178 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Subfamilies. 



At Bill conical, its bristles verv weak, or wanting. 



a. Bill sul»-conical, the cnlnien and cfunnnssiire nearly straijrht. 



Sylvicolinae. Feet wt-ak, not reachinj; near the en;l of the tail. Wing 



pointed, et»nj;ideral>lv longer than the nearly even or sli>rhtlv einarn"i- 



nated tail. Feet dark-colo'-«'d '^exc^'nt in I/fhniffierus, Ilelinaia, and 



Parnlit'). Arboreal. 



Geothlypinae. Feet strong, reaching nearly to «'nd of the tail. Wing 



ronnde«l. F«.'et })inkish-white. Tcrrestrinl. 

 h. Bill high an<l conipres.«jfd, the culmen an«l conimi.«Jsnrc much curved. 



Icterianae. Bill without notch or rietal bristles ; wing much rounded, 



shorter than the tail. 

 B* Bill depres.sed. its bristles strong. 



Setophagiuae. Bill, ti/nnniine. considerably broader than high, the tip 



more or less hooked, and with a distinet notch. Rictal bristles reaching 



halt-way, or more, to the tip. 



Sections and Oenera. 



SVI.VICOI.IN.K. 



1. Middle toe, with claw, longer than tarsui*. 



Mniotilteae. Bill nnich compressed for terminal half, the lateral outline 

 de<;idedly concave : culmen and gonys decidedh' convex ; connnissure 

 moderately concave. Rictal bristles vt-ry in(.'onsj)icuous ; notcii just 

 pen-eptible Mniotilta. 



2. Middle toe. with claw, not longer than tarsus. 



Vermivoreae. Bill without a distinct notch, or lacking it entirely : rictal 

 l>ristles wanting, or very minute; culmen and gonys nearly straight; bill 

 only very moderately compres.«<ed. 

 a. ^liddle toe and claw about equal to tarsus. 



Bill not acute ; ctdnien and gonys decidedly convex ; notch just 



perceptible ; bristles apparent Protonotaria. 



Bill moderately acute, robust; no notch; culmen straight, its base 

 elevated and slightly arched ; bristles not apparent . . Helinnin. 



Bill moderately acute ; robust ; no notch ; culmen convex, it«- base 



not elevated ; bristles apparent Nefmif herns. 



h. Middle toe and claw^ considerably shorter than tarsus. 



Bill very acute, its outlines nearly straight; notch not perceptible; 



bristles not apparent H^lminthophaija. 



Bill very acute, its outlines nearly straight; notch just pc rcei>t ible ; 

 bristles strong . . ....... Piiru/a. 



Sylvicoleae. Bill distinctly notched; rictal bristles strong; outlines 

 generally slightly curved. 



Bill acute, gonys slightly concave Perissoglossa. 



Bill not acute, gonys convex Dendroicu. 



GEOTIILYPIN.E. 



3. Wings pointed, longer than the nearly even tail. 



Seiureae. 



A l)ove olive-brown ; beneath white with dark streaks . . Seiurus. 



A l)ov<' olive-gr»*en : beneath yellow without streaks . . Oporornis. 



