92 



SYLTICOLID^, WARBLERS. GEN. 30, 31. 



As at present constituted, the Sylvicolidce, comprising upwards of a hundred 

 genuine species, may be considered to represent, in America to -which they are 

 confined, the Sylviidce or typical Old World warblers. I divide them into three 

 subfamilies, uniting the Geothhjx>incB of Baird with the true Sylvicolince. Their 

 characters, mostly borrowed from Baird's excellent analysis, will be found in full 

 beyond ; here they may be shortly contrasted : — 



Sylvicolince. — Wings longer than tail (except in Geothlypis) ; commissure 

 slightly curved, with short bristles or none. 



Icteriince.- — -Wings shorter than tail ; commissure much curved, unbristled. 



SetopJiagince. — Wings longer than tail ; commissure slightly curved, with 

 bristles reaching beyond the nostrils. 



Subfamily SYLVICOLIN^. Warblers. 



Bill conoid-elongate, shorter than the head, about as high as, or rather higher 

 than, wide opposite the nostrils, not hooked, but with a slight notch, or none, at tip ; 

 commissure straight or slightly curved ; a few rictal bristles, reaching little if any 

 beyond the nostrils, or none. Wings pointed, longer than the narrow, nearly even 

 tail (except in Geothlypis). 



This group is specially characteristic of North America ; all the genera and the 

 great majority of the species occirrring within our limits in summer, though most of 

 them winter in the West Indies, Mexico and Central America. Dendrmca, the 

 largest and most beautiful genus, is particularly characteristic of the Eastern 

 United States. All are strictly insectivorous, though not such expert flycatchers as 

 the SetopJiagince ; none rank high as songsters, though they have pleasing notes in 

 springtime. With us, they are all migratory. 



*** Genera 30, 31, are creeping warblers, having the hind toe longer than its 

 claw, and the front toes more extensively soldered together at base than in any other 

 forms. Gen. 36, 37, 38 are ground warblers, with the feet relatively stouter than 

 in the rest. Gen. 32, 33, 34 are worm-eating icarblers; these have no rictal bristles 

 at all. Genus 35 comprehends the wood warblers piar excellence. 



A 



y 



4 



30. Genus MNIOTILTA Vieillot. 

 Black and White Creejjer. {V\. ii, figs. 12, 13, 14, 12a, 13ff, 14a.) 

 Entirely black and white, in streaks, except on the belly ; tail white-spotted, 

 wings white-barred ; 5-5:^, wing 2J-2f , tail 2^. Eastern North America; 

 a common bird, generally observed scrambling like a nuthatch about the 



trunk and larger branches of forest trees. Wils., 

 iii, 22, pi. 19; Nutt., 1, 384; Aud., ii, 105; pi. 

 114; Bd., 236 varia. 



31. Genus PARULA Bonaparte. 



Bhie Yelloio-hachecl Warbler. $ , in spring : 

 blue, back with a golden-bi-own patch, throat and 

 breast yellow with a rich brown or blackish patch, 

 the former sometimes extending along the sides ; 



belly, eyelids, two wing-bars, and several tail-spots, white ; lores black ; 



upper mandible black, under flesh colored ; ? , in spring, with the blue less 



riG. 36. Black and White 

 Creeper; natural size. 



