782 



BULLETIN 50, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



each feather margined terminally with white or grayish white (pro- 

 ducino; a squamate appearance), these whitish terminal margins, or 

 tips, broadest on rump and upper tail-coverts; tail dusky grayish 

 brown, the rectrices very narrowly edged with green or greenish gray 

 and, usually, narrowly margined at tip with dull whitish or buffy; 

 wings dusky grayish brown (the lesser coverts usually more or less 

 strongly tinged with greenish, the middle coverts sometimes edged 

 with the same), the lesser coverts (narrowly) and middle coverts 

 (broadly) margined terminally with whitish, the greater coverts and 

 secondaries edged with pale grayish brown or buffy (edgings broader 

 and more whitish on tertials), the primaries and primary coverts very 

 indistinctly edged with paler grayish brown; under parts dull white, 

 each feather (except on lower abdomen and under tail-coverts) with 

 a central spot of dusky grayish brown, these spots smaller, paler, 

 and less distinct on chin and throat, larger and darker on chest and 

 sides, the flanks and under tail-coverts sometimes tinged with brown- 

 ish buff; axillars and under wing-coverts white, with or without pale 

 grayish brown markings; inner webs of remiges broadly edged with 

 white (except terminally) ; bill, iris, and feet as in adult male; length 

 (skins), 169-198 (184); "wing, 107-117 (114.2); tail, 63.5-71.5 (68.2); 

 exposed culmen, 13-14.5 (13.6); tarsus, 20.5-23 (21.6); middle toe, 

 15.5-18 (17.3).« 



a Twelve specimens. 



Some of the Honduras specimens are doubtless young birds, which may account for 

 the shorter wing measurements. 



The adult males from Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico all have the purple pectoral 

 area relatively decidedly larger than those from Costa Rica;" but this may possibly be 

 due to different make-up of skins. If not, then certainly the birds from the two areas 

 should be separated subspecifically. Of the two adult females from Costa Rica one is in 

 greatly worn plumage and therefore is not comparable with any of the northern series; 

 the other is more strongly tinged with buff on lower parts and has the whitish tips to 

 feathers of upper parts smaller than any of the si)ecimenH from Honduras and north- 

 ward. The series, both males and females, from Costa Rica is, however, much too 

 small for satisfactory comparison. 



