KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC. 



465 



749a. R. c. grinnelli W. Palmer. Sitkan Kikglet. 



Adult male. — ►Similar to calendula, but smaller and darker ; upper 

 parts sooty olive, darkening- to blackish along- sides of vermilion crown 

 patch ; wing- with dark parts nearly black ; throat and breast dusky gray ; 

 belly whitish, tinged with yellowish. Young male : rich brownish olive, 

 much darker than corresponding- calendula, and under parts brighter. 

 Wing: 2.17, tail 1.70. bill .16. 



Distribution. — Sitka district, Alaska ; migrating south to California. 



GENUS POLIOPTILA. 



General Characters. — Bill shorter than head, broad and flat- ,^===5=^ 



tened at base, narrowing to slender notched and hooked tip ; ^^^^^^ 



nostrils exposed; wings rounded; tail graduated; tarsus scaled; ""^^^^^ 



toes short, side ones only about half as long as tarsus. Fig. 591. 



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Outer tail feather with exposed portion entirely white. 



2. Crown light bluish gray. From Colorado east. ^"^ilpPW 



caerulea, p. 4(15. V ' 

 Fig. 592. 



2'. Crown dark bluish gray. Western Texas to California. 



obscura, p. 466. 

 1'. Outer tail feather with exposed portion partly black. 



2. Outer tail feather with outer web entirely white. 



plumb ea, p. 466. 



Pig. 593. 



Fig. 594. 



2'. Outer tail feather with outer web black, edged with 

 white. Southern California . californica, p. 466. 



751. Polioptila cserulea [Linn.). Blue-gray Gnatcatchkb. 



Adult male. — Upper parts bluish gray, brightest on crown, fading to 

 lighter on rump ; forehead and 

 line over eye black ; tail black witli ^^fc.'^> 

 exposed part of DUter feathers en- ^^"^ 

 tirely white ; under parts white 

 washed with bluish on sides. 

 Adult female and young : simi- 

 lar, but duller, and without black 

 on head ; young with upper parts 

 washed with cinnamon. Length : 

 4.0.")-5.rj(), wing 2.00-2.20, tail 

 2.05-2.20. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Up- 

 per Sonoran zone in the eastern 

 and central United States west 

 to Colorado and western Texas ; 

 winters from the southern Atlan- 

 tic and (lulf states to (luateraala. 

 Cuba, and the Bahamas. 



Nest. — In trees, cup-shaped, 



