OF ORNITHOLOGY o'^ 



difficult of all the members of the family to separate into gen- 

 era and species, and to accurately determine ; yet they are not 

 so difficult as 'would seem at first sight for all that. The ge- 

 nus Siurus (or Seiunts as it used incorrectly to be called) alone 

 would seem to stagger the novice. Why should it be placed 

 here f The reason for this will appear laier on. 



" Keys " without number have been invented as ''infalli- 

 ble guides" for the determining of the genera and species of 

 our American warblers ; most of these are worthless, as they 

 deal either only with the adult males, or with adult specimens, 

 or the migrant dress, or with partial states of plumage : But 

 it must be remembered, that with most of our species the 

 " dress " of the male differs from that of the female, and that 

 of botli male and female from that of the young-of-the-year 

 bird ; again, the spring dress often differs from the fall dress, 

 and both or all together from that of the summer or breeding 

 plumage. In any event, tlie student had far better deal with 

 characters that will decide the genus and species, iinder any 

 circumstances, than to fill his head with i)artial characters that 

 cannot always be relied on. 



Genkra, MniotiUa, The Creeping Warblers (2 species). 



Panda, The Blue Yellow-backed Warbler (with 3 species). 



Frotonotaria, The Prothonotary Warbler. 



Helmintherus, (same as Helminthotherus and Helmitherus) The 



Worm-eating Warbler and ally. 

 Helminthophaga, or Helminihophila, allies of the Tennessee 



Warliler (12 species). 

 Feucedramus, The Olive Warbler. 

 Dendrceca (often spelled Dendroica) The True Warblers (25 or 



26 species). 

 Smrus (wrongly Seiuras) The Oven Birds (4 species). 

 Oporornis, The Connecticut Warbler and ally. 

 Geothiypis, The Ground Warbler. 

 [Smrus, at one time regarded an almost typical thrush, agrees with the 

 Warblers in nearly every important particular save that of size alone]. 

 SuB-GESKK.^, Heloncea is often made a sub-genus of Helmintherus, for the 

 accommodation of Swainson's Warbler; PeHssoglossa, often used as a dis- 

 tinct generic name, is really a sub-genus of Dendrceca, and used for the 

 Cape May Warbler. 



