspecies and od 

 genera may be considered a fair estimate. 



The iSIniotiltidie contain a larger proportion of monotypic genera 

 than most Oscine families, nearly one-half of the genera being rep- 

 resented by a single known species.^ 



KKY TO THE (iEN'KHA OF MNIOTI LTin.K. 



a. Outermost (ninth) primary, l)ut little, if any, shorter than seeondaries (usually 

 nuich longer); eighth primary muoli longer than tirst (ecjual to or longer than 

 third); nostril longitudinal, with distinct supericn- membranous operculum. 

 h. Tarsus less than half as long as tail, very mucli less than twice as long as mid- 

 dle toe without claw. ( Mniotlltin.r.) 

 e. Hallux longer than inner toe with claw, about equal to frontal length of tar- 

 sus. {Mnh)tilt:i\ ) Mniotilta ( p. 431 ) 



cc. Hallux much shorter than inner toe with claw (about equal to inner toe 

 without claw), much shorter than frontal length of tarsus. 

 d. Rictal bristles inconspicuous, sometimes f)l)solete; if distinct, much less 

 than half as long as exposed culmen, and Ijill not dej)ressed, its basal 

 depth equal to or greater than its basal wi<lth. 

 e. Tail not longer than wing (usually much shorter); bill slender, its basal 

 depth not more than half the distance from nostril to tiji of maxilla. 

 /. Bill narrowly cuneate, with tip very acute and not distinctly, if at all, 

 decurved, and without distinct, if any, tomial notch. {ITelivai.T.) 

 (J. Rictal bristles obsolete. 



It. Larger (wing more than 63.5). 



/. Inner webs of rectrices without white; wings and tail plain olive or 

 brown; noi)ronounced yellow; nosubterminal notch to maxillary 

 toniinm; basal i)halanx of middle toe united to outer toe for 

 much less than its entire length, to inner toe for not more than 

 half its length. 

 j. Bill mucli compressed, with culmen straight and conspicuously 

 ridged and elevated between nostrils; pileum plain brown. 



Helinaia (p. 43(3) 



jj. Bill moderately compressed, with culmen not conspicuously 



ridged nor elevated between nostrils; pileum 5-striped (3 buff 



and 2 black stri pes ) Helmitheros ( [ >. 43S ) 



?"(. Inner webs of rectrices largely white; wings and tail bluish gray; 

 under parts (whole head in adult male) yellow; maxillary 

 tomium with slight subterminal notch; basal phalanx of middle 

 toe imited for nearly entire length to outer toe, for more than 



half its length to inner toe Protonotaria (p. 442) 



/(/(. Smaller (wing less than (}3.5 — usually much less). 



V. Tail relatively shorter (difference between length of tail and 

 length of wingnearly, if not (|uite, i'<iual to oni'-fourth the K'ngth 

 of the latter); throat not orange nor back black; if back olive- 

 green, no white superciliary stripe nor chestnut spot on breast. 



Helminthophila (p.445) 



' The monotypic genera belonging to North and ^Ii<ldle America are the following: 



Mtiiolilla, HeliiiaUi, Hehnlllieros, Proloiioho-ia, I'cucedratnus, C'atharopeza, Leucojicza, 

 Mi(:r(jlitjea, Iderki, CardeUina, and Eutldiipis. 



