Birds of noeth and Middle America. 695 



and seventh primaries longest, the ninth shorter than sixth, sometimes 

 shorter than fifth; tenth primary minute, narrow, and pointed, not 

 more than one-third as long as ninth, sometimes shorter than primary 

 coverts; wing-tip two- thirds as long as tarsus to nearly as long. Tail 

 about as long as wing from bend to end of secondaries, even, slightly 

 emarginate or slightly double-rounded, the rectrices with extreme tip 

 subacuminate. Tarsus decidedly less than one-third as long as wing, 

 much longer than middle toe with claw, the acrotarsium completely 

 booted;" outer toe slightly longer than inner, its claw reaching about 

 to base of middle claw; hallux shorter than outer toe, its claw 

 decidedly shorter than the digit; basal pjialanx of middle toe adher- 

 ent for most of its length to outer toe, for about half its length to 

 inner toe. 



Coloration. — Plain olive or olive-greenish above, the occiput some- 

 times with a median stripe or patch of pale olive-yellowish; a pale 

 yellowish or dull whitish superciliary stripe; under parts whitish, 

 more or less tinged with pale yellow, especially on under wing and tail 

 coverts. Sexes alike and young not materially different from adults. 



Nidification. — Nest on or near ground, semidomed or oven-shaped, 

 composed of mosses, fine grasses, etc. Eggs white, speckled with 

 pale brownish red. 



Range. — Palsearctic Region, chiefly the eastern portion, breeding 

 far northward or at high altitudes. One species extending into west- 

 ern Alaska. 



I restrict this genus to the group of species constituting the Acan- 

 thopneustse of Seebohm.* Mr. Seebohm placed them in the genus 

 Phylloscojpus.!' as have other authorities; but, apart from other differ- 

 ences, the species of Acamthojimeuste (like those of Regvloides) have 

 the acrotarsium completely booted, those of Phyllopseuste having it 

 scutellate, at least on the inner side. From Reguloides,^ Acanthop- 



<" Except for the extreme lower portion where, as in all Oscines having booted tarsi, 

 there are two or three distinct divisions. 

 6 Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., v, 1881, 38. 



" The correct generic name is Phyllopseuste, the synonymy of the genus being as 

 follows: 



Phyllopseuslx Meyer, Vog. Lifl. u. Estl., 1815, 122. (Type, by elimination, Mota- 



dlla sibUatrix Bechstein.) (Given only in plural form.) 

 Phyllopseustes (emendation) Gloger, Hand-und Hilfsb. Naturg., 1842, 314. 

 Phyllopseuste (emendation) Meves, Journ. fiir Orn., 1875, 429. 

 Philloscopus Boie, Isis, 1826, 972. (Type, Motacilla trochilus Linnaeus.) 

 SibUatrix Kaup, Naturl. Syst, 1829, 98. (Type, Motacilla sibilatrix Linnaeus.) 

 PhyUopneuste (misprint) Boie, Isis, 1828, 321.— Brehm, Vog. Deutschl., 1831,423. 

 ^Reguloides Blyth, Journ. Asiat. Soc. Bengal, xvi, pt. i, 1847, 442. (Type, Regulus 

 modestm Gould; Motacilla supercUiosa Gmelin.) — Phyllobasileus Cabanis, Mus. Hein., 

 i, 1850, 33. (Type^ Motadlla proregulus Pallas; in reality, intended to replace Pegu- 

 hides, which is rejected on grounds of purism. ) 



