SENNETT ON BIRDS OF THE EIO GRANDE OF TEXAS. 11 



after a few moments, it felt quite at home. Our sailor caught him, and 

 he was passed around for all to admire and pet. It would nestle in our 

 hands and enjoy the warmth without the least fear. When allowed his 

 freedom, he would hop upon us, fly from one to another, and dart ofl" 

 over the side of the boat as if taking his departure; when, lo! back he 

 would come with a fly or moth he had seen over the water and had 

 captured. Several flies were caught in this way. He searched over 

 the whole boat and into the hold for insects. Often he would fly to one 

 or the other of us, as we were lying on the deck, and into our hands 

 and faces, with the utmost familiarity. He received our undivided 

 attention, but could have been no happier than we. Upon reaching 

 shore, amid the confusion of our landing we lost sight forever of our 

 pretty friend. 



Paeula nigeilora, Coues, n. s. — SennetPs Warbler. 



[ $ Subccerulea, dor so medio virenti-flavo, alls alho iifasGiatiSjpalpebrisnigris immaculatis, 

 Joris linedque frontali nigerrimis ; subius flava,jugulo aurantiaco, abdomine infimo, hyjio- 

 chondriis crissoque albis. 



$ , adult : Upper parts of the same ashy-blue color as in P. americana, with a dorsal 

 patch of greenish-yellow exactly as in that species. Wings also as in americana, dusky, 

 with grayish-blue outer, and whitish inner, edgings, and crossed by two conspicuous 

 white bars, across tips of greater and middle coverts. Tail as in americana, but the 

 white spots smaller and almost restricted to two outer feathers on each side. Eyelids 

 black without white marks. Lores broadly and intensely black, this color extending as 

 a narrow frontal line to meet its fellow across base of culmen, and also reaching back 

 to invade the auriculars, on which it shades through dusky to the general bluish. 

 Under parts yellow as far as the middle of the belly, and a little farther on the flanks, 

 and also spreading up the sides of the jaw to involve part of the mandibular and malar 

 region ; on the fore breast deepening into rich orange, but showing nothing of the 

 orange-chestnut and blackish of P. americana. Lower belly, flanks, and crissum white. 

 Bill black above, yellow below. Legs undeiinable light horn-color. Length (of skins, 

 about) 4.50 ; wing 2.00-2,20 ; tail 1.80-1.90 ; bill from nostril 0.38-0.40 ; tarsus 0.62-0.65 ; 

 middle toe alone 0.40 (extremes of three adult males). 



This bird is entirely distinct from P. americana, and belongs to the intiayumi type. 

 From americana it is distinguished by the extension of the yellow to the middle belly 

 and flanks, absence of the decided blackish collar, lack of white on eyelids, and broadly 

 black lores involving auriculars and frontal stripe. The upper parts, wings, and tail 

 are substantially as in americana, the tint of the upper parts, shape and color of the 

 dorsal patch, and the white wing-bars being the same in both. From P. inornata Baird 

 it differs in the presence of the wing-bands and color of the upper parts, inornata being 

 a deep blue species with plain wings. From piiiayumi it differs in the much lighter- 

 colored upper parts, and less of the yellow below, pitiayumi having deep plumbeous- 

 blue back and the yellow extending to the crissum. The relationships are closest to 

 the insularis, agreeing in having the lower abdomen flanks white, like the crissum, in- 

 stead of yellow like the breast, as is the case both with inornata and pitiayumi. The 

 differences from insularis, however, are readily expressed ; the lores being decidedly 

 black, and broadly contrasting with the bluish-gray, as in pitiaymni and inornata, and 

 the wing-bands being as broad and distinct as they are in americana, instead of narrow 

 as in insularis, and the yellow of the throat extending on the malar region, while in 

 insularis the yellow is strictly confined beween the sides of the jaw. 



Agreeably to the latest fashion, the bird will probably stand as pitiayumi var. nigri- 

 lora ; but its probable gradation into intiayumi through Mexican and Central American 

 specimens remains to be shown. It is thoroughly distinct from P. americana. — E. C.J 



