136 BULLETIN OF THE 



where, it being one of the most interesting and characteristic species of the 

 Plains. It has a short, shrill, but very sweet song, which is often uttered 

 while on the wing. It is very wary for so small a bird, and has the habit 

 of circling round the observer when disturbed for several minutes together, 

 approaching tantalizingly near, with feints of a nearer approach, but gen- 

 erally keeping well out of range. The nest is a very neat, though slight 

 structure, placed of course on the ground, and is composed of dry fine 

 jrass and rootlets. The eggs are generally five, blotched and streaked 

 with rusty on a white ground. Full sets of freshly laid eggs were first 

 found about June 3d. 



The plumage varies greatly in color in different individuals of even the 

 same sex, the variation being generally in respect to the purity and inten- 

 sity of the colors. The most highly colored males have the breast and 

 middle of the abdomen more or less strongly tinged with very bright ferrugi- 

 neous ; others have these parts pure black ; while in others still the black 

 is obscured by the feathers having brownish-white margins. The lesser 

 coverts vary from gray to black. The red tinge on the abdomen seems 

 merely indicative of a high state of plumage ; those thus marked also having 

 the lesser coverts black ; but they are also black in some specimens that 

 are not tinged with red. Plectrophanes melanomas Baird, is merely the 

 ferrugineous phase of this species, and not even a local race. The highest 

 colored female (the sex determined by dissection) was nearly as brightly 

 colored as the paler colored males, having the chestnut collar, and the 

 black on the breast nearly as distinct as some of the males. It was also 

 nearly as large, and, until dissected, was supposed to be an immature male. 

 Thirty specimens of the bird were obtained, and three full sets of eggs. 



1G. Coturniculus passerinus. Abundant everywhere on the Plains. 

 Several nests, with full sets of (usually five) fresh eggs were found between 

 June 3d and 10th. In notes and habits it does not differ from the eastern 

 birds, but is paler colored. 



On comparing Florida specimens (of which I have thirty before me, 

 from Miami, Florida, collected by Messrs. Maynard and Henshaw) with 

 northern ones, the former are found to be far more brightly colored than 

 the latter. Between northern and southern specimens of the same species 

 greater differences in color are rarely observable than in this, the differ- 

 ences being far greater than occur between many con?pecific geographical 

 races to which has been awarded specific rank. The difference consists 

 in the much brighter and blacker tints of the southern form. Massachu- 

 setts specimens, though lighter than Florida ones, are still much darker 

 than those from the Plains. 



17. Chondestes grammaca. Common. Most numerous in the moist 

 ravines and near the streams. Forms a very slight nest on the ground, 



