442 



BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



primaiy -coverts and basal portion of inner webs of longer primaries 

 white, forming a conspicuous patch; maxilla black or blackish slate, 

 usually more or less plumbeous on basal portion of culmen; mandible 

 pale bluish gray (in life) basally, passing into dark gray or slaty ter- 

 minally; iris brown; legs and feet brownish dusky (in dried skins); 

 length (skins), 121-147.5 (133.9); wing, 86-97 (90.5); tail, 44-50.5 

 (46.8); culmen, 16.5-21 (19); tarsus, 18-20 (18.8); middle toe, 14.5- 

 16.5 (15.7).« 



Adult female. — Similar to the adult male, but pileum more or less 

 grayish, often bluish gray (similar to but considerably darker than 

 color of back), abruptly contrasted with black of hindneck and upper 

 back — very rarely glossy black, as in male; length (skins), 116-140 

 (128.8); wing, 85-92.5 (88.1); tail, 42-49.5 (46.8); culmen, 16.5- 

 19.5 (18.1); tarsus, 17-19 (18.3); middle toe, 15-17 (15.6).^ 



Young. — Similar to adults (the sexes similarly distinguished), but 

 black of pileum (in male) and hindneck duller, less sharply defined 

 against bluish gra}^ of back, and edges of greater wing-coverts and 

 secondaries more or less brownish. 



Eastern United States and more southern British provinces; north 



" Twenty-six specimens. 

 b Twenty-five specimens. 



Specimens from different geographic areas compare in average measurements as 

 follows: 



Locality. 



Five iidult nuiles from lower South Carolina (4) and 

 Georgia (1 ) 



Eight adult males from .southern Indiana and Illinois 

 (5), Kentucky (1), and Tennessee (2) 



Six adult males from Maryland, District of Columbia, 

 "and Virginia 



Seven adult males from northen United States (Massa- 

 chusetts to Minnesota) 



Wing. Tail. Culmen. Tarsus, ^^oe^^ 



88.7 

 89.1 

 91.6 

 92.3 



One adult female from Texas (Giddings, breeding speci- I 

 men) ' 86. 1 



Five adult females from lower South Carolina (4) and j 

 Georgia (1) ! 85.9 



Three adult females from southern Illinois (2) and Ten- ] 

 nessee (1 ) i 87. 2 



Six adult females from ^Maryland and District of Colum- 

 bia 



Ten adult females from Ma.ssachusetts to Nebraska 



89. .5 

 88.9 



46.3 

 45.8 

 46.3 



48.8 



18.8 

 18.6 

 19.2 

 19.4 



18.6 

 18.8 

 18.7 

 19.1 



18 



18.2 



18.3 



18.3 

 18.4 



15.8 

 15.4 

 15.9 

 15.6 



15 

 15.4 



15.8 



16.2 

 15.4 



I am not able to perceive any color differences, except apparently a very slightly 

 darker tone of the gray of back, etc., in the specimens from southern Illinois and 

 Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee, especially as compared with the northern series, 

 those from Maryland to Georgia being in this respect intermediate. 



