8ET0PHAGA. 



25a 





BETOFHAOA, Swainsoit. 

 Setophaga, Swains. 



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Setophaga, Swainson, Zool. Jour. Ill, Dec. 1827, 360. (Type Musc'icapa 



ruticilla, L.)— Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 297. 

 Sylvania, Nuttall, Mau. Oru. I, 1832. (Same type.) 



Bill lunch depressed, the lateral outlines straight towards tip. Bristles 

 reach half way from nostril to tip. Culmen almost straight to near the tip ; 

 commissure very slightly curved. Nostrils oval, with membrane above them. 

 Wings rather longer than tail, pointed ; lid, 3d, and 4th quills nearly equal ; 

 1st intermediate between 4th and 5lh. Tail rather long, rather rounded ; the 

 featliers broad, and widening at ends, the outer web narrow. Tarsi with 

 scntellar divisions indistinct externally. Legs slender; toes short, inner 

 cleft nearly to base of 1st joint, outer with Ist joiut adherent ; middle toe 

 withont claw, not quite half the tarsus. 



The description above given is based upon the tj'pe of the genus — 

 S. ruticilla. Of the many speci " referred by authors to Setophaga 

 the only one that corresponds with it in most of those characters is 

 the Mexican S. picta. This is quite similar in most points, but 

 differs in the wing being a little less pointed, the 1st quill about 

 equal to or a little longer than the 5th. The feet arc quite diifer- 

 eiit — the toes being considerably longer, so that the middle toe with- 

 out claw is two-thirds the tarsus. The claws are proportionally 

 longer, perhaps less curved, and the scutellaj more distinct on the 

 outside of tarsus. The South and Middle American species, hereto- 

 fore assigned co this genus, are all characterized by peculiar features 

 readily distinguishing them from S. rulicilla, and are certainly 

 entitled to subgeneric rank. 



As far as I now recollect S. ruticilla is the only one of the Seto- 

 phagem in which the sexes are certainly dissimilar. The rule is the 

 reverse in the other SylmcoUdse. 



In the following synopsis I combine the principal species belonging 

 to Setophaga, Myioborus, and Euthlypis : — 



a. End of lateral tail feathers black. Sexes dissimilar. 

 Belly white. Setophaga. 



Ground color black, without vertex spot. Sides of 

 breast and bases of quills and tail feathers red- 

 dish-orange in male, yellowish in female . . ruticilla, Sw. 



b. Lateral tail feathers, including their tips, white. Sexes similar. 

 Belly vermilion- or carmine-red. 



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