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DELAFIELD'S YELLOW-THROAT. 



Sylvia Delafieldii. 



This beautiful little bird I name ia honour of Colonel Delafield, 

 President of the Lyceum of New York, a gentleman distinguished by 

 his scientific attainments, not less than by those accomplishments and 

 virtues which tend to improve and adorn society. It so much resembles 

 the Maryland Yellow- throat, Si/lma Trichas of the older authors, Trichas 

 personatus of Swainson, that one might readily confound the two species. 

 The differences between them will be pointed out below ; but before 

 this is done, it will be necessary to present a more minute description 

 of the Maryland Yellow-throat than that contained in the first volume 

 of this work. The only specimen in my possession was obtained from 

 Dr TowNSEND, who procured it in California. 



Sylvia trichas, Lath. Sylvia marilandica, WUs. Bonap. Trichas pesova- 

 TUS, Swains. 



Adult Male. 



Bill short, straight, conico-subulate, compressed toward the end, 

 acute ; upper mandible with the dorsal line declinate, straight, a little 

 convex at the end, the ridge narrow, the sides convex, the edges direct 

 and overlapping, with a very slight notch, the tip narrow ; lower man- 

 dible with the angle of moderate length and narrow, the dorsal line 

 ascending and very slightly convex, the sides rounded, the edges in- 

 flected, the tip acute ; the gape-line straight. Nostrils basal, lateral, 

 oblong, operculate, exposed. 



Head of moderate size, ovate ; neck short ; body rather slender. 

 Feet rather long ; tarsus slender, longer than the middle toe, much 

 compressed, covered anteriorly with seven scutella, behind with two 

 longitudinal plates, meeting so as to form a thin edge ; the lateral toes 

 nearly equal, the third much longer, and united at the base to the fourth, 

 hind toe stronger and large ; claws moderately arched, extremely com- 

 pressed, laterally grooved, acute. 



Plumage soft and blended, with little gloss; wings rather short, 

 somewhat concave ; the second, third, and fourth primaries have the 

 t)uter web cut out toward the end ; the first quill is a twelfth of an inch 



