150 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF L1897. 



generally reduced and crossed by black markings. 

 All brown markings on wings and back bright 

 chestnut brown. 



4. Bill very long, meridionalis. 



4. Bill shorter, mexicana. 



4. Bill and all dimensions very small, 



inexpectata. 

 2. Colors of back lighter, all the browns of the upper surface 

 and wings nearly replaced by gray, hoopesi. 



1. Yellow of throat spread laterally on the malar region ; plum- 

 age above more gray than brown, neglecta. 



THE FLORIDA MEADOW LARK. 



Judging from a comparison of Florida birds with a series from 

 the Atlantic States to the northward, I was inclined to separate the 

 former as a distinct race, following Chapman's views as to the im- 

 practicability of uniting them with magna. 



They are smaller and darker than magna, with the yellow gener- 

 ally more intense. All the feathers of the upper parts have the 

 black areas greater than in magna, especially noticeable on the 

 secondaries and tail. On the latter the crossbars are always con- 

 fluent, and sometimes the black area covers almost the entire 

 feather. 



Mexicana differs from the Florida bird in the much narrower 

 breast crescent, the general buff tint in the light markings and the 

 greater extension of the black area on the feathers of the back. 

 The brown tints in mexicana are also much brighter and inclined to 

 chestnut. 



Notwithstanding the differences exhibited by the Florida bird, 

 comparison with a series from Avery's Island Louisiana, and 

 another from southern Illinois and Indiana, 10 shows that they ap- 

 proach very close to it in all its peculiarities, the Louisiana birds 

 being quite identical. 



In view of this fact, it is certainly impossible to separate the 

 Florida bird, and if any separation is made of these southern dark- 

 colored Meadow Larks, the birds of the Gulf Coast and from some 

 distance up the Mississippi Valley (probably to the upper limit of 

 the Austroriparian Zone), must be included. The adoption of such 

 an arrangement would necessitate the revival of Linnaeus' name 



10 U. S. Nat. Mus. Coll. 



