258 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



upper tail-coverts white, barred with rufous. Throat with 

 blended streaks of blackish, this usually predominating ; tibisc 

 and lower tail-coverts plain yellowish-white. Hab. Eastern 

 Province of North America, to the Missouri plains . var. borealis. 



Similar, but colors much paler, the lower parts entirely pure 

 white, with little or no spotting on the abdomen. Tail usually 

 destitute of the black subterminal band. Hab. Plains, from 

 Texas to Minnesota var. h- rider i. 



Similar to the last, but lower parts strongly tinged with 

 rufous on the tibiae, and upper parts much darker. Tail 

 always destitute of the subterminal black band. Young not 

 distinguishable from that of var. calurus. Hab. Cape St. 

 Luc.is ........ var. lucasanus. 



Whole head, neck (except the throat), and upper parts, con- 

 tinuously miiform unvariegated brownish-black ; that of the 

 neck meeting narrowly across the lower part of the throat, 

 leaving the whole throat almost immaculate white. Posterior 

 lower parts fine, deep pinkish-ochraceous ; tibia; deep reddish- 

 ochraceous; upper tail-coverts plain rufous. Hab. Central 

 America (from Tres Marias, Western Mexico, to Costa Rica 

 and Veragu.i) ...... var. costaricensis. 



Tibiae and lower tail-coverts always with distinct transverse bars. 

 Tail often with more or less complete transverse bars of black to 

 the base. Lower parts with an excess of ochraceous and darker 

 markings, frequently wholly blacki.sh. 



Varying, from individuals distinguishable from the darker 

 examples of var. borealis only by the presence of bars on the 

 tibia; and crissum, through others with various degrees of 

 rufous tinge and dusky spotting and barring beneath, to a per- 

 fectly melanistic condition, in which the bird is almost uni- 

 formly black, and the tail with continuous, regular bars of 

 black to the base. Hab. Western Province of North America, 

 from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific . . vav. calurus. 



6. B. harlani. Wing, 1.5.00-16.20; tail, 8.80-10.50; culmen, 1.00; 

 tarsus, 2.75 - 2.90 ; middle toe, 1.50-1.70. Lateral toes nearly equal; 

 tibial plumes much developed, reaching below the bases of the toes. 

 Entirely brownish-black (except the tail), the concealed bases of the 

 feathers snowy-white. Adult. Tail confiisedly mottled with dusky 

 and wliite, upon a grayish ground; sometimes more or less tinged 

 with rufous. Young. Tail grayish-brown, with nine very regular, 

 sharply defined bands of brownish-bl.ack, about equal in width to the 

 gray ones. Lower parts wholly dusky. Hab. Southwestern United 

 States, east of the Rocky Mountains, from Kansas to Texas. 



7. B. cooperi. Wing, 15.75; tail, 9.10; culmen, 1.10; tarsus, 3.25; 

 middle toe, 1.70. Adult. Head, neck, and beneath, pure white, the 

 head above and nape streaked with dusky ; lining of the wing white, 

 with a large black patch. Above nearly uniform dusky, the primaries 

 plumbeous. Tail longitudinally mottled with light rufous, cinereous, 

 and dusky; the former prevailing. Hab. Santa Clara County, Cali- 

 fornia. 



