402 WOOD WARBLERS 



GENUS MNIOTILTA. 



636. Mniotilta varia (ii«n.)- Black and White Warbler. 



Bill shorter than head, very slender, notched and slightly decurved at 



tip ; rictal bristles minute ; wing- long-, pointed ; tarsus about 



one fourth as long- as wing- or less, its seutella rather indistinct ; 



middle toe with claw about equal to tarsus. Adult male: whole 



_ bird streaked glossy blue black and white except for plain white 



Fig. 501. ^^ middle of belly; throat closely streaked, sometimes solid 



black; wing- with two white bars ; tail with white spots near end 



on inner webs of two outer feathers. Young mule : similar to adult male, 



but throat white, unstreaked, and marking-s duller. Adult female : similar 



to young male, but duller, the black not so deep, and white of under parts 



dingy. Male : length (skins) 4.30-4.7.5. wing 2.62-2.79. tail 1.(58-2.01, bill 



.40-.51. Female: length (skins) 4.30-4.65, wing 2.56-2.66, tail 1.79-1.91, 



bill .40-48. 



Distribution. — Breeds from the Atlantic to the Plains and from Fort 

 Simpson to Virginia and southern Kansas ; winters in the Gulf states, 

 West Indies, and south to South America ; accidental in California. 



Nest. — Imbedded in ground in woods, made of plant fibers, grasses, 

 moss, and leaves, lined with stems and hair ; sometimes partially roofed 

 over. Eggs : 4 or 5, creamy white, thickly speckled, chiefly on larger end, 

 with reddish brown. 



Food. — Insects and their eggs and larvae. 



GENUS HELMINTHOPHILA. 



General Characters. — Bill much shorter than head, narrowly wedge- 

 shaped, straight, tip without notch, very acute ; rictal bristles obsolete ; 

 wing with three or four outermost primaries abruptly longest ; tarsus 

 nearly one third as long as wing (except in H. peregrina), its seutella 

 indistinct. 



KEY TO adult males. 



1. Crown patch chestnut. 



2. Rump chestnut luciaB, p. 402. 



2'. Rump yellowish green. 



3. Under parts white Avith yellow chest patch . . virginiae, p. 403. 



3'. Under parts bright yellow. Rocky Mountains to 

 California ...'.... gutturalis, p. 404. 



1'. Crown patch orange or w^anting. Fig. 502. 



2. Crown patch orange ; under parts yellow. 



3. Under parts dull yellow. Rocky Mountains. . . celata, p. 404. 

 3'. Under parts bright greenish yelloAv. Rocky Mountains to Pacific 

 coast. 



4. Lighter. Western States lutescens, p. 405. 



4'. Darker. California Islands sordida, p. 405. 



2'. Crown patch wanting ; under parts grayish white. 



peregrina, p. 406. 



648. Helminthophila lucise (Coo;jer). Lucy Warbler. 



Adult male in spring and summer. — Upper parts gray, cro-wn chestnut, 

 feathers more or less tipped with gray ; upper tail coverts bright chestnut; 



