Helmlnthophila leucobronchialls . 



General N'otes. 

 making a patch of buff-colored stain that 



ribed jellow wash bj any but : 



would be mistaken for the pn 

 very close observer. This, howeve 



might perhaps be removed with turpentine. 



When it has been proved that Brewster's Warbler does as was to hf. 

 expected, achieve a perfectly pure coloration, it is obvious th'at the descrip- 

 :on of true Brewster's Warbler should be taken from a bird thus purely 

 colored For, granted that it is sometimes entirely white-breasted, it 

 would be exactly as rational to take as a type a strongly yellow-tinged 

 specnnen, or one from any point in the gradation toward j>m„s, as one 

 with a tamt, concealed yellow wash. 



rar?'nnT'rV°"\'' °^ '^"^ representative of this obscure 



race, and he form best representing the race is, except in the narrow 

 technical significance of the word, most /■r/.r../. 

 another point which does not i 



1 to have received due c 



:wster's Warbler. It is the fact that, 

 ieved to be a hybrid between ; 



There : 



sideration in discussion about Brewsti 

 though the bird is most generally beli 



and ckrysoptera, and the gradation between the former and pure leuco- 

 bronck.aU. is cited as corroborative of this theory, there are absolutely no 

 intergrades between pure leucoironchialis and ckrysoitera Until such 

 specimens are found, the evidence in favor of this viewfs at best ex t emet 

 incomplete. On the other hand, there are several points that tell ' 



mportant of these is the existence of Lawrence 



vidently a hybrid between th. 

 >elf extremely 



two common 

 such a hybrid 



it, and one of the most ii 

 Warbler. This bird is v_. 

 species already mentioned, 

 would naturally be. 



Jj^'T^ specimens are nearer in general aspect to finus than to chrysop- 

 tera, hough they have the black head-markings of the latter; and the 

 remarkable parti-colored bird shown at a recent meeting of the A. O. U. 



intermediate between la-^rencei ^r.A ckrysoptera ; wliile none of these 

 snows any affinity with any plumage of leucobronchialis. which h.s ..1w„„. 

 a nght throat and a narrow black eye-line. 



which 



It seems scarcely possible that two species of Warbler should produce 

 together two perfectly distinct types of hybrid. If it depended c 

 species furnished the male parent, one type of offspring could only be 

 much commoner than the other if one combination of parents were much 

 commoner or more prolific, which in this case seems very unlikely. 



All this leads one to believe that Brewster's Warbler is either a distinct 

 species who've u.u.-^_. 



jjicwbLcr s warnier is either a disti' 



•f,, .1, """""^ '° discovered, but whose hybr 



with the Blue-winged Yellow have frequently been found - •- 



independent color-phase of the latter species. 

 This last explanation seems to me by far the most pi 



■ids 



most plausible of all— 



'The Auk' for October, 1910 (XXVII, 

 a article by Julia Wingate Sherman on 

 ,re numerous inaccuracies in the account 

 , and correct them as far as possible. 



Warbler about Boston dates from 1907. 

 n the Arnold Arboretum by Miss Helen 

 iuk, XXIV, 1907, p. 343), and was sub- 

 I, Auk, XXIV, 1907, p. 444) with a female 

 ferring to this pair, writes: " Mr. [C. J.] 



drawing of the female and young, which 

 male showed an extensive, nearly black 



patch in the wing." 



fster's was seen on May 13 (Peters, Auk, 

 ace as the year before. On June 8 I found 

 ae spot where the pair was located in 1907. 

 five naked young. About the same time 

 r. George Nelson of the Agassiz Museum 

 the Museum. There can be no doubt that 

 nale Helminthophila leucobronchialis and a 

 I birds were seen about the nest. About 

 the young disappeared, just how will never 



arance of the young birds a nest was found 

 red by Mrs. Sherman and others who did 

 t of leucobronchialis. So far as I am aware 

 ship of the nest was based entirely upon the 

 hich was described in ' The Auk ' by Mrs. 

 dusky throat-patch, not clearly defined at 



pale gray of the upper breast The black 



;r and extended back farther than did that on 

 .g year. She differed also in showing two 

 ,escription applies perfectly to the female 

 ,s a male of this species singing not far from 

 .t all unhkely that he was the owner and not 

 ight be led to beUeve. 



rht male chrysoptera was the only bird to be 

 emale was seen or nest found in either year, 

 c, pp. 444, 445) a pair of Goldenwings which 

 :he male was a typical chrysoptera ; the female, 

 leucobronchialis, had much the same plumage 

 ibed (see above), but differed in having " the 

 1 color. It bore the same character in being 

 id directly under the bill. The one in 1908 

 ch, mottled slightly in appearance. The black 

 rrower and paled on a pale gray cheek. The 

 uniform in width ... .The white fine below the 

 eye was shorter. The whole tone of the back was more olivaceous. Two 

 bright yellow wing-bars divided by an olive or dark band on the wmg. 

 The entire underparts were washed with yellow which showed quite bright 

 on the middle of the breast in a good light. The crown was bright dande- 

 lion yellow running into bronzy yellow on the back of the head." 



This description seems to be a rather good one of a female Helmmthophtla 

 chrysoptera in very high plumage. -inn? 



It has always been believed that the females in the Arboretum m 1907 

 and 1908 were chrysoptera, and I see no reason why either of these birds 

 or the one in Roshndate should everberegarded^ny^^^^^ 

 L. Peters, Jamaica Plain, Mass. Jt^ ff .if 



