BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 15 



secondaries by less than length of middle toe (without claw). Tail 

 shorter than distance from bend of wing to end of secondaries, less 

 than twice as long as tarsus, slightly rounded. Tarsus long and 

 slender (more than one-third as long as wing, more than half as long 

 as tail), the acrotarsium booted on both sides; middle toe (without 

 claw) about three-fifths as long as tarsus; lateral toes unequal, the 

 inner (without claw) reaching to subterminal articulation of middle 

 toe, the outer slightly beyond ; hallux slightly shorter than inner toe ; 

 basal phalanx of middle toe united to outer toe for more than half 

 its length, to inner toe for less than half; claws rather small and 

 weakly curved, that of the hallux shorter than its digit. 



Coloration. — Above plain grayish brown, with basal half of tail 

 rufous; adult males with throat and chest blue, with or without a 

 central spot of white or rufous; young dark sooty above and on chest, 

 broken by streaks of pale yellowish, the belly, etc., whitish with 

 feathers margined with sooty, the under tail-coverts pale buff. 



Nidvfication. — Nest in cavity of a hummock on marshy ground, 

 composed of dry grass, fine rootlets, etc., lined with hair and other 

 soft materials; eggs (4-6) greenish blue, speckled with reddish brown. 



Range. — Palsearctic Region, breeding northward; south to northern 

 Africa, India, Burma, southern China, etc.; one species occurring in 

 western Alaska. (Four species or subspecies.) 



CYANOSYLVIA SUECICA (Linnaeus). 

 RED-SPOTTED BLUETHEOAT. 



Adult male in spring and summer. — Above plain grayish brown 

 (deep hair brown), the pileum with feathers more or less distinctly 

 darker centrally, and usually with a dusky area along each side of 

 anterior portion; larger wing-coverts, remiges, and rectrices with 

 paler grayish brown edgings, the latter (except middle pair) with 

 basal half (approximately) cinnamon-rufous; upper tail-coverts 

 sometimes intermixed with cinnamon-rufous; a distinct superciliary 

 stripe of dull white; lores dusk}^, sometimes tinged with blue, more or 

 less dotted with whitish posteriorly; an indistinct or incomplete 

 orbital ring of whitish; suborbital and auricular regions grayish 

 brown, more or less streaked with whitish or buffy, especially on 

 lower portion ; sides of neck grayish brown, slightly paler than upper 

 parts; chin, throat, and upper chest blue (varying from azure to 

 campanula), inclosing a large spot or patch of cinnamon-rufous on 

 lower throat; a blackish band (more or less broad) across middle 

 chest, the lower chest cinnamon-rufous, with tips of feathers, more 

 or less extensively, buffy whitish; rest of under parts dull white, the 

 sides and flanks strongly tinged with pale buffy brown or gra^nsh 

 buff, the under tail-coverts with buft"; bill black; iris brow^n; tarsi 

 brownish, toes dusky. 



