HELMITHERUS. 483 
head usually with a more or less distinct median streak of pale yellowish or 
whitish; bill light brownish; iris brown; legs and feet flesh-color. Nestling: 
General color uniform dull cinnamon-brown, including head, neck, and lower parts, 
except belly, which is dirty white; wings (except coverts) and tail essentially as 
in adult. Length 5.15-6.50, wing 1.85-2.13, tail 1.85-2.17, culmen .65-.74, tarsus 
.65-.75. Nest bulky and loosely constructed, of dry leaves, fine grasses, etc., placed 
usually 4-8 feet up in cane (Arundinaria) stalks, near or over water. Eggs 1-3, .75 
X .58, white, usually plain, but sometimes speckled or spotted with lilac or pale 
brown. Hab. South Atlantic and Gulf States, from South Carolina and Florida to 
eastern Texas (Navarro County), and lower Mississippi Valley; north to Dismal 
Swamp, Virginia, the lower Wabash (Knox County, Indiana), and southeastern 
Missouri; Jamaica in winter........ 638. H. swainsonii AuD. Swainson’s Warbler. 
Genus HELMITHERUS Rarinesquz. (Page 481, pl. CXVI, fig. 2.) 
Species. 
Adult: Head, neck, and lower parts buff, the first with two broad black stripes 
on the pileum and a narrower black postocular streak; upper parts plain olive- 
green; upper mandible dark brown, lower paler; iris dark brown; legs and feet 
pale brownish flesh-color. Westling: Head, neck, and lower parts deep buff, the 
black head-stripes of the adult indicated by indistinct stripes of dull brown; back, 
scapulars, rump, and’ wing-coverts dull light brown, tinged with cinnamon, the 
greater coverts tipped with buff. Length about 5.00-5.75, wing 2.65-2.90, tail 
1.90-2.20, culmen .60-.65, tarsus .70; female averaging slightly smaller. Mest em- 
bedded in ground, among dead leaves, ferns, etc. Hggs 2-5, .68 X .52, creamy white, 
or pinkish white, finely speckled, chiefly on or round larger end, with reddish brown. 
Hab. Eastern United States, north to Connecticut Valley, Great Lakes, etc., but 
chiefly south of 40°; south, in winter, to Cuba, Jamaica, Yucatan, and through 
Central America to Panama.. 639. H. vermivorus (GMEL.). Worm-eating Warbler. 
Genus HELMINTHOPHILA Rivewayr. (Page 481, pl. CXVL, fig. 5.) 
Species. 
Common Cuaracters.—Length about 3.95-5.25. Nest on or very close to 
ground, in woods or thickets, composed of fine grasses, rootlets, etc., deeply cup- 
shaped, open above (in H. lucie in holes or behind bark of trees, stumps, etc.). 
Eggs 3-5, white, speckled, more or less, with brown. 
a, Middle and greater wing-coverts tipped, more or less broadly, with yellow or 
white. (A black or dusky streak from bill to eye; inner webs of three outer 
tail-feathers extensively white ; forehead yellow.) 
b'. Throat and ear-coverts black in adult males, deep gray or dusky olive in 
females. 
c¢. Cheeks and median lower parts white, or only slightly tinged with 
yellow, the sides and flanks ash-gray; back, scapulars; and rump 
ash-gray (sometimes tinged with olive-green); wing-bands yellow, 
