BIKDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 439 



Bill decidedly shorter than head, wedge-shaped, but with cuhiien 

 obvdousl}" (though .slightl}') curved, moderately compressed, with cul- 

 men not sharply ridged nor conspicuously elevated between nostrils; 

 maxillary tomium without subterminal notch; tip of both maxilla and 

 mandible acute; gouys slightly shorter than distance from nostril to 

 tip of maxilla. Nasal fossa? broad but rather short, chiell}' occupied by 

 the broad operculum overhanging the longitudinally oval or subcuneate 

 nostril. Rictal bristles obsolete. Wing rather long, pointed (ninth, 

 eighth, and seventh primaries longest and nearly equal, the ninth 

 longer than seventh, sometimes longest); wing-tip slightly longer than 

 tarsus. Tail slightly shorter than distance from bend of wing to tip 

 of secondaries, even or very slightly rounded, the rectrices moderately 

 broad. Tarsus decidedly longer than commissure (about one-fourth 

 as long as wing or slightly more), its scutella rather indistinct; middle 

 toe with claw slightly shorter than tarsus; basal phalanx of middle toe 

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

 to inner toe. 



Coloration. — Head and under parts buffy, the former with four black 

 stripes; rest of upper parts plain olive-greenish; sexes alike. 



Nidification. — Terrestrial. 



Range.- — Eastern United States (humid division of Upper and Lower 

 Austral zones); south in winter to Cuba, Jamaica, and Central America 

 as far as Panama. (Monotypic.) 



HELMITHEROS VERMIVORUS (Gmelin). 

 WORM-EATING WARBLER. 



Adults {semes altke). — Pileum with two broad lateral stripes of black 

 and a median one of olive-buff; rest of upper parts plain grayish olive- 

 green; a broad superciliary stripe of pale buff' or cream-buff, margined 

 l)eneath by a rather broad postocular streak of black and a more or less 

 distinct triangular spot of the same, or dusk}^ grayish, in front of eye; 

 sides of head below this black line, with entire under parts pale dull 

 buffy, deepest on chest, paler on throat and abdomen (the latter some- 

 times nearly white), tinged with grayish olive on flanks; under tail- 

 coverts pale olive-grayish, edged and broadly tipped with pale yellowish 

 buff'; maxilla brown, usually darker on culmen; mandible paler (pale 

 flesh color in life?); iris brown; legs and feet pale j^ellowish brown in 

 dried skins (more fleshy in life). 



Adidts in vi Inter are more richly colored, the sides of head, chest, 

 etc., deeper buff', the abdomen buff'y yellowish, and the olive-green of 

 upper parts less grayish. 



Young. — Head, neck, and under parts buff', the pileum with two 

 broad, but not strongly contrasted, lateral stripes of wood brown or 

 Isabella color; a postocular streak of the same color; l)ack, scapulars, 

 rump, and upper tail-coverts wood brown or Isabella color; wing- 



