402 WOOD WARBLERS 



GENUS MNIOTILTA. 



636. Mniotilta varia {Linn.). Black and White Warbler. 



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



tip ; lictal bristles minute : wing- long-, pointed ; tarsus about 



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



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



bird streaked glossy blue black and white except for plain white 



Fio. 501. on 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 male : similar to adult male. 



but throat white, unstreaked, and markings duller. Adidt female : similar 



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



dingy. Male : length (skins) 4.30-4.75, wing 2.62-2.79, tail 1.68-2.01, 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, 

 AVest 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 w4iite, 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 scutella 

 indistinct. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Crown patch chestnut. 



2. Rump chestnut luciae, p. 402. 



2'. Rump vellowish green. 



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



3'. Under parts bright vellow. Rocky Mountains to A'^ M M p 

 California gutturalis, p. 404. --^^"^^^ 



1'. Crown patch orange or wanting. Fig. 502. 



2. Crown patch orange ; under parts yellow. 



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

 3'. Under parts bright greenish yellow. 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. 



643. Helminthophila lucise (Cooper). Lucy Warblek. 



Adidt male in spring and summer. — Upper parts gray, crown chestnut, 

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



