118 Binns OP Illinois. 



shiirplirdoaDeil: tho streaks of tbu bruast ludlHtiDi't eraylsb-duBkv. KulTuitud with piilo 

 fulvou.s. tlio«o of the buck morn stroiiuly tluKod Willi niety. Tlio two HtrliK-K on tin' 

 piloum dull Kruylnh-duBky, lu»it.'ad of deup black. 



There in a »lli;hl averaeu difference in proportlonB between birde of this Bpccles from 

 the Atlantic coost district and those from the country westward of the Alleebunles. but 

 the difference Is scarcely suRlcient to warrant their separation us races. The uvormte 

 meosuremeDts of specimens from the two regions are as follows: 



Atlantic coa$t specimens (true .1/. farm). Male: Wine. ■.i.";i-2.88 laveroxe 2.78); tail. I.»i-2.2« 

 U.07); culmen. .45-.S0(.«i; bill from nohlrll. .sa-.-to (.ajj; tarsus. .GO-.iB (.oji; middle 

 toe. .50-. M (.64). /Vma/c: 2.70; 2.-2.(15 (J. U.'); .45-.<8 (.46); .;)0-.38 (.;i7): .68-.7U (.at); .10. 

 Mississippi Vailey specimens IM. varia Itorealis). Male: Wins. 2. 70-2.90(2.80); tail, 2.-2.24 

 (2.09); culmen, .40-.48 (.44); bill from nostril, .o0-.3S (.32i: tarsus, .ti2-.t)5 (.63); middlu 

 toe, .49-. 58 (.02). Female: 2.«0-2.75 (2.65); 1.92-2.0.96): .40-. 45 (.42): .Si: .66; .50 .56 (.53) 

 The above fleuros are based upon the careful mea.sur<-ment of 9 adult males und2 

 adult females Irom each reclon, and. while they show that the difference is not abso- 

 lutely conslaut. they show that the eastern bird averages decidedly larger (except in 

 length of wlug and tall), the difference buiui; especially noticeable in the greiiter length 

 of bill aud feet. 



The loneor-bUled form winters In Florida and the West Indies, the other in Mexico. 



This sprightly and pretty Httle bird is very common in dry woods, 

 where it may be seen ascending or descending tlie trunks of trees 

 in the manner of a creeper or nuthatch. Its nest is built upon the 

 ground, imbedded among dry leaves, and as a rule so artfully con- 

 cealed as to be discovered only by accident. 



Gends PROTONOTARIA Baird. 



Protonotaria Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 239. Typo, Motacilla citrea BoDD. 



Gen. Char. Bill lonefr than the middle toe and claw, distinctly notched, all the out- 

 lines nearly Htrulnht. Wines much longer than the rather short, rounded tall. Tarsus 

 decidedly longer than the middle toe and claw. Lower tail-coverts reaching nearly to 

 the end of the tuil (on account of the shortness of the latter). 



This genus is most closely related to the genera Ilrlinaia aud 

 Jhlmilhcros, especially the former, but may be immediately distin- 

 guished by the distinctly notched bill, and brilliant colors, there 

 being in the latter respect much resemblance to the Jldminthophila;, 

 particularly H. piniis. The single known species is one of the largest, 

 and in some respects the finest, of the warblers, and is very peculiar 

 in its habits, frequenting wooded swamps or the willow-grown bor- 

 ders of ponds in the bottom lands, and nesting in holes of stumps 

 or dead trees, like the Titmice. 



