402 WOOD WARBLERS 



GENUS MNIOTILTA. 



636. Mniotilta varia (Linn.). BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER. 

 Bill shorter than head, very slender, notched and slightly decurved at 

 tip ; rictal bristles minute ; wing long, pointed ; tarsus about 

 one fourth as long as wing or less, its scutella rather indistinct ; 

 middle toe with claw about equal to tarsus. Adult male: whole 

 bird streaked glossy blue black and white except for plain white 

 Fig. 501. on middle of belly ; throat closely streaked, sometimes solid 

 black; wing with two white bars ; tail with white spots near end 

 on inner webs of two outer feathers. Young male : similar to adult male, 

 but throat white, unstreaked, and markings duller. Adult female : similar 

 to young male, but duller, the black not so deep, and white of under parts 

 dingy. Male : length (skins) 4.30-4.75, wing 2.62-2.79, tail 1.68-2.01, bill 

 .40-.51. Female: length (skins) 4.30-4.65, wing 2.56-2.66, tail 1.79-1.91, 

 bill .40-.48. 



Distribution. Breeds from the Atlantic to the Plains and from Fort 

 Simpson to Virginia and southern Kansas ; winters in the Gulf states, 

 West Indies, and south to South America ; accidental in California. 



Nest. Imbedded in ground in woods, made of plant fibers, grasses, 

 moss, and leaves, lined with stems and hair ; sometimes partially roofed 

 over. Eggs : 4 or 5, creamy white, thickly speckled, chiefly on larger end, 

 with reddish brown. 



Food. Insects and their eggs and larvae. 



GENUS HELMINTHOPHILA. 



General Characters. Bill much shorter than head, narrowly wedge- 

 shaped, straight, tip without notch, very acute ; rictal bristles obsolete ; 

 wing with three or four outermost primaries abruptly longest ; tarsus 

 nearly one third as long as wing (except in H. peregrina), its scutella 

 indistinct. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Crown patch chestnut. 



2. Rump chestnut . . . luciae, p. 402. 



2'. Rump yellowish green. 

 3. Under parts white with yellow chest patch . . virginiae, p. 403. 



3'. Under parts bright yellow. Rocky Mountains to 

 California gutturalis, p. 404. 



1'. Crown patch orange or wanting. 



2. Crown patch orange ; under parts yellow. 



3. Under parts dull yellow. Rocky Mountains. . . celata, p. 404. 

 3'. Under parts bright greenish yellow. Rocky Mountains to Pacific 



4. Lighter. Western States lutescens, p. 405. 



4'. Darker. California Islands sordida, p. 405. 



2'. Crown patch wanting ; under parts grayish white. 



peregrina, p. 406. 



648. Helminthophila lucise (Cooper). LUCY WARBLER. 



Adult male in spring and summer. Upper parts gray, crown chestnut, 

 feathers more or less tipped with gray ; upper tail coverts bright chestnut ; 



