SYLVICOLIDJE— SYLVICOLIN^ : TRUE WABBLEBS. 289 
Wing shorter than tail, or equal and head ashy Geothlypis 42 
Wing longer than tail, or equal and head not ashy 
Tarsus shorter than middle toe and claw Mniotilta 33 
Tarsus not shorter than middle toe and claw. 
Rictal bristles evidently reaching far beyond nostrils. 
Tail black and orange, or black and white, or dark and yellow Setophaga 46 
Tail ashy edgeil with white, and head with red Cardellina 45 
Tail greenish, unmarked, or with white blotches Myiodioctes 44 
• Rictal bristles evidently not reaching far beyond nostrils, or not evident at all. 
Tail-feathers all unmarked. 
Bill at least 0.50 inches long, very acute ; 4 black stripes on head, or none . Helmintherus 3G 
Bill not 0.50 inches long. 
Wing over 2.50 inches ; bill not acute ; bright yellow below, or head ashy . Oporomis 41 
Wing not over 2.50 inches ; bill very acute ; no bristles Helminthophila 37 
Tail-feathers blotched with white, or yellow on inner webs. 
Rictal bristles not evident. 
Bill not 0.50 inch long; whole fore parts not yellow Helminthophila 37 
Bill at least 0.50 inch long ; whole fore parts yellow Protonotaria 35 
Rictal bristles very evident. 
Back blue with gold spot, throat and legs yellow Parula 34 
Head orange-brown with black bar through eye Peucedramus 38 
Coloration otherwise Bendroeca 39 
Diagnostics or Characteristics of some of the Genera of Sylvicolidae. 
Genera Mniotilta, Parula, and Peucedramus are creeping warblers, with certain slight modifications of the 
feet, enabling them to scramble about the trees much like creepers or nuthatches. 
Genera Geothlypis and Oporomis are ground warblers, with the feet modified in adaptation to terrestrial 
life. Genus Siurus is similar in this respect ; the species walk on the ground, and act in some respects like Mota- 
cillines. 
Genera Protonotaria, Helmintherus, and Helminthophila Sbte ^' worm-eating" warblers (the old genus Ver- 
mivora), with slight rictal bristles or none. 
Genera Setophaga, Cardellina, and Myiodioctes are fly-catching warblers, with strongly bristled bill and 
muscicapine habits, in some respects like species of Tyrannidce. 
Genus Icteria is isolated by its peculiarities of form and habits, and great size for this family. 
Genus Dendrczca comprehends the wood warblers par excellence, — the largest genus, with over twenty 
species. 
Bill : — Peculiarly stout, high, and compressed in Icteria ; — flattish, and strongly bristled in Setophaga, 
Cardellina and il/?/tof7ioc<es, — large, with straightish outlines, scarcely or not bristled, and very acute in 7-*ro- 
tonotaria •a.nd Helmintherus ; — small, unbristled, and very acute in Helminthophila. 
Feet : — Tarsus longest, slenderest, and usually pale-tinted in the ground ivarblers ; — shortest in the creep- 
ing warblers, with relatively longest toes. 
Wings : — Shorter than the tail in Icteria and species of Geothlypis ; — about equal to the tail in species of 
Geothlypis, Siurus, Setophaga, and Cardellina ; — nsnaWy decidedly longer than the tail. 
Tail : — The feathers (some or all) blotched loith ivhite in the following: Mniotilta, Parula, Protonotaria, 
species of Helminthophila, all Dendrcecce excepting Z). cesiiva, Peucedramus, one Myiodioctes, one Setophaga. 
The feathers plain olivaceous, or otherwise like the back, unmarked, in species of Helminthophila, in Helmintherus, 
Oporomis, Geothlypis, Siurus, Icteria, .species of Myiodioctes, Cardellina ; yellow and dark in one Setophaga and 
one Dendroica. 
15. Subfamily SYLVICOLIN/E : True Warblers. 
Bill conoid-elongate, shorter than head, about as high as, or rather higher than wide oppo- 
site the nostrils, not hooked, and with hut a slight notch, if any, at tip : commissure straight 
or slightly curved ; a few rictal bristles, reaching little, if any, beyond the nostrils, or none. 
Wings pointed, usually longer than the narrow, nearly even tail. 
This beautiful gi'oup, which comprehends the great majority of the Warblers, is specially 
characteristic of North America, and reaches its highest development in the eastern portions of 
the continent, mainly through the preponderance of species of the largest genus, Dendroeca. 
All the genera and most of the species of SylvicolincB are found in this country, mainly as mi- 
grants, which appear in the spring, pass the summer, and retire for the winter to Mexico, the 
West Indies, and Central or even South America; though some pass the inclement season 
within our limits, and one at least is found in winter in Northern States. 
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