BIRDS OF NORTU AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



553 



brown, the former distinctly, the latter indistinctly, barred with dusky; 

 primaries dusk\', their outer webs edged and spotted with pale ])rown- 

 ish; upper tail-coverts and middle rectrices brownish j^-ray, the latter 

 distinctly, the foi-mer indistinctly, barred with dusk}^; a conspicuous 

 and sharply detined superciliar}' stripe of white or buffy white extend- 

 ing- to sides of occiput, the anterior (supraloral) portion narrower and, 

 usually, more grayish; a ])road brown postocular stripe, occupj^ing 

 upper half (approximately) of auricular region; suborbital region and 

 lower portion of auricular region grayish white, the latter more or 

 less distinctly streaked with brown; under parts dull grayish white or 

 ver}' pale gray, becoming more decidedly white on abdomen, the sides 

 and flanks more or less tinged with l)rown; under tail-coverts dull 

 white broadly barred with black; maxilla dusky horn color or black- 

 isli with paler tomia; mandible pale horn color basally, more or less 

 extensivel}^ dusky terminally; iris brown; legs and feet brownish or 

 horn color. 



Adults in autumn or winter. — Similar to the spring and summer 

 plumage but more brightly colored, the upper parts more chestnut- 

 brown, middle rectrices browner (broccoli brown to light bistre), sides 

 and flanks more strongly tinged with brown, the under tail-coverts 

 with ground color brownish white or pale buti'y brown. 



Young. — Similar to adults, but ground color of middle rectrices 

 brown, like back, etc., feathers of chest (sometimes throat also) more 

 or less distinctly margined or edged with gra3nsh or dusky, and under 

 tail-coverts more brownish and less distinctly barred. 



^l^?//^wa?d.— Length (skins), 110-129 (113.2); wing, .51-57 (54.1); tail, 

 48-56 (52.3); exposed culmen, 12.5-14 (13.4); tarsus, 17-18.5 (17.9); 

 middle toe, 11.5-13 (12.4). « 



Adult female.— luQngih (skins), 113-129 (117); wing, 51-53.5 (52.2); 

 tail, 48.5-53.5 (51.5); exposed culmen, 13-14.5 (13.0); tarsus, 17-18.5 

 (17.4); middle toe, 11.6-13 (12.2).* 



"Twenty specimens. 

 ''Eight i<peciinens. 



Hpefimens from Atlantic States conij);!?!' in average measureini'nts with those from 

 the Mississippi Valley as follows: 



Locality. 



MALES. 



Ten adult males from Atlantic States (District of Columbia 



to Florida) 54.8 53 13.4 18 IJ.O 



Ten adult males from interior (Ulinois to Tennessee) 53.4 51.5 13.4 17.8 IJ. 



KEMALES. 



Six adult females from Atlantic States (Pennsylvania to 



Florida) 52.4 51.3 13.7 17.4 IJ.l 



Two adult females from eastern Texas 51.6 52 13.5 17.5 i 1:; 



