BIRDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 573 



SPOROPHILA AURITA (Bonaparte). 

 HICKS' S SEEDEATER. 



Adult rnale^ white-throated phase {^Spertnophlla htehsii Law- 

 rence). — Exactly like the fully adult male of 6'. rnorelleti^ except that 

 there are no white spots at tips of middle or greater wing-coverts. 

 Pileum, sides of head, hindneck, back, scapulars, wiug-s, upper tail- 

 coverts, tail, and broad band across chest, black; chin, throat, sides of 

 neck, under parts of body posterior to the black jugular band, axillars, 

 under wing-coverts, and large spot at base of sixth to first primaries, 

 white; whole rump white, but with concealed portion of feathers 

 black, this exposed in places; sides and flanks with basal portion of 

 feathers black or dusky, producing a clouded or mottled effect; bill 

 dusky ; legs and feet dark brownish. 



Adult male^ hlack-thi'oated phase {= Sj^ermophUa semicoUaris Law- 

 rence^). — Deep black, including whole chin and throat, with more or 

 less of a white space on side of neck, and the abdomen mostly white; 

 rump black, or with very slight admixture of white; white spot at 

 base of primaries reduced in size. 



Adult female. — Similar to the adult female of .S'. corvina^ but under 

 parts somewhat paler, especialh^ the abdomen, which is always more 

 or less dull whitish or ver}?- pale yellowish, sometimes extensivel}' so. 



Adult male.—l^Qngth (skins), 95.50-106.17 (100.33); wing, 50.80- 

 55.12 (52.58); tail, 41.66-45.97 (44.45); exposed culmen, 8.89-9.91 

 (9.40); depth of bill at base (four specimens), 7.37-8.13 (7.62); tarsus, 

 13.97-16.51 (15.24); middle toe, 10.16-12.45 (11.18).'^ 



Adult female.— hQn<yi\i (skins), 99.06-101.85 (100.08); wing, 50.29- 

 53.34 (51.56); tail, 39.88-41.91 (40.89); exposed culmen, 9.40-9.65 



^ The type of *S^. semicoUaris does not represent the extreme black phase, which (as 

 represented by a specimen in the U. B. National Museum collection from Colon) has 

 a mere trace of white on sides of neck, not a trace of white on rump, and the wing- 

 spot very small. Intermediate conditions of plumage are represented by the types of 

 S. collaris Lawrence and S. foiiipei< Lawrence. The former has nearly as much white 

 on the under parts of the body and on the rump as the white-throated phase described 

 above, but the chin and throat are black, separated from the black jugular band by a 

 very narrow band of white. The latter is very slightly different from the type of *S'. 

 semicoUaris, but has a very little white on the chin. 



The characters of this supposed species being exactly intermediate between >S. 

 moreUeti and (S'. corvina, and the individual variations of plumage running ver}- nearly 

 into these two species, I feel convinced that either »S'. aurlta consists simply of a series 

 of hybrids between the two species named or else that it is a species which hybrid- 

 izes with them both. The lightest-colored examples of »S'. aurita, like the type of 

 S. hicksii, can only be distinguished from fully adult males of S. moreUetl by the 

 absence of small white spots at the tips of the middle and greater wing-coverts. The 

 darkest examples, on the other hand, are precisely like »S'. coriina, except that there 

 is a considerable amount of white on the abdomen; but of this white there is often a 

 decided indication in »S'. corvina. 



'^ Ten specimens. • 



