Birds of Indiana. 1019 



/■'. Gape without apparent bristles; bills very acute. 



Helminthophila. 156 

 /-. Gape with distim't bristiet;. 

 g^. Tail blotched with white, or inner webs of tail feathers brigh 

 yellow. 

 h^. Back blue with gold spot; throat and legs yellow; bill acute, 

 uotch wanting. Comi'sOTHLYPIs. 157 



li~. Coloration otheiwise; bill not acute, plainly notched. 



Dendroica. 158 

 q'~. Tail without white or yellow. 



i^. Length 5.50 or more; white beneath with dark streaks. 



Seiurus. 159 

 i-. Length less than 5. 0; yellow beneath, not streaked. 



Geotiilypis. 160 



c^. Middle toe with claw about ecinal to naked portion of tarsus in front. 



j^. Tail feathers partly white; head and lower parts bright 



yellow. Protonotaria. 153 



j'^. Tuil feathers withoat white. 



A'. Bill much eouipres^ed ; culmen straight, with a ridge at 

 base; top of head pale brown. Helinaia. 154 



k'-. Bill not much compressed, culmen gently curved, base 

 not ridged; top of head buH' with two black stripes. 



Helmitiierus. 155 



(•-. Size large, more than 7.00; bill stout, much compres cd, without notch or 



bristles; tail longer than wing. Ictekia. 161 



152. Grnus MNIOTILTA Vibilf.ot. 



*253. (636). Mniotilta varia (Linn.). 



Black and White Wafbler. 

 Synonyms, BijitK and White Creeper, Black anp White CREEPiKf; Warbler. 



Adult Male. — Entirelj- black and white in streaks, except on the 

 belly, inner webs of tail feathers with more or less white; black on top 

 of head, in front, below and behind eye; a white stripe through the 

 middle of crown; one over the eye and one on each side of throat; 

 throat, black; wing, with two white bars. Female and Immature. — 

 Dnller, and throat white. 



Length, 4.55-5.50; wing, 2.00-2.00; tail, 1.95-2.25. 



Range. — America, from Colombia and Venezuela over Eastern 

 I'nited States to Mackenaie Valley (Ft. Simpso-n). Breeds from Gulf 

 States northward. Winters from Florida and Gulf Coast southward. 



Nest, on ground against a bush or tree, ox under a root, stone or 

 bush; composed of leaves, grasses, strips of rotten wood; lined with 

 hair, moss, rootlets or fine urass. J'^ggf'. 5, rarely 4; white or ereamy- 

 Avhite, speckled and spotted with chestnut, bay, hazel, cinnamon, 

 rufous or lavender-gray, meet abundant near large end, where often 

 arranged in wreath; .69 by .54. 



