264 Notes on some Cuban Birds^ 



11. Dendroica albicollis, (Criuelin.) 



Motacilla alhicollis, Gm. Syst. Nat. 1, 1'788, 983. 

 Sylvia albicollis, Lath., Ind. Orn. 11, 1790, 535. 

 " cestiva, Lemb. Av. Isl. Cub., 1850, p. 31. 

 Rhimamphus oestiva, Cab. Jour. f. Orn., Nov. 1855, p. 472. 



Dr. Gundlacli has sent specimens of this species, which has 

 always passed as mstiva in Cuba. As it appeared to differ in 

 its habits from those of the United States birds, he wished a 

 comparison made. lie writes respecting it as follows : — 



" As I read in the Pacific R. R. Reports, and as Wilson and Audubon 

 mention this bird as common in gardens and fruit trees, while our spe- 

 cies is only found in mangrove trees near the sea shore (Avicennia 

 and Rhizophora), I send an adult male, another younger, and still a 

 younger one, that you may compare them with your species." 



The male, the most adult, differs from CBstiva in having the 

 entire crown of a deep orange color ; in other particulars of 

 plumage it does not differ materially, but the bill is decidedly 

 stronger, being higher at the base ; the younger specimens also 

 show this character of the bill equally as well. The specimen 

 of middle age has the whole upper plumage of a clear olive 

 green, and the under parts of a deep bright yellow, with the 

 red streaks well defined ; in the young of cestiva all the colors 

 are pale and the red streaks very faint, consequently the con- 

 trast between the young of the two species is more marked than 

 in the adult state. 



The youngest male has the upper plumage of the same green 

 color as the older one, except that on the hind part and sides of 

 the neck it is of a clear bluish-ash ; the centre of the throat is 

 white, and on the breast are some patches of the same color, 

 which is apparently being replaced by the pale-yellow, which 



