AifPELID^E — Tlli; CllATTERKKS. 4Q9 



the limits of the United States, altliouLcli several otiiers occiqiy adjacent ter- 

 ritory in Mexico. Several are iieculiar to islands of the West Indies. 



The only two species closely related to the M. toinisendi are the 3f. unicolor 

 and M. obscurus, which belong to Mexico. They may Ije distinguished as 

 follows : — 



An ochraceous band across base of secoiulai'ies ami upper primaries, conspicuous on outer 

 surface. 



1. M. townsendi. Generally dull ashy, paler beneath. Throat and abdomen 

 whitish. Hub. Middle and Pacific Provinces of United States only. 



No ochraceous mi outer webs of secondaries and primaries. 



2. M. obscurus.' Back and wings rusty-olive. Head and beneath a,shy, top of head 

 deepest ash. Hah. Mountains of Mexico and Guatemala ; Tres Marias Islands. 



3. M. unicolor.- Entirely dark bluish slate-color, lighter beneath. Lores black. 

 Udb. Central Mexico and Guatemala. 



Myiadestes townsendi, Caban. 



TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. 



Ptiliogonys toionsendi, AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 206, pi. ccccxix, fig. '2. (For other ref- 

 erences see Birds N. Am. 321.) — Newberry, P. li. Rep. VI, Whipple's Rep. Zolil. 

 82. Culicivora towns. De Kay, N. Y. Zool. II, 1844, 110. Uyiadestes toiims. CAB.ixis, 

 Wieg. Arch. 1847, I, 208. — ScLATER, P. Z. S. 1857, 5; 1858, 97. — Baird, Birds 

 N. Am. 1858, 321; Rev. 429. —Cooper & Suckley, P. R. Rep. XII, ii, 187.— 

 Ken'Xerly, P. R. Rep. X, Whipple's Rep. 25. —Lord, Pr. R. Art. Inst. Woolwich, 

 IV, 116 (Br. Col.). — Cooper, Orn. Cal. 1, 1870, 134. 



Sp. Char. Tail rather deeply forked. Exposed portion of spurious ciuill less than one 

 third that of the second ; fourth quill longest ; second a little longer than the sixth. Head 

 not crested. General color blai.sh-ash, paler beneath ; under wing-coverts white. Quills 

 with a brownish-yellow bar at the base of both webs mostly concealed, but showing a 

 little below the greater coverts and alulie; this succeeded by a bar of dusky, and next to 

 it another of brownish-yellow across the outer webs of the central quills only. Tertials 

 tipped with white. Tail-feathers dark brown ; the middle ones more like the back ; the 

 lateral with the outer web and tip, the second with the tip only, white. A white ring 

 round the eye. Length, 8 inches ; wing, 4..50 ; tail, 3.85. (8,234.) 



Hab. Mountainous regions of Middle and Western L'nited State.s. (Not found at 

 Cape St. Lucas nor in Mexico.) 



Young birds have a large triangular pale-ocliraceous light spot on the end 

 of each feather (rather paler below), bounded externally by a narrow border 

 of blacki.sh ; the quiU and tail i'eatliers as in the adult. 



Habiti>. The first specimen of this somewhat remarkable l)ird was shot 

 by Captain Brotchie, at Fort George, Astoria, and presented to Mr. Townsend, 

 and by the latter given to IMr. Audub(jn. For some time tliis remained unique, 



1 Myiadestes obscurus (Lafres.), Baird, Rev. Am. Birds, 18C6, 430. Huh. Mountains of 

 Mexico to Guatemala and Tres Marias Islands. 



^ Mi/iadestes unicolor (Sclater), Baird, Eev. Am. Birds, 1S60, 428. Hub. Central Me.xieu 

 and Guatemala. 



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