BIRDS — STLVICOLrOAE — DENDKOICA TOWNSENDII. 



269 



This species resembles somewhat the Dendroica virens, but lacks the continuous olive of the 

 back and crown, the former being greatly streaked with black, the latter yellow all round. The 

 outline black of the breast, instead of extending backwards along the sides, is rounded off on 

 the side, (the convexity posterior,) and transverse on the breast. 



The female is said to have the yellow of the head less extended ; the throat white, spotted 

 with black. 



List of specimens. 



DENDROICA TOWNSENDII, Baird. 



Sylvia townsendii, ("Ndttall,") Townsend, J. A. N. Sc. Ph. VII, ii, 1837, 191.— Ib. Narrative, 1839, 341.— 



Ann. Orn. Eiog. V, 1839, 3G ; pi. 393. 

 Syhicola townsendii, Bonap. List, 1838.— Ib. Consp. 1850, 308.— Aud. Syn. 1839, 59.— Ib. Birds Am. II, 1841, 

 59 ; pi. 92.— NuTTALL, Man. I, 2d ed. 1840, 44G. 



Sp. Ch. — Above bright olive green ; the feathers all black in tlie centre, showing more or less as streaks, especially on the 

 crown. Quills, tail, and upper tail covert feathers dark brown, edged with bluish grey ; the wings with two white bands on the 

 coverts ; the two outer tail feathers white, with a brown streak near the end ; a white streak only in the end of the third feather. 

 Under parts as far as the middle of the body, with the sides of head and neck, including a superciliary stripe and a spot beneath 

 the eye, yellow ; the median portion of the side of the head, the chin and throat, with streaks on the sides of tlie breast, tlanks, 

 and under tail coverts black ; the remainder of the under parts white. Length, 5 inches ; wing, 2.65 ; tail, 2.25. 



Hab. — Pacific coast. North America ; south to Mexico and Guatemala. 



I have no full plumaged male before me, all being in autumnal dress, the black of the throat 

 and breast obscured by yellow borders. There is, however, a pure yellow superciliary stripe 

 from the nostrils to the nuchal region, confluent behind with another from the base of the lower 

 jaw ; these embrace between them an elongated patch of black from the cammissure to behind 

 the auriculars, broken by a yellow spot beneath the eye. It is probable that the spring male has 

 the entire crown, as well as the chin and throat, black. The greater and median coverts 

 exhibit each a broad bar of white, the feathers, however, with a central black streak. The 

 black appears to be continuous only as far as the breast ; the sides of this streaked only with 

 this color. 



A specimen, probably female, is quite uniform greenish yellow above and dull yellow on the 

 throat, without any distinct black beneath. 



The tail of this species is rounded, emarginate. The second and third quills are equal, and 

 longest ; the first equal to the fourth. 



This species is quite similar in markings to J), virens. It is, however, considerably larger, 

 has the yellow on the breast much deeper, and lacks that near the lower tail coverts. It has well 

 defined black markings on the side of the head, instead of obscure olivaceous ones, although the 

 pattern is the same ; has a black head, and black streaks in the white of the wing coverts. D. 

 occidentalis is blacker on the back and lacks the dark cheek patch, as well as the yellow of the • 

 breast. 



