PAEULA. — DENDECEOA. 123 



6. Parula gutturalis. (Tab. viii. fig. 3.) 



Compsothlypis gutturalis, Cab. J. f. Orn. 1860, p. 329 '. 



Parula gutturalis, Baird, Eev. Am. B. i. p. 173^; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. ix. p. 93'; v. Frantzius, 

 J. f. Orn. 1869, p. 292'; Salv. P. Z. S. 1870, p. 182'. 



Supra cinerea, capitis lateribus paulo obseurioribus, dorso medio nigerrimo ; subtus gula et pectore aureo-flavis, 

 ventre albido-cinereo, bypocbondriis pure cinereis ; rostro nigro, pedibus plumbeis. Long, tota 4-8, alae 2'5, 

 caudae 1-9, rostri a rictu 0-55, tarsi 0-7. (Descr. maris ex Chiriqui, Panama. Mus. nostr.) 



Hob. Costa Eica, Volcan de Irazu {v. Frawtzius ^ *, J, Cooper ^, Bogers), Eancho 

 Eedondo {J. Carmiol) ; Panama, Volcan de Chiriqui {Arc6 ^). 



This pretty species was first discovered in the volcano of Irazu by Dr. von Frantzius, 

 who sent to the Berlin Museum the single specimen which formed the type of 

 Dr. Cabanis's description. This specimen seems to have been a female bird, or one in 

 immature plumage, as its describer speaks of the back being faintly spotted with black, 

 an indication only of the peculiar conspicuous black crescentic spot which is so marked 

 a feature in the adult bird. 



The species does not appear to be at all a common one, its range being restricted to 

 the higher mountains of Costa Eica and the adjoining volcano of Chiriqui. Here it 

 probably seldom descends below an elevation of 6000 feet, the height at which Dr. von 

 Frantzius found it *- It has no near allies, but comes next, perhaps, to P. superdliosa of 

 Mexico and Guatemala. 



Our figure is taken from a specimen in our collection from Chiriqui. 



DENDECECA. 



Dendroica, Gr. E. Gray, List Gen. B. App. p. 8 (1842) (type Motacilla coronata, Linn.) ; Baird, 

 Brew. & Eidgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 215. 



This genus contains more species than any other of the family, some six and twenty 

 being now included in it ; of these, twenty-two are recognized inhabitants of the United 

 States, all but six of which pass the winter months within our border. In addition 

 to these we find two, D. vieillotti and B. decora, which probably reside throughout the 

 year, making a total of eighteen belonging to Central America and Mexico at one time 

 of the year or another. 



The members of Bendrceca vary much in colour, which, however, serves to group the 

 species into more or less natural sectians. Some of the leading characters which are 

 used to define the genus as a whole are : — the more or less depressed bill, which is less 

 acute than in Helmintherus, Helminthophaga, and Parula, and notched near the tip ; 

 the rictal bristles are fairly developed ; the middle toe is short as compared with the 

 tarsus ; the wings much longer than the tail, the first and second primaries being the 

 longest ; the tail is nearly even, and always blotched with yellow or white. 



The groups into which the genus has been divided in the ' History of North- American 



16* 



