Vol. XXIV, pp. 217-218 October 31, 1911 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A. NEW SUBSPECIES OF THE 



PAINTED BUNTING FROM THE INTERIOR 



OF TEXAS. 



BY EDGAR A. MEARNS. 



The Nonpareil, or Painted Bunting, of western Texas proves 

 to be an undescribed race which may be named — 



Passerina ciris pallidior subsp. nov. 



PALE PAINTED BUNTING. 



Type-specimen.— Adult male. Cat, No. 163673, U. S. X. M. Collected 

 at Fort Clark, Kinney County, Texas, May 7, 1898, by Edgar A. Mearns. 

 Original number, 11800. 



Characters. — Larger than Passerina ciris ciris ; adult male with under 

 parts considerably paler vermilion red; rump and upper tail-coverts 

 paler, more purplish red. Female paler throughout, with upper parts 

 paler, grayer, less yellowish green, and under parts buffy instead of decid- 

 edly yellow. 



Measurements of type (taken from the fresh specimen by the author). — 

 Length, loo mm. ; alar expanse, 240 ; wing, 75; tail, 61; culmen (chord), 

 11.2; tarsus, 18.3; middle toe with claw, 18.3. 



Geographical range. — Breeds in the interior of Texas, migrating to Ari- 

 zona, Mazatlan, and the plains of Colima. 



Hi marks.— Topotypes of Passerina ciris ciris from Vera Cruz, eastern 

 Mexico, are indistinguishable from specimens from the southeastern 

 United States, and are probably migrants from the latter region. The 

 breeding range of typical ciris extends westward from the South Atlantic 

 States around the Gulf coast to Mexico. 



A table of comparative measurements appears on following page. 



10— Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXIV, 1911. (217 



