THRUSHES, SOLITAIRES, BLUEBIRDS, ETC. 475 



GENUS SAXICOLA. 



765. Saxicola oenanthe (Linn.). Wheatear. 



xidult male. — Upper parts ash gray ; wings and terminal third of tail 

 hlack ; basal two thirds of tail, except middle feathers, white ; forehead, 

 superciliary, and upper tail coverts, white ; side of head with black stripe ; 

 under parts buffy anteriorly, white posteriorly. Adult female : duller, 

 black replaced by dusky. Winter plumage : upper parts brown; white on 

 tail as in summer ; wings with lighter edgings ; under parts rusty buff ; 

 side of head without distinct streak. Young : like female, but feathers 

 with dark bars and pale centers at tip. Male : wing 3.58-8.98. Female : 

 wing 8.54-8.90. 



Distribution. — Breeds in Alaska; migrates to Asia; accidental in Col- 

 orado. ' 



Nest. — Among rocks and stone walls, made of grasses, lined with feath- 

 ers. Eggs: 3 to 6, pale greenish blue. 



A specimen of the wheatear was taken at Boulder, Colorado, by 

 Minot, in 1880. 



GENUS SIALIA. 



General Characters. — Bill not more than half as long as head, notched 

 near tip ; feet short and stout ; tarsus not longer than middle toe ; side 

 toes unequal ; claws strongly curved. 



KEY TO ADULT MALES. 



1. Under parts without blue. 



2. Sides of neck blue. Rocky Mountains to Atlantic . sialis, p. 475. 

 2'. Sides of neck brown. Southern Arizona . . . . azurea, p. 476. 

 1'. Under parts with blue. 



2. Under parts wholly blue and white arctica, p. 470. 



2'. Under parts blue and brown. 



3. Back wholly chestnut bairdi, p. 476. 



3'. Back blue in middle, chestnut on sides . occidentalis. p. 476. 



766. Sialia sialis (Linn.). Bluebird. 



Adult male. — Upper parts bright blue; under parts reddish 

 fading to white on belly. In winter, 

 feathers of back bordered with brown. 

 Adult female : upper parts gray, deep- 

 ening to blue on rump, wings, and 

 tail ; under parts dull brown, beconi- 

 ing whitish on belly. Young: upper 

 parts dark gray, streaked with whitt? ; 

 under parts gray, spotte<l with wliite. 

 Male: length 5.7t)-7.0i», wing, 8.1 Ml- 

 4.15, tail 2.<)()-_'.90, bill .(;2-.67. Fe- 

 male: wing3.S0-:').lK), tail 2.50- --'.CO. 



Dislrihiilion. — Breeds in Transit i«»ii 

 and Upper Sonoran zones from Mani- 

 toba and Ontariu soiitli ti) (Julf of 

 Mexico, and from the Atlantic to the 

 Rocky Mountains ; winters from the 

 middle states to the Gulf states and Cuba. 



brown. 



