316 SYSTEMATIC SYNOPSIS. —PASSERES — OSCINES. 



rare exceptions. Eggs white, spotted. It is not easy to frame a definition of this genus cover- 

 ing all its modifications, yet introducing no term inapplicable to any species ; but the foregoing 

 expressions considered collectively, however arbitrary or trivial some of them may seem to be, 

 will serve to distinguish any Dendrceca from its allies of other genera ; and, if so, the diagnosis 

 is exclusively pertinent to the group as conventionally accepted. The coloration of the rec- 

 trices is a good clue to this genus ; for all the species (excepting D. cestica and its conspecies) 

 have the tail-feathers blotched with white — a feature only shown, among North American 

 allies, in 3Iniotilta, Compsothlypis, Protonotaria, and some species of HehnintJiophila and 

 Sylvania. There is as much uniformity in the nest and eggs of Dendrceca as in those of 

 HelmintJwphila. Whereas all these nest on the ground, as far as known all the Dendroecce 

 nest in trees and bushes, with the single exception of D. palmarum. Excepting B. castanea, 

 the eggs are essentially similar ; all being white, variously speckled, dotted, or blotched with 

 shades of reddish and darker brown, and lilac or purplish shell-spots. About 40 species are 

 cuiTcnt, but not all of them are well established ; notable extralimital species are : pityophila 

 (Cuba), adelaidcB (Porto Eico), phareira (Jamaica), eoa (Jamaica), aureola (Galapagoes), 

 capitahs (Barbadoes), and petechia (West Indies) with its several tropical forms, all like our 

 astiva. Of the 26 species which have been ascribed to North America, " montana " and 

 "carbonata" remain unknown: leaving 24 species to be treated, nearly as in the orig. ed. 

 of the Key, there having been but two North American accessions {plivacea and hryanti) to 

 the genus since 1872, though four varieties (respectively of cBstiva, of dominica, oi palmarum, 

 and of ccerulescens) have meanwhile been described. D. tigrina was made type of a genus 

 Perissoglossa by Baird in 1865, and I made oliracea type of a genus Peucedramus in 1876 ; 

 but both of these are now reduced to subgenera of Dendrceca, as follows : 



A7ialysis of Stibgenera of Dendrceca. 



Bill very acute, with appreciably decurved tip (much as in some species oiHelminthophagn ; tongue peculiarly 

 fringed ■. Perissoglossa {tigrina) 



Bill very long, attenuate, culmen rather concave than convex in part, and under outline about straight. Wing half 

 as long again as tail Peucedramus (oliracea) 



Bill otherwise Pendroeca (proper) 



The following artificial analysis will facilitate the determination of our 24 established 

 species ; I believe it to be an infallible key to the perfect male plumages, and that it will 

 probably hold good for spring specimens of both sexes of many species ; but it will fail for 

 nearly all autumnal and most female specimens of (b). It is diificult if not impossible to meet 

 the varied requirements of these by rigid analysis ; and recourse must be had to the detailed 

 descriptions of the species arranged in what seems to be their natural sequence. The supple- 

 mentary table of certain diagnostic marks may prove of much assistance, though it is not a 

 complete analysis. 



Analysis of perfect Spring Males. 



Tail-feathers edged with yellow ; head — yellow rrstiva, (f. sonorana, (r. rubiginosa 



— chestnut hryanti castaneiceps 



Tail-feathers blotched with white ; a white spot at the base of primaries 



head — black and blue ccerulescens and c. cnirnsi 



— orange-brown with black stripe oliracea 



— no white spot at base of primaries, (a) 



(a) Wing-bars not white. Below, white ; sides chestnut-streaked, crowni yellow penniylvanica 



— yellow; sides reddish-streaked, crown reddish . . . palmarum and p. hypocfin/sea 



— black-streaked ; above, ashy kirtlandi 



— olive, reddish-streaked discolor 



(a) Wing-bars white (sometimes fused into one large white patch), (b) 



(,b) Crown blue, like back ; below white, sides and breast streaked rara 



— chestnut, like throat ; below, and sides of neck, butfy-tinged caslanea 



— clear ash ; rump and under parts yellow, breast and sides black-streaked maculosa 



— blackish, with median line orange-brown, Uke auriculars ; rump yellow tigrina 



