222 CHARACTERS OF HELMINTHOPHAGA VIRGINIA 



Virginia's Warbler 



Helmlntbopbaga Tirffinise 



Helminthophaga vlrglnise, Bd. B"NA. ed. of 18C0 (not of 1858), Atlas, p. xi, footnote, pi. 7S, 

 f. 1 (Cantonment Burgwyn, N. Mex.).— iJd. Eev. AB. 1865, m.—Coues, Pr. Pbila. 

 Acail. xviii. 1866, 70 (Fort Whipple, Ariz.).— Coop. B. Cal. i. 1870, e5.— Coues, Key, 1872, 

 94.— AfJt^n, Pr. Bost. Soc. xv. 1872, 196 (Colorado ; nest and eggs).— Bid^^w. Bull. Ess. 

 Inst. V. 1873, 180.- Cowes, BNW. 1874, 51.-B. B.£ B.^AB.i. 1674, 199, pi. 11, f.l2; 

 App. iii. 50i.—Hcnsh. Rep. Orn. Specs. 1874, 41.— Hensh. List B. Ariz. 1875, 156.— 

 Hensh. Zool. Expl. W. 100 Merid. 1876, 189. 



Mnlotilta virginlae, Oieb. Nomencl. Av. ii. 1875, 608. 



Virginia's Warbler, Rocliy Mountaiu Warbler, Authors. 



Hab. — Southern portion of the Middle Province of the TTnited States, or 

 Southern Rocky Mountain region at large. North to Nevada, Utah, and 

 Colorado at least, where it breeds. Found (migratory ?) in New Mexico and 

 Arizona. Winter resorts unknown (probably in Mexico). 



Ch. sp. — S plumbea, infra sordide alba; tectricibus caudw su- 

 perioribus et inferioribus, necnon macula pectorali, fiavis; vertice 

 castaneo. 9 sat similis, partibus fiavis obscurioribus, pileo cos- 

 taneo restricto. 



$ , in summer : Ashy-plumbeous, alike on the back, and top and sides of 

 head. Below dull whitish, the sides shaded with ashy. Lining and edge of 

 wings white. Upper and under tail-coverts, and isolated spot on the breast, 

 yellow, in strong contrast with all surroundings. A white ring round eye. 

 Wings and tail without yellowish edgings. Crown with a chestnut patch, 

 as in H. ruficapilla. Length, 4| ; extent, 7i ; wing, 2^-2^ ; tail, 2^. 



9 , in summer : Quite like the male, the yellow duller and slightly tinged 

 with greenish ; that of the breast, and the chestnut of the crown, more re- 

 stricted than in the ^. 



Autumnal specimens resemble the $ most nearly ; but in both sexes the 

 plumbeous of the upper parts has a slight olive shade, and in birds of the 

 year the crown-patch may be wanting. 



When this species was first described, from defective material, the isolated 

 yellow spot on the breast, so different from anything observed elsewhere in 

 the genus, suggested the possibility that better plumaged specimens might 

 be extensively yellow underneath, and thus like H. ruficapilla. But many 

 specimens since taken, in high spring plumage, intensify the oiiginal char- 

 acters given of the species, and separate it still more widely from H. 

 ruficapilla. The whole upper parts are about of the shade of the head of 

 ruficapilla, and, even when most glossed with olive, are still strongly con- 

 trasted with the yellow upper tail-coverts. The under parts are as white as 

 in adnlt pcrcgrina, with the yellow spot on the breast, and yellow under tail- 

 coverts, both in strong contrast. The chestnut crown and white eye-ring 

 are much as in ruficapilla. 



VIRGINIA'S Warbler was discovered at Cantonment Burg- 

 wyn, iu New Mexico, by Dr. W. W. Anderson, and first 

 described, in 1860, by Professor Baird, who dedicated it to the 

 wife of the discoverer. The type-specimen remained unique 



