NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 3C5 



26. Cabdctahs igneus, Baird, n. s. A Cardinal very abundant at the Cape ; 

 appeared at first sight to be the same with the C. virginianus. A comparison, 

 however, of a large number of males with as many from the eastern United 

 States and Texas, shows a difference, in the entire absence of black on the 

 forehead between the nostrils, the red of the heSd coming down to the base of 

 the culmen. The black of the side of the bill extends to the nostrils, but not 

 between them on the forehead as in virginianus. The bill is larger and de- 

 cidedly more tumid. The size, shape and colors are as in virginianus, the 

 bill too being red, instead of white as in phoeniceus. 



27. Pipilo albigula, Baird, n. s. Specimens of a Pipilo with the general 

 aspect of mesoleucus, exhibit a constant difference in a rather greater extent of 

 white on the middle of the belly. The chin and upper part of the throat are 

 bounded by a border of dusky spots, which does not extend as far towards the 

 jugulum as in mesoleucus, and is much better and more regularly defined below, 

 not being broken up irregularly. The space enclosed by this border of spots 

 is yellowish brown on the chin as in mesoleucus, but inferiorly on the throat 

 and in front of the spots it becomes nearly, and sometimes quite white, in de- 

 cided contrast to the chin color. The bill appears to be more slender. Both 

 forms agree in having the chestnut hood, the dusky spot on the breast, and 

 the white of the belly distinguishing them from P.fuscus. The size is that of 

 mesoleucus from the Rocky Mountains, and inferior to that of fuscus. 



28. Agelaius . A skin of a female Agelaius does not afford charac- 

 ters sufficient to determine a species. It was collected at San Jose, some ten 

 miles northeast of the point of the cape. 



29. Icterus parisorum, Bonap. The female of this species is olivaceous 

 above, (lighter on the rump,) and yellow beneath. The tail feathers, except 

 the middle ones, are greenish yellow, becoming grayish brown on the terminal 

 third (which is black in the male, ) and narrowly tipped with whitish. Ther 

 are two distinct bands of white on the wing. The lores and throat are tinged 

 with dusky. 



30. Icterus cucullatus, Swainson. 



31. Cyanocitta californica, Strickland. Rather smaller than more north- 

 ern specimens, but apparently similar. There is, however, a tendency to the 

 blue tinge of the under tail coverts seen in C. woodkousii, Baird. 



32. Melopelia leucoptera, Bonap. A very abundant species. 



33. ChamvEPElia passerina ? var. pallescens, Baird. A comparison of an ex- 

 tensive series of Cliamcepelia from Cape St. Lucas, with a similar one from the 

 Southern Atlantic States, shows constant differences in the shade of coloration 

 which may be of importance. The pattern is the same, but the shades are 

 considerably lighter. The chin and anal region are nearly white, the color of 

 the latter considerably lighter than that of the belly anterior to it, instead of 

 being much the same. The amethystine spots on the wings are smaller and 

 apparently less numerous. The bill seems darker, all the hard portion being 

 black, instead of this color being confined to the tip. The tertials do not ap- 

 pear to extend so far along the wing, falling short of the tip by about three- 

 quarters of an inch, scarcely reaching to the end of the eighth primary, instead 

 of to within less than half an inch or to the end of the fifth or sixth primary. 

 The tarsi appear stouter in the Cape bird. 



34. LOPHORTYX CALIFORNICUS, Bonap. 



35. Garzetta thula, Bonap. ? A white heron (No. 273) closely allied to 

 G. candidissima appears to be immature, being without the plumose, occipital 

 and dorsal feathers. It differs from candidissima in the longer bill (3*50 in. 

 above, instead of 3.15), and in the shorter tarsi (3-60 instead of 4*05.) The 



1859.] 



