2 20 Brewster on Helminthophaga leucobronchialis. 
abdomen white ; the remainder of the lower parts gamboge-yel- 
low ; the wing-bands white ; the nape ashy tinged with green ; 
the occiput, back, and wings as purely olive-green as in H. 
pinus. 
No. 1,210 (Dr. Fisher’s collection, 9 adult, Sing Sing, July 24, 
1881) is entirely pale greenish-yellow beneath ; the back is simi- 
lar to that of pinus but the nape is decidedly ashy and the wing- 
bands as clearly yellow as in chrysoptera ; the dusky brown 
eve-stripe is restricted to the lores and post-orbital spot. 
Of the above specimens, No. 605 is perhaps the most important ; 
with its white wing-bars, ashy back, and yellow breast and throat 
it very equally combines the respective characters of leucobron- 
chialis and pinus. Nos. 2,620 and 1,210, approach pinus even 
more closely ; but the former has the white throat and cheeks of 
leucobronchialis ; and the latter an ashy nape, yellow wing-bands 
and generally pale coloring beneath. No. 1,208 shows a signifi- 
cant variation in the other direction, the extension of the black 
eye-stripe indicating an increased affinity with chrysoptera. No. 
1,235 1S apparently similar to Gibb’s type of H. 44 gunniip after- 
wards referred to leucobronchialis by Mr. Ridgway (this Bull., 
IV, p. 233) . Taken as a whole, the series perfectly connects leuco- 
bronchialis with pinus , as well as showing an extension of the 
former toward chrysoptera. This fact being established, the 
question immediately follows, How can these aberrant birds be 
accounted for? Before attempting to answer this let us take up 
H. lawrencei and examine a few more specimens. 
I have before me a femal e Helminthophaga (No. 4,667, author’s 
collection. Highland Falls, New York, July 7, 1879, presented 
by Dr. Mearns) which has the crown yellow ; the back and 
wings dull ashy tinged with olive-green ; the wing-bands yellow ; 
the cheeks and throat ashy the chin, sides of throat, and re- 
mainder of the under parts heavily washed with greenish- 
yellow. Making due allowance for the fact that its plumage is 
excessively worn and faded, this specimen presents nearly the 
relative characters that would be looked for in the female of 
lawrencei ; the throat and cheek-markings are those of chrysop- 
tera (female), while the remainder of the plumage is colored 
nearly as in pinus ; the wing-bands however are yellow, instead 
of white, and the back is not purely olive-green : but these varia- 
tions are closely parallel to those which occur in leucobron- 
