iSS3-] 
Allen and Brewster on Colorado Birds. 
1 S1 
Arizona birds as compared with those from California, a still further and 
rather more decided diminution of this color in the Texas and Minnesota 
ones, and an abrupt and very wide gap between the latter and the dark 
greenish-olive Florida specimens. 
If the geographical variation among the representatives of the region 
at large west of the Mississippi is always as trifling as in the series before 
me, little violence would be done by uniting lutescens and celata under 
the latter and prior name. 
But whatever the disposition finally made wdth the western forms, 
there seems to be no reason why the dark bird found in the South- 
ern Atlantic States should not be recognized as a distinct variety, for it 
differs more from celata than the latter does from lutescens. Mr. 
Ridgway called attention to some of its peculiarities in “North Ameri- 
can Birds” (Vol. I, p. 202), proposing to distinguish it under the 
name obscura , but as he unfortunately claimed among its characteristics 
the absence of certain markings ( i.e ., the “orange” crown-patch and white 
spots on the outer rectrices) which it has been since shown to normally 
possess, the variety fell into disrepute, having been latterly ignored 
even by Mr. Ridgway himself. Believing that it really deserves a distinct- 
ive name I take the present opportunity to reinstate it under the following 
diagnosis : — 
Helminthofihila celata obscura Ridgway. Subsp. char. Differing 
from true H. celata in being darker and dingier, especially beneath, where 
the'usual yellowish tinge is replaced by a greenish one. 
$ adult (No. 1800, Coll. W. B., St. Mary’s, Georgia, April 7, 1877). 
Above dark greenish-plumbeous ; beneath dingy greenish-olive, darkest 
on the sides, palest on the middle of the abdomen ; sides of head and neck 
scarcely lighter than the back; eyelids and a short, ill-defined superciliary 
stripe greenish-yellow ; a concealed crown-patch of deep orange-rufous ; 
inner webs of outer tail feathers narrowly margined with white near their 
terminal ends. 
$ adult (No. 1801, Coll. W. B., Mellonville, Florida, March 14, 1877). 
Lacking the rufous crown-patch; otherwise similar to the male. 
Habitat. Georgia and Florida in winter and early spring, perhaps mi- 
grating northward to breed. 
Audubon figured this race, and his plate even exaggerates its peculiar 
dark coloring. It is probable that his specimens were taken in Florida, 
although he does not state that such was the case. I have seen no examples 
from the Mississippi Valley east of the Mississippi River, but Mr. Ridgway 
says (North American Birds, Vol. I, p. 202) that “specimens from Southern 
Illinois .... and from Wisconsin are precisely like Rocky Mountain ex_ 
amples.” Two Massachusetts ones before me are doubtfully referable to 
var. obscura. Both are somewhat lighter than Florida specimens although 
darker and greener than Texas or Minnesota examples. As they are in 
fresh autumnal plumage, in this respect differing from any others that I 
have, I cannot decide upon their precise relationship. 
There seems to be some mystery, by the way, as to where these south- 
