r,99 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



As already stated, this l.iinl is very siiiiilav to /'. oniatv.i. It appears to 

 be a very little larger, or, at any rate, with considerably longer wings. 

 The bill, however, is shorter and stouter; the hind claw decidedly longer. 

 The cliestuut of the back of the neck is darker. The white on the outer 

 web of the tertiaries and secondaries is uiucli purer and wider. The 

 rufous margins of the pectoral feathers we have never seen iu F. ornntus. 

 The most strildng peculiarity, however, is in having the shoulders black, 

 instead of brown like the rest of the wing-feathers, edged with paler. Both 

 liave the white posterior row of lesser wing-coverts. 



An immature male (6,291) has the black of the head mixed with brown, 

 and a maxillary series of spots on eacii side of the throat. A female has a 

 similar series of spots ; the under parts generally being brownish-white, the 

 shafts across the breast and along the sides streaked with brown, the con- 

 cealed portions of tlie feathers light brown, fading out to the whitisli exterior. 

 There is no black on tlie slioulder, nor chestnut on the nape. 



Fully mature specimens of this bird and of ornatus are so rare in collec- 

 tions as to render it difficult to decide positively as to their true relationship. 

 It is liy no means impossible that they merely represent different conditions 

 of plumage of one species, but for the present, at least, we prefer to con- 

 sider them as distinct. The P. mdanomus is resident on the table-lands of 

 Mexico. 



Habits. Of the habits and general history of this species, very little 

 is known. Its close resemblance to F. ornatus is suggestive of its probably 

 e(|ually close similarity in nesting, eggs, and manner of feeding. Specimens 

 have been ~ received from Mexico, from Fort Tlmni, lYom Xew Mexico, Pole 

 Creek, and the Black Hills. From the last-named places tiiey were obtained 

 in August and Septendxn-. 



Dr. Heermann, in his Beport on tlte birds observed in Lieutenant Parke's 

 route near the 32d parallel, mentions liaving met with these birds, which 

 he caUs the Black-sliouldeied Li)ngsj)ur, at a large prairie-d(jg village some 

 miles west of Puerto del Dado. They were in flocks, and were associated 

 with F. mavcowni. From that point to tlie Rio Grande lie found both of 

 tiiese species abundant wherever tliey .struck isolated water-holes, these being 

 the only places for miles around where drink can be procured. When shot 

 at, they rise as if to go away, but are forced to return, after describing a few 

 curves, to the only spot where they can procure their necessary drink. They 

 may thus be killed in great numbers. Dr. Heermann states that he has seen 

 from a hundred to a hundred and hfty tlms brought do\\ii in four or five 

 discharges of a gun. 



Mr. Dresser states that on tlie 4t]i of April a small flock of wliat was 

 at first supposed to be the P. ornatus was noticed near tlie town of San 

 Antonio. Tliey were pursued, and found on the banks of the San Pedro. 

 They were not very shy, and si)ecimens were procured which proved to be 

 of tliis species. This is the only time that they have been observed in 



