248 



U. S. r. R. R EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



Section Icterieae. 

 lOTEraA, Vieillot. 



hierin, Vikii.i.ot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1790, iii and 85. 

 l)ill sliortcr tlian the head ; hroad at the hase, hut rapidly becoming compressed or much higlier tlian broad, witli the ridjjo 

 elevated and sharp from tlie very hase of the bill ; the upper outline much curved throughout ; the cummissuro less curved but 

 strongly concave ; the gonys nearly straight, the upper edge of the lower jaw as conve.x as the commissure is concave. No 

 notch in the bill and the rictal bristles small. Tarsi longer than the toes, without scutellae, except faint indications on tho 

 inner side. Lateral toes about equal ; shorter than the hinder. Wings about equal to the tail, rounded ; the first quill longer 

 than the secondaries. Tail graduated ; above olive; beneath yellow. Abdomen, eyelids, maxillary patch, and line to tho 

 bill, white. 



The proper jjosition of this genus has always been a matter of much uncertainty, but I see 

 no reason why it may not legitimately be assigned to the Sylvlcolinae, possessing, as it does, so 

 many of their characteristics. The bill is stouter and more curved than in the rest, but tho 

 other characters agree very well. It cannot properly be placed with the vireos and .shrikes on 

 account of the absence of a spurious primary, as well as of a notch in either mandible. 



The two species are best distinguished by the relative length of the tail. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



* The original nf Mr. Lawrence's Icteria longicauda. 



ICTEKIA VIRIDIS, Bonap. 



Yellow Ui'casted Chat. 



~Mmciciipa viridis, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 936. 



Icteria Hindis, BoNAP. Obs. Wilson, 18a6, No. 163.— Ib. List, 1838.— Ib. Consp. 1850, 33L— Niittall, Man. I, 

 1832, 299.—AUD. Orn. Biog. II, 1834,223: V, 133; pi. 137.— Ib. Syn. 1839, l«3.—li!. Birds Am. 

 Iv.ttria ilumecola, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1807, 85 ; pi. Iv. 

 Fi/ira polyglotta, Wilson, Am. Orn. I, 1808,90. 

 " Tanagra oliviicca, Desmabest, Tangaras, (r?, not the Q or O.)" 

 " JImpelis luteus, Sparrmann, Mus. Carls, tab. Ixx," (Bonap.) 

 7 Icttria vtlasiiuizii, Bonap. Pr. Zool. Soc. 1837, 117.— lit. Consp. 1850, 33L 

 J\h'rula viHdis carolincnsis^ Brissok, II, 1760, 315. 

 Yetloxo breasted chat, Catesbt, Carol. I, 1730, tab. 1. 

 Chaltiring flycatcher, Pennant, II, 388. — Latham, Syn. II, i, 360. 



Sp. Ch. — Third and fourth quills longest ; second and fifth little shorter; first nearly equal to tho sixth. Tail graduated. 

 Upper parts uniform olive green ; under parts, including the inside of wing, gamboge yellow as far as nearly halfway from the 

 point of the bill to the tip of the tail ; rest of under parts white, tinged with brown on the sides ; the outer side of the tibia 

 plumbeous ; a s.ight tinge of orange acro.ss tho breast. Forehead and sidos of the head a.sh, the lores and region below the eye 

 blackish. A while stripe from the nostrils over the eye and involving the upper eyelid; a patch on tho lower lid, and a short 

 stripe from the Hide of tho lower mandible, and running to a point opposite tho hinder border of the eye, white. Bill black ; 

 feet brown. Female like tho male, but smaller ; tho markings indistinct ; tho lower mandible not pure black. Length, 7.40 ; 

 wing, 3.25 ; tail, 3. .30. 



Hab. — f;a8tern United .States to the Missouri, soulh to Guatemala. 



