306 



XORTir AMERICAN lURDS. 



SruiAMiLY ICTERIAN^. 



Section I C T E R I E ^ . 



In this section there are two American ueneia ; one found iu the United 

 States, the other not. The diagnoses are as follow 3 : — 



Sizo large (a^out 8 inclii's). Lowor j:iAv not deeper than uppor anterior to nostrils. 



Tail moderate. Partly yellow Uencatli, olive-green above .... Icferia. 

 Size smaller (about G inches;. Lower jaw deeper than upper. Tail alinoj^t fim- 



shaped. Partly red beneath, i)lunilH'OUs-blue above .... GrannteUus} 



Genus ICTERIA, Vieill. 



Idcria, Vieillot, Ois. Am. Sept. I, 1»0 7, ill and So. (Type, Muscicapa viridLf. G.m. 

 Tiirdus vircns, LiNN.) 



Gk\. Char. Bill broad at base, but contracting rapidly and becoming attenuated when 



viewed from above: hiirh at the base 



(higher than l)road opposite the nostrils) ; 

 the culinen and connnissure much curved 

 from base; the gonys straight. Tapper jaw 

 deeper than the lower; bill without notch 

 or rictal bristles. Nostrils circular, edged 

 above with membrane, the feathers close 

 to their borders. Wings shorter than tail, 

 considerably rounded ; first quill rather 

 shorter than the sixth. Tail moderately 

 graduated ; the feathers rounded, but nar- 

 row, ^fiddle toe without claw about 

 two thirds the length of tarsus, which has 



Icteria virens. 



the scutellae fused externally in part into one plate. 



The precise systematic position of the genus Icferia is a matter of much 

 contrariety of opinion among ornithologists ; hut we have little hesitation in 

 including it among the Si/lrivoHda'. It has l)een most frequently assigned 

 to the Vireonida\ hut differs essentially in the deeply cleft inner toe (not 

 half united as in Vireo), the partially hooted tarsi, the lengtliened middle 

 toe, the slightly curved claws, the entire a])sence of notch or hook in the hill, 

 and the short, rounded wing with only nine primaries. The wing of Vh-eo, 

 when much rounded, has ten primaries, — nine only heing met with when 

 the wing is very long and pointed. 



Of this genus only one s])ecies is known, although two races are recog- 

 nized by naturalists, dittering in the length of the tail. 



* Grannfellus, Dfbfs. Baird, Rev. Am. Birds, 18«i5, 230. (Type, G. trintfifus, Dubus.) 



