1897.] NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 149 



unite these two extremes and also the isolated Florida bird under 

 one name seems to me eminently misleading and quite at variance 

 with our treatment of geographical races of other species. 



I therefore propose to separate as a distinct subspecies the Rio 

 Grande Meadow Lark and to place the Florida bird for the present 

 at least along with true magna, for reasons that will be stated be- 

 low. The Rio Grande Meadow Lark may be separated as fol- 

 lows: 



Stumella magna hoopesi subsp. nov. 



Type No. 786, coll. Josiah Hoopes. Brownsville, Texas, £ , 

 March 13, 1892, F. B. Armstrong. 



Color below as in magna, but rather lighter and less buff on the 

 sides and under tail coverts; upper surface much grayer and gen- 

 erally lighter. The brown tints of magna are very largely replaced 

 by gray, especially on the wings. Sides of the face whiter than in 

 magna; tail bars almost always distinct, i. e., not confluent along 

 the shaft of the feather. 



This bird is the lightest of all the Meadow Larks, averaging a 

 little lighter than neglecta, the tail bars are also more distinct than 

 in any of the other races. 



A series of females in Mr. Hoopes' collection taken in midwinter, 

 are veiled below with very light (almost white) tips to the feathers, 

 and are even more strikingly different from magna than those in 

 breeding plumage, since the latter race in winter is veiled with 

 buffy-brown. 



While this race approaches neglecta in its general light color, the 

 absence of yellow from the malar region will at once distinguish it. 

 From mexicana it differs more widely than from any of the other 

 races, as we have in these two the extremes of dark and light color- 

 ation. 



The several races of Meadow Larks may then be distinguished as 

 follows : 



1. Yellow of throat not spread laterally on the malar region. 

 2. Colors of back darker. 



3. Black crescent on breast broader, light streaks above 

 inclining to white, terminal spots on feathers of 

 back generally distinct, magna. 



3. Black crescent narrower, light streaks above de- 

 cidedly buff; terminal spots on feathers of the back 



