292 MNIOTILTID^. 



Mniotilta nigrescens, Gray^ Gen. B. i. p. 196 (1848) ; id. Hand-l. B. 

 i. p. 240, no. 3470 (1869). 



Rhimamplius nigrescens, Cab. Miis. Hein. i. p. 20 (1850). 



Sylvicola nigi-escens, Henry, Proc. Philad. Acad. 1855, p. 309. 



Dendroica nigrescens, Baird, B. N. Amet: p. 270 (1858) ; Scl. P. Z. S. 

 1858, pp. 295, 298, 1859, p. 374 ; Baird, Rev. Amer. B. p. 186 

 (1865) ; Svmic/ir. Mem. Bost. Sue. N. H. i. p. 547 (1869); Baird, 

 Breivei; ^- Ridgw. Hist. N. Amer. B. i. p. 258, pi. 12. fig. 8 (1874). 



Dendrceca nigi-esrens, Scl. Cat. Amer. B. p. 30(1862) ; Coves, Ibis, 

 1865, p. 163 ; Smidev. (Efv. K. Vct.-Akad. Fork. Stockh. 1869, 

 p. 610 ; Coues, Keif N. Aniei: B. p. 98 (1872) ; Scl. Sf Salv. Nomencl. 

 Av. Neotr. p. 9 (1873) ; Cones, B. N.-West, pp. 55, 232 (1874) ; 

 id. B. Color. Vail. p. 263 (1878) ; Ridriiv. Rep. U.S. Geol. Expl. 

 AOth Par. pt. iii. p. 433 (1877) ; id. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 21, 

 p. 17 (1881) ; Salvin Sf Godman, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Aves, i. p. 136 

 (1881) ; Coues, Key N. Amer. B. 2nd ed. p. 300 (1884). 



Adult male. General colour above clear slaty grey, the centre of 

 the back with black centres to the feathers, not seen on the lower 

 back and rump, but very distinct again on the upper tail-coverts ; 

 lesser wing-coverts grey like the back ; median and greater coverts 

 black, edged with slaty grey and broadly tipped with white, forming 

 a double white wing-bar ; bastard-wing and primary -coverts black, 

 the latter obsoletely fringed with ashy ; quills black, externally 

 edged with hoary grey, whiter on the primaries, the secondaries 

 narrowly tipped with white ; tail-feathers black, washed with slaty 

 grey on the outer edges and fringed with white near the ends of the 

 inner web ; the outer tail-feather for the most part white, with an 

 oblique blackish base to the inner web, the shaft black, widening 

 out towards the tip of the feather, the penultimate and third tail- 

 feathers also for the most part white, which gradually decreases on 

 the two latter as the black base on the inner web extends ; head 

 black, forming a cap ; the lores, eyelid, feathers below the eye, and 

 ear-coverts also black, produced to the sides of the neck ; a supra- 

 loral spot of golden yellow ; from behind the eye a broad white 

 streak, extending above the ear-coverts to the sides of the neck ; the 

 latter grey like the back ; cheeks white, forming a broad moustache, 

 which extends down the sides of the throat ; entire throat black, 

 slightly widening out on the sides of the fore neck ; remainder of 

 imder surface of body white ; the sides of the upper breast washed 

 with slaty grey, the whole of the sides of the body broadly streaked 

 with black in the form of long lines ; thighs and under tail-coverts 

 white, the long ones of the latter mesially streaked with black ; 

 under wing-coverts and axillaries white ; quills dusky below, white 

 along the inner web : " bill and feet black ; iris brown '" {Audubon). 

 Total length 4"9 inches, culmen 0'45, wing 2-G5, tail 2-05, tarsus 0"7. 



Adidt female. Like the male, but the black of the crown mixed 

 with the ashy of the back, and that of the throat veiled with the 

 white tips of the feathers. (Coues.) 



Adult male in ivinter plumage. Differs chiefly from the summer 

 plumage in the more uniform upper surface, which does not show 

 the black centres to the feathers of the mantle ; the head is ashy 

 like the back, the black crown being hidden by ashy grey tips to 



