CAPTURE OF A SECOND SPECIMEN OF HELMINTHOPHAGA 

 LAWRENCEI. 



BY HAROLD HEERICK. 



In 1874 I had the pleasure of publishing in the " Proceedings of 

 the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia" (p. 220, pi. xv) 

 a description of a new species of Ilelviinthophaga that I had just 

 been fortunate enongh to unearth. It has remained unique up to 

 the present time, and although its friends have stoutly maintained 

 its validity, the " hybrid " theorists have sorely tried their faith ; 

 therefore I am more than pleased to be able to set the matter per- 

 manently at rest by announcing the capture of a second specimen 

 of Helmintlwfhaga laivrencei. The specimen, oddly enough, was 

 secured by Mr. Lawrence himself, who sends it to me with a letter 

 of explanation, from which the following is an extract : — 



" I ohtained the specimen of R. Lawreneei last fall from a dealer, who 

 called my attention to it as having a black throat, differing in that respect 

 from any species he had ever before met with. He said it was sent to him 

 last spring from Hoboken, N. J., with a miscellaneous lot of Warblers. 

 I think the acquisition of a second specimen of this species should put at 

 rest all doubt of its validity." 



This specimen agrees precisely with the type, with this slight ex- 

 ception, that the type is an adult male, probably in the second or 

 third year, while the bird under consideration is unquestionably a 

 yearling male, and still has the immature yellowish tips to the 

 coal-black feathers of the throat-patch. A slightly similar effect is 

 seen in the yearling males of JJeiuh'ceca virens. I cannot better 

 describe it than by republishing the description of the type. 



" Upper parts and rump olive-green, a shade darker than in pinm. 

 Wings bluish-gray, with two white bands, the upper not so clearly defined 

 as in pinns. Tail bluish-gray, with the three outer tail-feathers with most 

 of the web white, also a small white spot on the end of the fourth feather. 

 Crown and under parts, from breast to vent, orange. A broad black patch 

 extends from the bill through and behind the eye. Chin, throat, and fore- 

 part of the breast black. A yellow stripe, commencing under the bill, 

 extends back between the black eye- and breast-patchea, and increases in 

 width upon the shoulder. Length, 4.50 ; wing, 2.50 ; tail, 2.00. Meas- 

 urements from the mounted bird." 



The measurements of the two birds are as nearly identical as is 

 possible when one bird is mounted and the other a skin. Of its 

 habitat, the plumage of the female, and its nesting peculiarities, we 

 can only conjecture, but it seems not unreasonable to presume that 

 its habitat is similar to that of its near congener, //. pinus, and 

 that New J ersey may some day produce its nest and eggs, as it has 

 already produced the only two known specimens of tlie bird. 



The female, I believe, will be found to be not unlike that of H. 

 pinus, and a close inspection of supposed specimens of the latter 

 bird now in collections may develop some interesting facts. 



In conclusion it may be well to add, what by inadvertence I 

 omitted when the description was first published, namely, that for 

 the correct delineation of the bird in the plate I am indebted to 

 Mr. Robert Ridgway, of the Smithsonian Institution, to whom I 

 take this opportunity of tendering my thanks. 



BuU. N.O.O. a, Jan., 1877. p. 



