BIEDS SYLVICOLIDAE — PARULA. 



237 



PARULA, Bo nap. 



Chloris, BoiE, Isis, 1826, 972, (not of Moehring, 1752.) Type, Parus americanus. 



Sylvicola, Swainson, ZooI. Journ. Ill, July, 1827, 169. (Not of Humphrey, Mus. Calonnianum, 1797, 60 ; genus 



of land mollusks.) Same type. 

 PanUtt, BoNAF. Geog. & Comp. List, 1838. - Same type. 

 Compsothlypis, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1850-51, 20. Same type. 



Ch. — In the species of this genus the bill is conical and acute ; the culmen very gently curved from the base ; the commissure 

 slightly concave. The notch when visible is further from the tip than in Dendroica, but usually is either obsolete or entirely 

 wanting. Bristles very short. The tarsi are longer than the middle toe. The tail is nearly even, and considerably shorter 

 than the wing. 



The genus Sylvicola of Swainson was established on the Parus americanus in 1827, but both 

 this nameand Chloris of Boie, 1826, were pre-occupied. Parula of 1838 has been changed by 

 Gray and Cabanis onaccount of the similarity in sound to Parulus of Spix, 1824 ; but, considering 

 this difference of termination as sufficient for distinguishing the two names, I do not follow 

 these authors in dropping the former. 



The species of this genus have somewhat the habits of titmice, one only however is found 

 in the United States. The following synopsis will serve to distinguish them : 

 Above blue, with a dorsal patch of yellowish green ; yellow beneath. 



Patch confined to middle of back. Throat pale yellow, with a brown patch. Eest of 



under parts white ; lower eyelid white P. americana. 



A small dorsal patch. Under parts reddish yellow. No patch on the eyelid. ..P. pitiayumi^ 



Entire back yellowish green. Throat and breast yellow, with a brown bar across the 



former. Tail unspotted. Belly and superciliary stripe white P. mexicana.^ 



Comparative measurements of species. 



' PakiUa pitiatumi, Baird. 



Sylvia pitiayumi, Vieillot, Nouv. Diet. II, 1816,276. 

 CompsoMypis pitiayumi. Cab. Mus. Hein. 1851, 21. 

 Sylvia venusta, Temm. pi. col. 293, f. 1. 

 Sylvia plumbea, Swainson, Zool. 111. II. 1821- '2 ; pi. cxxxix. 

 Parula brasiliana, Bon. Consp. 1850, 310. 



Tarula mexicana, Bonap. 



Parula mexicana, Bonap. Conspectus, 1850, 21. 

 Compsothlypis mexicana, Cab. Mus. Hein, 1851, 21. 



