294 



BULLETIN OF THE 



to the arctic regions, so that those that breed farthest north make annu- 

 ally a journey of fully a thousand miles to reach their breeding-grounds. 

 As I have already observed, individuals of species possessing a very north- 

 ern habitat usually present a great uniformity of character, while those of 

 species ranging farther to the southward are more variable ; also that with- 

 in the warm-temperate and tropical latitudes, islands but slightly separated 

 from each other or the mainland, and peninsulas which, like Florida, are 

 almost insular in their geographical relations, present each peculiar modi- 

 fications of species ranging throughout not only all of them, but portions 

 of the adjoining continents, which render the individuals from these differ- 

 ent localities more or less readily distinguishable. This results partly, 

 doubtless, from the isolation of these different districts, partly from the 

 more sedentary habits of birds in warm countries, as compared with those 

 of cold latitudes, and partly from the greater tendency to variation in 

 species inhabiting tropical and sub-tropical countries. 



In the subjoined tables measurements are given of thirteen males and 

 eight females from the Northern States, and of twenty-three males and seven 

 females from Florida, of which the following is a tabulated summary : — 



Measurements of Northern Specimens of QuisCALUS purpureus. 



1234 



9770 

 2643 



1401 



1871 



1874 

 2574 

 L602 

 1873 

 9769 

 07., 7 

 9598 

 2284 

 2271 

 2501 



187 

 L86 

 185 



3097 



Locality. 



Rod River, B. A. 

 Water town, Mass. 



Ipswich, " 



Evanston, 111. 



Lawn Ridge, " 



Springfield, Mass 



Evanston, 111. 

 Waterville, Me. 



Lynn, Ma.«s 



Collector. 



S. H. Scudder 

 C. J. Maynard 



0. Marcy 

 K. Butler 



O. Marcy 

 C. E. Hamlin 



12.50 



12.50 

 12.45 

 12 80 

 12.80 

 13.10 

 12.40 

 12.25 

 12.50 

 13.50 

 12.48 

 12.12 

 12.77 

 11 17 

 10.90 

 11 30 

 11.48 

 II 50 

 11.40 

 12.05 

 1 1 50 



w 

 17.50 

 17.80 

 18 25 

 17.53 

 18.10 

 1800 

 1775 

 17.05 

 17.25 

 1843 

 17. 25 

 17.00 

 17.50 

 15. 7 5 

 15 15 

 15 38 

 15 67 

 16.00 

 16.00 

 16.30 

 15.50 



5.65 

 5.77 

 5.85 

 557 

 5-86 

 5.85 

 5.62 

 5.42 

 560 

 6.05 

 550 

 5.20 

 5.68 

 5.1 in 

 4.75 

 4.60 

 4.95 

 5.00 

 4.98 

 5.20 

 6 05 



5.68 

 5.20 

 5 30 

 6.43 

 5.50 

 560 

 5.07 

 4.87 

 6.20 

 6.00 

 5.00 

 4.58 

 560 

 4.37 

 4.10 

 4.25 

 4 40 

 4.65 

 4.46 

 4.85 

 4.86 



