SYLVICOLIDiE — THE WARBLERS. 



211 



The eggs, four or five in number, have a clear white ground, and are spar- 

 ingly sjjotted with markings of reddish-brown, slate, purple, and lilac. In 

 some the first predominate, in others the last three shades are more abundant, 

 and usually form a confluent ring around the larger end. They measure from 

 .62 to .65 of an inch in length, and from .49 to .50 in breadth. 



Section SYLVICOLE/E. 



This section has been already characterized as having a distinctly notched 

 bill, well provided with bristles. Of the two genera one, Perissoglossa, has 

 the bill slender, acute, something like Helminthophaga, and with the tongue 

 lengthened and much lacerated at end ; the other, Dendroica, with less acute 

 bill and tongue shorter, merely notched at tip, and a little fringed only. 



PerisiOglo'isa tiarina, B«ird. 



Genus PERISSOGLOSSA, Baird. 

 Perissocjlossa, Baird, Rev. Am. Birds, 1864, 181. (Type, Motacilla tigrina, Gm.) 



Gen. Char. Form of Dendroica, but bill slender, acute, with very obsolete notch ; the 

 commissure gently arched or curved from the base ; 

 the gonys also straight, or even slightly concave. 

 Tongue lengthened, narrow, deeply bifid (for one 

 third), and deeply lacerated or fringed externally 

 at the end ; the edge along the median portion folded 

 over on the upper surface, but not adherent. 



The curvature of the bill in Perissoglossa 

 tigrina is quite peculiar among the Sylvi- 

 colidm with notched bills. Some Helmin- 

 thophagas (without notch) approximate this 

 character, though in none, excepting . If. hachmani, is it in equal amount, — 

 all the others having the gonys very slightly convex, instead of straight, or 

 even slightly concave. 



It is most probable that the Helinaia carhonata of Audubon belongs here, 

 as it appears very closely allied to the type of this genus. The two species 

 may be distinguished as follows : — 



Common Characters. Male. Top of head black. Above olive, becoming yel- 

 lowish on rump. Head, neck, and lower parts bright yellow, becoming whitish 

 posteriorly. Dorsal feathers with black centres ; breast and sides streaked Avith 

 black. A black streak through the eye. 



P. tigrina. Large white patches on inner webs of tail-feathers. 



Sides of head and middle of throat tinged with chestnut. One large 

 white patch on wing, covering both rows of coverts. Outer web of 

 lateral tail-feather blackish. 



