Peck, The Affinities of Mniotiltid^. 37 



latter, but Seiurus sliows some tendency in this direction, which, taken with 

 the foregoing features, seems sufficient to establish the relationship beyond 

 question. The beak in Motacillidae is very variable, and in some cases does not 

 ditfer greatly from that of Seiurus. In coloring there is little to suggest 

 relationship. 



It is here in place to mention the uncertain affinity existing between the 

 Mniotiltidse and the immense family of Sylviidae, which embrace the Old 

 World Warblers and our Kinglets, Gnatcatchers and Kennicott's Willow Warbler 

 The Sylviidae are such a heterogeneous and ill-deflned family that it would not 

 be practicable here to enter into a discussion of the degrees of similarity between 

 the various branches of the family and Mniotiltidse. Seiurus is the only genus 

 with which we can allow them any connection, and here too may be mentioned 

 some vague relationship with the Turdidse, or Thrushes, and Cinclidae, or 

 Dippers. These affinities are all so hypothetical that they cannot be said to 

 greatly influence the relative position of the family. 



In external characters the genus Geothlypis stands not far from Seiurus. 

 The comparative length of wing and tail is about the same and the latter is 

 rounded or graduated in both. The habits of the two genera present some sim- 

 ilarities, among which may be mentioned the movement of the tail, which is 

 very noticeable in the Kentucky Warbler. The colors in Geothlypis are usually 

 bright and the plumage not streaked. 



Icteria, of which the Yellow-breasted Chat is our only representative, is a 

 widely aberrant genus and might almost be placed with the Vireos. This is the 

 largest species of the family. The beak is short, stout and compressed, with 

 the culmen strongly curved and a sharp ridge running more than half its length. 

 The upper mandible curves over the lower, as in the Vireos, but is not hooked. 

 It also resembles the latter in the well developed bristles and in the proportionate 

 length of wing and tail. There is a very striking similarity between the color- 

 ing of the Chat and that of some Vireos, for instance, the Yellow-throated. 

 Besides its Vireo affinities Icteria seems to show some genetic connection with 

 the Tanagers, but this is more evident in the two following genera. 



Teretistris, a genus comprising but two species, both confined to Cuba, has 

 the beak stout and strongly curved as in the Tanagers, though not notched, 

 and plumage inchned to yellowish or green as in many of the latter family. 



Grauatellus, a Mexican genus, has the beak more as in Icteria, but the 

 plumage beautifully varied with plumbeous red and white. 



Sylvania and Setophaga may be taken together as the two genera, struc- 

 turally, related very closely to the Tyrranidae. Sylvania does not greatly 

 diverge from the family type except in the marked development of the bristles 

 about the gape and the broad, depressed beak ; there is nothing suggestive 

 about the coloring. These structural characters are greatly emphasized in 

 Setophaga ; in fact, some of tlie Redstarts have almost the typical Empidonax 

 beak. In habits they are essentially tyrannidine. The coloring suggests 

 little, though red is more characteristic of certain Flycatchers than of the 

 Warbler family. 



The two genera Cardellina and Ergaticus bear a strong resemblance to 

 the Paridse, or Titmice, in the structure of the beak and length of tail, but it 



