KINGLETS, GNATCATCHERS, ETC. 



465 



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



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 .10. 



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



GENUS POLIOPTILA. 



General Chararters. — Bill shorter than head, broad and flat- 

 tened at base, narrowing- to slender notched and hooked tip ; 4 

 nostrils exposed: wings rounded; tail graduated; tarsus scaled; 

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



KEY TO SPECIES. 



1. Outer tail feather with exposed portion entirely white. 



2. Crown light bluish g'ray. From Colorado east. 



caerulea, p. 4(1 



Fig. 5<VJ. 



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



obscura, p. 400. 

 r. Outer tail feather with exposed portion partly black. 



2. Outer tail feather with outer web entirely white. 



plumb ea. p. 406. 

 Fig. 593. 



Fig. 594. 



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

 white. Southern California . califoriiica. p. 400. 



751. Polioptila caerulea (Linn.). Blue-gray Gnatcatcher. 



Adult male. — Upi)er parts bluish gray, brightest on crown, fading to 

 lighter on rump ; forehead and 



line over eye black : tail black with ^^•^;^, /.ii<.(^i >• k 

 exposed part of outer feathers en- ^^^j ,^«*^*W9^^^ 

 tirely white; under parts white \''-J -^^"iiafc^^B^x^ 



washed with bluish on .sides. 

 Adxdt fenade and i/ming : simi- 

 lar, but duller, and without black 

 on head ; young with upper parts 

 wa.shed with cinnamon. Lenqth : 

 4.05-r)..")»), wing 2.0(»-2.2(>. tail 

 2.().')-2.2(). 



Distribution. — Breeds in Up- 

 per Sonoran /out' in the eastern 

 and (•(Mitral I'liittMl St;ites west 

 to Colorado and wi'stcin Texas ; 

 winters from the southern .\tl;m- 

 tic andCtulf states to (}iiatemal;i. 

 Cuba, and the Bahamas. 



Nest. — In trees, cup-sliaped, 



