HELMINTHOTHEEUS.— HELMINTHOPHAGA. 113 



Supra olivascenti-viridis, alia et eauda concoloribus ; capite toto et corpore subtus pallide ochraceo-fuscis, iUo 

 fasciis quatuor nigris omato, duabus verticis utrinque ductis a naribus ad nucham et duabus postoeula- 

 ribus ; abdomine medio albioante ; rostro corneo, mandibula et pedibus eameis. Long, tota 5-0, alse 2-8, 

 caudae 2-2, rostri a rictu 0-7, tarsi 0"75. (Descr. maris ex Duenas, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Hob. Eastern Noeth America, from New England States southwards ^ ^^. — Mexico, 

 Jalapa {de Oca ^), Mountains of Orizaba {Sumichrast s), Merida, Yucatan (Schott '^) ; 

 Guatemala 2, Dueiias, Tactic, Coban, Khamkal, Choctum (0. S. & F. D. G.) ; 

 Costa Kica (Hoffmann ^), San Jose (v. Frantzius ^^, Carmiol ^) ; Panama, Boquete 

 de Chitra, Santa Fe " (Arce).— Cuba ^° ; Jamaica i^. 



Helminthotherus vermivorus is a winter visitant to South-eastern Mexico, Guatemala, 

 Costa Eica, and a portion of the adjoining State of Panama, arriving in September and 

 leaving again in April or May. It is also found during the same season in Cuba and 

 Jamaica, but does not reach any part of the continent of South America, the most 

 southern point of its range yet recorded being Santa Fe in the State of Panama. In 

 Guatemala it is by no means uncommon during the months it remains in the country, 

 and is pretty generally distributed everywhere, preferring the woods of the highlands of 

 Duefias and Coban — not exclusively, however, as we obtained many specimens from 

 Choctum and its neighbourhood in the hot forests about 1200 feet above the sea. 

 Like other members of the family, it is restless, but is rather slow in its movements 

 and not shy. 



In its summer quarters in the United States it is spread over a wide area in the 

 eastern section of the country, but nowhere abundantly. It probably breeds through- 

 out its summer range, building a nest on the ground composed of dry leaves and lined 

 with fine mosses ^. 



Bibliographical references to this species are fully given in Dr. Coues's recent work ^^. 



HELMINTHOPHAGA. 



Helminthophaga, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. i. p. 20 (1850-51) (type Motacilla chrysoptern, Linn.) ; 

 Baird, Brew. & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 191. 



A short, delicate, sharply-pointed bill, without any notch, forms one of the chief 

 characters of this genus. The tarsus is long, compared with the middle toe ; and the 

 rictal bristles are not perceptible. Five out of the ten species that are now known 

 occur within our limits as winter visitants. The remaining five, aU more or less rare 

 species, do not, so far as is yet known, pass beyond the limits of the United States. 

 The species of Helminthophaga can be divided into two groups, to be recognized by 

 the presence or absence of a conspicuous white patch on the tail. 



BIOL, cent.-amee., Zool., Aves, Vol. 1, August 1880. 15 



