UNlOTlLTIDJi — THE AllEKXOAN WA11BLEB8. 125 



Genus HELMINTHOPHILA Ridgway. 



Uphninlliophatia Caean. Mu9. Hein. i, 185(1. 2li. Type, Sylvia ruficapilla WiLS. (Not. of 



Bechst. 18(VJ.) 

 Jlelminthophila RiDOW. Bull. Nutt. Orn. CI. vii, 1882, 53. Same type. 



Gen. Char. Bill rather elongated (but shorter than the head), somewhat conical, very 

 acutp, the outlines nearly straight, but sometimes slightly decurved at the tip: no trace 

 of notch at the tip, nor of bristles at the base. Wings long and pointed (decidedly longer 

 than the moderately developed tail); the first quill nearly, sometimes quite, the longest. 

 Tail nearly even, or slightly emarginato. Tarsi appreciably longer than the middle toe 

 and claw. 



The species are all of small size, being, with the exception of 

 Compsothli/pis, the smallest of the family. Most of them are brightly 

 colored, at least one of them (//. chrysoptera) being one of the prettiest 

 birds of the entire family. Including three somewhat doubtful forms, 

 believed to be hybrids, eleven species are known, of which the fol- 

 lowing occur east of the Mississippi : 



a'. Wing varied with white or yellow. 



b'. Wing with a large yellow patch covering both rows of coverts. 



1. H. chrysoptera. Forehead and both rows of wing-coverts yellow; upper parts 



bluish gray, lower parts white medially, bluish gray laterally, t: Lores, 

 auriculars, and whole throat black, s; Lores, auriculars, and throat dull 

 gray; yellow of forehead tinged with olive. 



2, H. leucobronchiaUs, Similar to chrysoptera. but whole throat pure white, even 



beneath the surface of the feathers; black on side of head Umited to a narrow 

 loral and postocular streak: breast often tinged with yellow— sometimes 

 bright yellow; sides usually but slightly or not at all tinged with grayish. 

 6', Wing with two white bands, formed by the tips of middle and greater coverts. 

 ' 3. H. lawrencei. Head and lower parts bright yellow, relieved by broad black 

 stripe coveri ig lores and auriculars and black throat, as in H. chrysoptera, 

 the J probably with these black markings dusky olive; upper parts olive- 

 green, the wings and tail bluish gray, the former with two white bands. 



4. H. pinus. Similar to H. laiorencei, but whole throat bright yellow, like othiT 



lower parts, and black on side of head reduced to a narrow streak, as in //. 

 leucobronchiaUs. s similar to the t. but rather duller, the yellow of forehead 

 less pure, and streak through eye dusky instead ol black. 

 a'. Wing unvaried. 



h^. Two outer tail feathers with a large white patch near end of inner wobs, 



5. H. bachmani. Above plain olive-green, forehead and lower parts :rellow. I: 



Whole throat black; crown gray, bordered anteriorly by a black bar. S' 

 Throat dusky olive; crown dull grayish olive, the black bar obsolete. 

 v. Inner webs of tail feathers without white spots. 



6. H. ruficapilla. Above olive-green, the head grayish, with a whitish orbital ring; 



lower parts yellow. I: Crown with a concealed patch of chestnut, s: Simi- 

 lar to the «, but colors duller, the chestnut crown-pateh less distinct (some- 

 times obsolete). 



7. H. celata. Above olive-green, beneath pale grayish yellow: crown with a con- 



cealed patch of orange-rufous, this leas distinct in the female and quite obso- 

 lete iu the young. 



