A supposed strong point which has been urged against the 

 validity of H. leucobronchialis n.s a distinct species, is the circum- 

 stance tliat typical specimens constitute a small proportion of all 

 those obtained, and the suspicious circumstance that each in- 

 dividual of the aberrant majority inclined, in one respect or 

 another, toward H. finus. Only seven of the twenty-two exam- 

 ples which have been recorded (including those of '■ H. lawrencei,' 

 which must be considered in this connection) , or not quite one- 

 third, are true ZT. leucobronchialis; but when, instead of taking 

 two elements into consideration (i. e., H. firms and H. chrysof- 

 tera) we add a third i^H. leucobronchialis itself), thedisjoro- 

 portion becomes far less significant. 



In no other way than by assuming that H. leucobrofichialis is a 

 distinct species, which itself hj'bridizes with its allies, can we 

 account for the oi-igin of the puzzling series of specimens which 

 have so prejudiced the claims of the bird under consideration to 

 specific rank ; and I feel convinced that Mr. Brewster expressed 

 the exact truth when he stated (c/. Nuttall Bulletin, III, jj. 99) 

 tliat "the validity of this distinctly characterized species must 

 now be regarded as established," and I feel equally satisfied that 

 the hypothesis of hybridism which he subsequently advanced 

 fails to settle the case as affecting H. leiicobi'onchialis itself, 

 however well it may answer for the 'aberrant' specimens which 

 have been wrongly referred to it. 



Regarding the very close resemblance between certain speci- 

 mens of H. leucobrottckialis , Mr. Brewster observes : "Indeed, it 

 would be difficult to select three individuals of any species which 

 vary so little inter se." I have myself seen only the type and the 

 Virgina specimen in the National Museum collection ; but I can 

 affirm that the two ai-e as nearly counterparts of one another, 

 so far as details of plumage are concerned, as any two specimens, 

 of any species, that have ever come under my observation. 



The following classification of all the specimens* hitherto 

 recorded of both H. leucobronchialis (in its widest sense) and 

 lazvrencei^' expresses my views as to their nature and origin. 

 The arrangement is of course purely hypothetical, but at the 

 same time admits of a much more satisf;ictory solution of tlie 

 problem which Mr. Brewster has so carefully discussed than 



* A few may possibly have been overlooked. 



the theory which supposes the entire series to be hybrids of 

 H. chrys } ptcra iind H. pitius a.\on&, or of their progeny inter se. 



I. Typical Specimens of H. leucobronchialis. 



Characters. — Throat and cheeks pure white ; postocular black or 

 dusky streak very narrow, not involving the auriculars ; breast white, or 

 but very feintly tinged with yellow; wing-patch, or bands, yellow. 



(1) The type, an adult $ from Newtonville, ?vlass.. May 18, 1870. ( Cf. 

 Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, I, p. i, pi. i.) 



(2) An adult $ shot by Christopher D. Wood, near Clifton, Delware 

 Co., Penn., May 12, 1877. {Cf. Trotter, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, II, pp. 79, 

 80.) 



(3) An adult $ in the collection of the Philadelphia Academy of 

 Natural Sciences, supposed to have been shot by J. G. Bell at Rockland, 

 N. Y.. in the spring of 1832. (C/ Trotter, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III, 

 p. 44; IV, p. .59.) 



(4) An adult $ shot at Wauregan, Conn., May 25, 1875, by Charles 

 M. Carpenter. {Cf. Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III, p. 99.) 



(5) An adult $ obtained at Suffield, Conn., July 3, 1875, by E. I. Shores 

 {Cf. Brewster, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, III, p. 199.) 



(6) An adult $ in collection of Williams College, Williamstown, Mass., 

 obtained at Hudson, Mass., in May or June, 1858, by Samuel Jillson. {Cf. 

 Purdie. Bull. Nutt. Orh. Club. IV," p. 184.) 



(7) An adult $ shot near Arlington, Va., May 15, 1885, by William 

 Palmer, and by him presented to the National Museum (museum register 

 No. 104,684). {Cf Palmer, Auk, II, p. 304.) 



II. Presumed hybrids of H. Icucobrotichialis and H. fiinus, or of 



THE FORMER WITH THE CROSS BETWEEN H. pi?lUS AND 



H. chrysoflera (= 'i/. /rtwrc«c«- Herrick'). 



Characters — Throat white, sometimes faintly tinged with yellow: 

 breast yellow; gray of upper parts tinged with olive-green. 



a. Wing-band, or patch, yellow. 



(1) An adult $ taken at Portland, Conn., by William W. Coe,May 22, 

 1875. Has "a broad band or blotch" of yellow on the breast, while "the 

 whole dorsal plumage, from the crown, is faintly washed with the same 

 tint." {Cf Purdie, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, IV, p. 184.) 



(2) An adult $ taken at Saybrook, Conn., May 30, 1879, bjj- N. Clark. 

 Has "a patch of bright yellow across the breast from the bend of the 

 wings." {Cf Purdie, 1. c.) 



(3) A young bird (sex unknown) taken by Dr. E. A. Mearns at High- 

 land Falls, N. Y., July 7, 1879 (Coll. W. Brewster, No. 4,668). Specimen 

 number 4 under AT. laivrencei {-^io. 4,667, Coll. W. Brewster), said to 



