120 HISTORY OF THE 



gray, the lightness of the tint proportionate to the length of the plume; remiges 

 black, the inner secondaries growing gradually more slaty, so that the inner- 

 most are scarcely darker than the tertials. Tail deep, slate blue, a shade darker 

 than the tertials. Entire border of the wing, from the armpit to the metacarpo- 

 phalangeal joint, rich purplish rufous, scarcely mixed anywhere with white, and 

 much the widest at the bend. Bill olive above, the culmeu blackish; lower 

 mandible wax yellow, brighter terminally (sometimes wholly yellow); iris bright 

 yellow; bare loral space cobalt blue in spring, olive green or yellowish after 

 breeding season. Legs and feet dusky black throughout. Young: Above slate 

 gray (less bluish than in the adult), destitute of any pencillate plumes; anterior 

 lesser wing coverts bordered terminally with light rufous; border of the wing 

 ( broadly) white, more or less tinged with rufous, especially at and near the bend, 

 where this color prevails. Entire pileura, including all the occipital feathers, 

 blackish slate, with a narrow median crest of more elongated, dark-colored feath- 

 ers with pale fulvous shaft streaks. Cheeks dark grayish; malar region, chin 

 and throat only, pure white. Neck dull gray, sometimes tinged with rufous, 

 some of the feathers with indistinctly lighter shaft streaks; foreneck with a nar- 

 row longitudinal series of black, rufous and wliitish dashes, much as in the adult. 

 Breast and abdomen broadly striped with dark cinereous white, in nearly equal 

 amount (sometimes suffused with rufous). Tibife very pale rufous, sometimes 

 almost white; crissum white. Upper mandible black, paler or horn color along 

 the tomium, lower pale pea green, deepening into clear horn yellow on terminal 

 half; eyelids and horizontal space on lore light apple green; iris gamboge yel- 

 low; tibise and soles of toes apple green; rest of legs and feet black. Seasonal 

 variations: Although the plinnage of this species is essentially the same through- 

 out the year, there are certain differences depending on the season, whicli are 

 wortliy of note. In the spring, or at the commencement of the breeding season, 

 the bill, except on the culmen, is almost entirely yellow (generally a wax yellow 

 brighter on the lower mandible), and the bare orbital space cobalt blue, while 

 from the occiput grow two long, slender, pendent black plumes. After the 

 young are hatched, these plumes are dropped, ihe bare skin around the eye has 

 changed to a yellowish green hue, and the upper mandible become almost wholly 

 dusky blackish olive, with only the tomia and lower mandible yellowish." 



Stretch of 

 Length. iving. Wivg. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 45.00 71.50 19.25 7.50 7.25 6.00 



Female... 43.00 69.00 18.25 7.00 6.75 5.50 



These birds are quite common in suitable localities, and breed 

 nearly throughout their range; a hardy species, that only 

 leave their northern resorts as the ice closes their natural feed- 

 ing grounds. They are solitary and silent except during the 

 breeding season, and even then are not social, though often 

 nesting in communities and with others of the family; they 

 seem to have no interest in common, only coming together be- 

 cause the location suits them, and at such times fight fiercely 



