SYLVICOLIDiE — MNIOTILTA VARIA, CREEPING WARBLER. 45 



Young : Edgiugs of the feathers of the upper parts having a huffy cast, giving a 

 richer complexion to the phimage. Feathers of the back anil scapulars having pure 

 ■white edging, forming conspicuous semicircular markings. Greater coverts and long 

 inner secondaries broadly tipped with white, and outer wing-feathers edged and tip])ed 

 with white or bufly. Ear-coverts buffy-brown, forming a more conspicuous patch than 

 in the adult. Under parts strongly tinged, except on throat and middle of belly, with 

 bufty-brown, the pectoral and lateral streaks numerous, large, and suffused. 



The sexes are indistinguishable, though the male may average a little larger than 

 the female. The bill is slender and weak, compressed aud acute, with the culmen con- 

 cave uear the base, aud the uostrils quite large, covered with a raised scale. Hiud 

 claw remarkably lengthened, little curved, very slender and acute, usually somewhat 

 exceeding its digit in length, but very variable, as is generally the case with such un- 

 usual developments. 



Length 6.2.5 to 7.00, but rarely over 6.75. Extent 10.00 to 11.00, rarely more, in one 

 instance 11.50, generally about'l0..50. Wing ,3.00 to 3.30. Tail about 2.33. Bill about 

 0.50 along culmen. Tarsus in front 0.80 to 0.90. Hiud toe and claw 0.80 to 1.00. 



■ Family SYLVICOLIDiE : American Warblers. 



MNIOTILTA VAEIA, (Linn.) Yieill. 



Black-annl-white Creeping Warbler. 



MotaciUa varia, LiNN., Syst. Nat. i, 1766, 333. 



Certhia varia, Vieill., Ois. Am. Sept. ii, 1S07, 69.— Aud., Orn. Biog. i, 1832, 452, pi. 90. 



Mniotilta varia, Vieill., Anal. 1816, aud Gal. Ois. i, 1834, 276, pi. 169.— Bp., List, 1838, 



11.- Aud., B. Am. ii, 1841, 105, pi. 114.— Woodh., Sitgr. Rep. 1853, 69.— Scl., 



P. Z. S. 1856, 140.— Bo., B. N. A. 1858, 235, and Rev. 1864, 167.— Lawr., Ann. 



Lye. viii, 1865, 175 (New Granada).— Salv., P. Z. S. 1867, 135 (Veragua).— Sgl. 



& Salv., P. Z. S. 1870, 780 (Merida).— Hayd., Rep. 1862, 159.— Lawji., Ann. 



Lye. ix, 1868, 93 (Costa Rica).— Allen, Bull. M. C. Z. iii, 1872, 175.— Scott, Pr. 



Bost. Soc. 1872 (breeding in West Virginia).— CouES, Key, 1872, 92, fig. 35. — 



Trippe, Pr. Bost. Soc. xv, 1872, 234 (Iowa).— Smow, B. Kaus. 1873, 4.— And of 



all later writers. 

 Sylvia varia, Bp., Synopsis, 1828, 81. 

 Sylvicola varia, Rich., List, 1837. 



Certhia maculata, WiLS., Am. Orn. ili, 1811, 22, pi. 19. 

 Mniotilta horealis, NuTT., Man. i, 2d ed. 1840, 704. 

 Mniotilta var. lonyirostris, Bd., B. N. A. 1858, page xxxi. No. 167. 



Hub. — Eastern North America. North to the fur countries in summer. South to 

 Mexico, Central America, and West Indies (uumerous quotations). West to Kansas and. 

 the Missouri "as high up as Fort Pierre at least" (Jlayden). 



Lieutenant Warren's Expedition. — 4676-81, Lower Missouri. 



Not obtained by Captain Raynolds' Expedition, nor by the later ones. 



A species confined to the Eastern Province, reaching its western limit 

 on the confines of the Missonri region and in Arkansas. Its northern 

 limit is not exactly defined, unless it be represented by the latitude of 

 Fort Simpson. The extraliniital quotations to the southward are very 

 numerous and diversified, sliowing how generally the bird leaves the 

 United States in the fall ; still, a lew linger on our extreme border, as 

 shown by Mr. Allen's record of its not uncommon occurrence in Florida 

 throughout the winter (Bull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 2G7). Great numbers 

 enter the United States in March, and some even in February ; they 

 reach the middle districts in April, and soon become generally dispersed. 

 Contrary to the rule among our warblers, this bird has a breeding range 

 apparently coextensive with its North American range, which is tlie 

 more remarkable since it is truly a migratory species. Audubon men- 

 tions its breeding in Texas and Louisiana ; and others note the same all 

 along its range. There is some discrepancy in the statements of ob- 

 servers respecting its nidification. Audubon states that it breeds in 

 holes in trees, but such appears not to be its habit. Nuttall describes a 



