72 



REVIEW OP AMERICAN BIRDS. 



[part I. 



The female resembles the male, except in having the black of head replaced 

 by ash, like the remaining upper parts. The white on the side of the head 

 is not so distinctly defined as in the male, but the short superciliary stripe is 

 distinctly appreciable. 



Total length, 3.80 ; wing, 1.76 ; tail, 1.75 ; exposed portion of 1st primary, 

 .63 ; of 2d, 1.15 ; of longest (measured from exposed base of 1st primary), 

 1.40 ; length of bill from forehead, .50, from nostril, .33 ; along gape, .55 ; 

 tarsus, .57. 



Hab. Isthmus of Panama. 



This beautiful species, perhaps the least of the genus, is closely 

 related to P. bilineata, from Carthagena. Sclater, however, describes 

 this as having the tips of the outer lateral tail feather white, on 

 which account Mr. Lawrence makes it distinct. As, however, Bona^ 

 parte, in his diagnosis of P. bilineata (Conspectus Avium, I, 1850, 

 316), gives the outer tail feathers as white, the question remains to 

 be decided by reference to the type in the Berlin Museum.' 



51. Type. 



Polioptila bilineata ?? 



Culicivora bilineata, Bp. Consp. 1850, 316 (type from Carthagena, in 

 Berlin Museum). — Polioptila bilineata, Sclatek, P. Z. S. 1855, 12; 

 1860, 273.— Ib. Catal. 1861, 13, no. 75. 



Hab. S. America: Carthagena; Ecuador (Esmeraldas, Babahoyo, Sclater). 



A female specimen (No. 9,110) received from Mr. Verreaux, and 

 referred to in the "Birds of North America," 381, as possibly the 

 bilineata, has the characters of the species in the white lores and 



' Since writing the preceding I have been favored by Dr. W. Peters, Direc- 

 tor of the Berlin Museum, with a diagram of the outer two tail feathers of 

 the type specimen of P. bilineata, and of their markings. He states that 

 " the two outer tail feathers are white except at the base, which is black, in 

 suoli a manner that the black extends much more on the inner part at the 

 vexillum than on the outer part." The diagram represents much broader 

 tail feathers than those of super ciliaris, with considerably more black at the 

 base ; this color on the inner web extending a quarter of an inch further than 

 on the outer, in the first feather covering more than one-third, in the second 

 about one half of the web. In sitperciliaris the amount of black is consider- 

 ably less, and extends little more on the inner than on the outer web. 



