BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 479 



its sciitella indistinct (more or less fused on outer side); middle toe 

 with claw much shorter than tarsus; basal phalanx of middle toe united 

 for more than half its length to outer toe, for about half its length, 

 or slightl}^ more, to inner toe. 



Coloration. — Bluish gray or grayish blue above, with an olive-green 

 patch on interscapular region; beneath with more or less of yellow; 

 wings usually with white bands. 



Nidification {so far as knoion). — Nest concealed within pendant tufts 

 of arboreal lichens or filiform epiphytes. 



Range. — Eastern United States and tropical America in general; 

 West Indies in winter. (Three species.) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OP COMPSOTHLYPIS. 



(I. Throat and breast yellow; back olive-green. (Adults.) 

 h. Posterior half, or more, of under parts white, or at least not distinctly yellow; 

 a white spot on each eyelid; malar region gray or bluish. {Compsothlypis 

 americana. ) 

 c. Brighter in color; general hue of upper parts grayish blue; throat and breast 

 bright yellow, the chest with more or less of orange-tawny, chestnut, or 

 dusky, or with all these colors. (Adult males.) 

 d. Duller in color, usually without any distinct dusky band or conspic- 

 uous intermixture of chestnut across chest; l)ill larger (exposed cul- 

 men averaging 10.6). (South Atlantic States, north to coast of Virginia, 

 occasionally farther northward and westward.) 



Compsothlypis americana americana, adult male (p. 481 ) 



dd. Brighter in color, usually with a distinct, often very conspicuous, dusky 



band and intermixture of chestnut on chest; bill smaller (exposed culmen 



averaging less than 10). 



e. Larger (wing averaging 60.6, tail 42.5). (Northeastern United States, 



breeding from interior districts of Maryland am. Virginia northward.) 



Compsothlypis americana usneae, adult male (p. 484) 



ee. Smaller (wing averaging 57.4, tail 40.9). ( ^Mississippi Valley, breeding 



from Mississippi, Louisiana, and Texas to ^Minnesota and Michigan.) 



Compsothlypis americana ramalinae, adult male (p. 486) 



cc. Duller in color; general hue of upper parts gray or bluish gray; throat and 



breast pale yellow, the chest similar, or with but little and inconspicuous, 



if any, admixture of orange-tawny or dusky. (Adult females. ) 



d. Wing averaging more than 54, tail averaging more than 39. 



e. Smaller, with larger bill (wing averaging 54.7, tail 39.6, exposed culmen 



10.1) Compsothlypis americana americana, adult female (p. 481) 



ee. Larger, with smaller [>ill (wing averaging 56.9, tail 40.1, exposed culmen 



9.9) Compsothlypis americana usneae, adult female (p. 484) 



dd. Wing averaging 50.2, tail 38.5. 



Compsothlypis americana ramalinae, adult female (p. 486) 

 hb. Less than posterior half of under parts white; no white on eyelids; malar 

 region yellow, 

 c Lores and suborbital region black or dusky; subterminal white spot on inner 

 web of lateral rectrices large and sharply defined; posterior under parts 

 largely white; colors much brighter, the adult males distinctly bluish gray 

 or grayish blue above, and with yellow of under parts deepening into tawny- 

 yellow or orange-ochraceous on chest. ( Compsothlypis pitiayumi. ) 



