366 PHYLLOPNEUSTE SYLVICOLA. 



the secondaries long. The tail is rather long, and a little 

 emarginate, the middle feathers being about a twelfth of an 

 inch shorter than the lateral. 



The upper mandible is dusky brown, with the edges yellow- 

 ish; the lower mandible brownish-yellow, towards the end 

 dusky. The tongue and mouth are orange ; the iris brown. 

 The feet are light brown, the claws wood-brown. The gene- 

 ral colour of the upper parts is a delicate yellowish-green ; 

 a band of pale yellow passes from the nasal membrane over 

 the eye ; the loral space is slightly dusky ; the eyelids, cheeks, 

 throat and fore part of the neck, a small part of the breast and 

 sides under the wing pale yellow ; the rest of the lower parts 

 of a silvery or greyish-white. The quills and coverts are 

 greyish-brown, edged externally with yellowish-green, ex- 

 cepting the first and second quills, which are faintly edged 

 with brownish- white ; the tail-feathers similar, the lateral 

 edged with pale brown ; the lower wing-coverts greyish- 

 brown, margined with pale yellow, the series over the quills 

 white. 



Length to end of tail 5 j^^ inches ; extent of wings 8f ; wing 

 from flexure Sj^ ; tail 2/^ ; bill along the ridge j|, along the 

 edge of lower mandible f% ; tarsus ^i ; first toe j%, its claw ^^ ; 

 second toe |*g, its claw l^-^ ; third toe ^ j, its claw l^g ; fourth 

 toe l^g, its claw j%. 



Female. — The female is not with certainty distinguishable 

 from the male, unless by dissection, the colours being in gene- 

 ral precisely similar. 



Length to end of tail 5^% ; extent of wings 8^% ; bill along 

 the ridge ^^| ; tarsus |*^ ; middle toe and claw /| . 



Variations. — I have not observed any other variations than 

 those dependent upon the wearing of the plumage and the fad- 

 ing of its tints. The above descriptions are from individuals 

 in perfect plumage, not in the smallest degree worn, obtained 

 in May. Many individuals arrive in that state, and must 

 therefore have moulted in their winter residence, while in 



