68 EIKDS. 



often very difficult. Many of the Warblers are pleasing 

 songsters, but none exhibit any remarkable powers in 

 that line. All are insectivorous and migratory. 



This family consists of more than a hundred species, 

 chiefly North American, and embraces quite a wide 

 variety, so that the group can perhaps be only distin- 

 guished negatively. The SylvicolidoB grade perfectly 

 into the TanagridcB and GcerebidoB, and probably the 

 three families, and perhaps the FringillidoB, also, should 

 be merged into one. Our species are divisible into 

 three very distinct sub - families, indicated below. 



I. Bill slender, not hooked, as high as wide at base, with short 

 bristles not reaching much beyond nostrils, or none ; wings 

 longer than tail (except (?eo<AZsrpjs); length 61 or less. True 

 Warblers. (STLvrcoLEsr^.) 

 * Tail feathers, some or all of them blotched with white. 

 t Eictna with evident bristles. 

 ± Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw; entirely black 

 and white, streaked. . . . Mniotilta, 1. 



XX Tarsus not shorter than middle toe and claw. 



«. Hind toe decidedly longer than its claw; bill acute, 

 scarcely notched ; bluish, throat and middle of back 



with yellow. Chlokis, 3. 



CM. Bill very acute, notched, perceptibly decurved, so 



that the gonys is slightly concave; rump and under 



parts chiefly yellow. . . Pebissoglossa, 6. 



aaa. "Warblers without above characters. Dbndbcbca, 7. 



ff Rictus without evident bristles. 



J. Whole head and neck bright yellow; bill notched, half 



inch or more long. . . . Peotonotaria, 3. 



&6. Whole head and neck not yellow; bill acute, not 



notched nor bristled, less than half inch long. 



Hblminthophaga, 5. 



**Tail feathers yellow on inner webs; outer webs dusky; 



plumage cUcfly yellow, . . , Pbubbcbca, 7, 



