COLLURIO. 445 



coverts gray. Wings and tail black, varied with white ; the former showing 

 externally a large white patch at bases of primaries, and broad white tips to 

 the secondaries. The white on primaries extends nearly as far as the tip of 

 the 1st quill ; the inner webs of the secondaries (excepting the innermost 

 ones) are pure white to the shaft for their basal half, the posterior border of 

 the patch perpendicular to the shaft ; this color also bordering the web for 

 half its width to the end, and quite abruptly defined. The tail feathers are 

 apparently without any concealed white at their bases, although the discon- 

 nected fibres are grayish ; the outer feather has the terminal third and all 

 the outer web white ; the amount of white diminishes in the 2d, 3d, and 4th 

 feathers ; the 5th and 6th entirely black. 



There is a broad black band from bill through and behind eye, and un- 

 varied by white, as in excuhitoroides, and with a well defined narrow frontal 

 line of the same color ; the loral region, however, exhibits a tinge of deep 

 ashy ; the bill and legs are black. 



Total length, 8.75 ; wing, 4.20 ; tail, 4.40, graduation, 1.00 ; exposed por- 

 tion of 1st primary, 1.35, of 2d, 2.60, of longest (measured from exposed base 

 of 1st primary), 2.95; length of bill from forehead, 1.00, from nostril, .59, 

 along gape, 1.10, depth, ,39; tarsus, 1.20; middle toe and claw, .95, claw 

 alone, .34 ; hind toe and claw, .70, claw alone, 33. 



The description given above is taken from a specimen in the col- 

 lection of the Philadelphia Academy, labelled as having been col- 

 lected in California by Dr. Gambel, and is very decidedly different 

 from any of the recognized North American species. Of nearly 

 the size of C. excubitoroides and ludovicianus, it has a bill even 

 more powerful than that of C. horealis. In its unwaved under 

 parts and uniform color of the entire upper surface, except scapulars, 

 it differs from horealis and excubitoi'oides, and resembles ludovici- 

 anus. In the extension of white over the inner webs of the secon- 

 daries, it closely resembles C. excubitor. The great restriction of 

 white at the base of the tail — the four central feathers being entirely 

 black, and the bases of the others grayish-ashy — is quite peculiar 

 to the species. 



I am by no means satisfied that the bird here described is the true 

 Lanius elegans of Swainson — there being several marked differences 

 from his description. In the essential features, however, of the 

 larger size, especially of the bill, the concolored forehead, the scarcely 

 lighter rump, and the greater amount of white on the inner webs 

 of the secondaries, there is a decided accordance. In Swainson's 

 bird the tail seems to be almost as white as in extremes of colora- 

 tion of excubitoroides, instead of being much blacker than usual. 



Colltirio excubitoroides. 



Lanius excubitoroides, Swainson, F. B. A. II, 1831, 115 (Saskatchewan). 

 —Gambel, Pr. A. N. Sc. 1847, 200 (Cala.).— Cassin, Pr. A. N. Sc. 



