TURBIDJE —POLIOPTILIN^ : GNAT-CATCUERS. 



■HA 



11. 



36. 



37. 



38. 



POLIOP'TILA. (Gr. TToXtdf, jJoKo.s, lioary ; tttSXov, ptilon, a feather; the priinarics hciug 



edged with whitish.) Gnat-catchers. Tarsi scutellati'. Toes very short, the latei-al .aily 



about half as long as the tarsus ; outer a little louger than the inner. First (|uill sjnuj- 



ous, about half as long as the second. Wings rounded, not longer than the graduated tail, the 



feathers of which widen toward their rounded ends. Bill shorter than head, straiglit, broad 



and depressed at base, rapidly naiTowing to the very slender terminal portion, distinctly 



notched and hooked at the end — thus Muscicapine in character. Rictus with well-developed 



bristles. Nostrils entirely expxjsed. Coloration without bright tints; bluish-a.sh, paler or 



wliite below; tail black and white. Delicate little woodland birds, jieculiar to Aui(;rica, not 



over 5 inches long; migratory, insectivorous, very active and sprightly, witli sharp sipjealcini;- 



notes. 



Analysis of Species. 



(f Forehead and b'ne over eye black ; outer tail-featber wliite ca-ni/.^n ;-;(, 



if Whole crown black ; outer web of outer tail-featber only edged with wliife nir/'t/icra .jT 



^ Line over eye black ; outer web of outer tail-feather white 2)/umbc<i y8 



P. coerul'ea. (Lat. caenilea, cerulean, blue. Figs, i.'io, 13 i, h.) iJt.UE-GRAY (txat- 

 CATCHER. ^, adult: Grayish-blue, bluer on the crown, hoary on the ruuip, the forehead 

 black, continuous with a black superciliary line. Edges of eyelids white, and above these a 



with a faint pliiinlieous 

 uer i|uills, edited 



slight whitish stripe bordering the black exteriorly. Beltiw ^vbite 

 shade on the breast. Wings dark brown, the outer webs, especially of the iu 

 with hoary, and the inner webs of most bor- 

 dered with white. Tail jet-black, the outer 

 feather entirely or mostly white, the next one 

 about half white, the third one tipped with 

 white. Bill and feet black. Length 4..50- 

 5.00; extent 6.25-7.00 ; \^'ing 2.00-2.20; tail 

 about the same. 9 : Like the ^ , but duller 

 and more grayish-blue above ; the head like 

 the back, and without any black. Bill usually 

 in part light-colored. U. S. from Atlantic to 

 Pacific, N. to Massachusetts; breeds through- 

 out its range, and winters on the southern 

 border and southward ; abundant in woodland. 

 Nest a model of bird-architecture, compact- 

 walled and contracted at the brim, elegantly 

 stuccoed with lichens, fixed to slender t^igs at a varying height from 10 to 50 or GO feet ; ei;!_'s 

 4-5, about 0.00 X 0.45, whitish, fully speckled with reddish and umber-bnjwn and lilac. 

 P. melanu'ra. (Gr. fie\as, melas, black; ovpa, oura, tail. Fig. 134, a, c.) Black-capped 

 Gnat-catcher. <? : Like P. coerulea, but whole top of head black. White of tail reduced 

 to a minimum ; outer web of the outer feather only edged with white, instead of wholly white ; 

 tip of the inner web, with tip of the next feather, white for a very .slight space ; no white on 

 the third feather. Size of the foregoing; tarsi rather longer, — about 0.70. ? : No black on 

 the head ; distinguished from ? cceridea only by less white on the tail. Texas to South and 

 Lower California. 



P. plum'bea. (Lat. ^?Mm6cM,s, plumbeous, lead-colored. Fig. 134, d.) Plumbeous Gnat- 

 CATCHER. (J, adult : Upper parts like those of P. coerulea, but duUer and more grayish ; no 

 black on forehead ; a short black stripe over eye, and below this a white one. Outer tail- 

 feather with the whole outer web and tip white (like the second feather of P. cosnilea) ; next 

 two feathers tipped with white. Size of P. ccenilea. 9 : Like the <J ; the upper part's still 

 duller, and frequently with a decided brownish shade ; no black over eye ; thus only distin- 

 guished from 9 ca;ruUa by less white on the taU. Valley of the Gila and Colorado. 



Fio. 134.— a, head of Polioptila melanava: h. of/'. 

 ca'rulea: r, tui] ot P. melanura : r!, <>t /\ jihanhia : all 

 nat. size. 



