BIRDS OF NOETH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 101 



maries longest, the ninth nearly as long as fifth, the tenth (outermost) 

 about one-fourth as long as ninth, narrow and pointed. Tail a little 

 more than half as long as wing, the middle rectrices abruptly acu- 

 minate terminally. Tarsus shorter than either outer toe with claw, 

 the upper third (approximately) feathered in front; outer hind toe, 

 without claw, about as long as outer front toe with claw, or very 

 slightly shorter. 



Coloration. — General color black (glossed with blue or green on side 

 of head and neck, back, scapulars, and chest), the rump, upper tail- 

 coverts, and under parts (posterior to chest) white; lower chest or 

 upper breast (sometimes whole chest) streaked with black and white; 

 forehead and foreneck (connected by a stripe across loral and malar 

 regions) yellowish white or light yellow; a white patch at base of pri- 

 maries; adult male with crown, occiput, and nape (or nape only in 

 one species) bright red, adult female with crown black. Young simi- 

 lar to adults. 



Range. — Pacific coast and southwestern border of United States to 

 Colombia. (Three species ?) 



KEY TO THE SPECIES AND SUBSPECIES OF BALANOSPHYRA. 



a. Auricular and orbital regions, chin, and upper throat black; chest uniform black 

 or heavily streaked with black. 

 h. Adult males with crown, occiput, and nape red; adult females with crown black, 

 occiput and nape red. {Balanosphyra formicivora.) 

 c. Chest mostly uniform black. 

 d. Larger (wing averaging more than 143, culmen averaging 29.8 in male, 28.3 

 in female). (Northern Lower California to Oregon.) 



Balanosphjnra formicivora bairdi (p. 107). 



dd. Smaller (wing averaging 140.5 in male, 138.9 in female; culmen averaging 



26.1 in male, 24.4 in female); posterior portion of chest more extensively 



streaked. (Arizona, New Mexico, and western Texas, and States of 



Sonora, Chihuahua, and Durango, northwestern Mexico.) 



Balanosphyra formicivora aculeata (p. 105). 

 cc. Chest mostly streaked, at least on median portion. 

 d. Frontal patch broader, white; adult female with black band across crown 

 much broader; larger (wing averaging more than 138). 

 e. Lower throat paler yellow; sides of upper chest mostly uniform black; 

 back, etc., with gloss more greenish. 

 /. Darker, with lower throat more strongly tinged with yellow, the sides 

 and flanks more broadly streaked with black. (South-central Texas 

 through eastern and southern Mexico to Guatemala. 



Balanosphyra formicivora formicivora (p. 102). 

 ff. Lower throat less strongly tinged with yellow, often nearly white; sides 

 and flanks less broadly streaked with black, the streaks sometimes 

 nearly obsolete. (British Honduras.) 



Balanosphyra formicivora albeola (p. 109). 



ee. Lower throat deeper yellow, sides of upper chest mostly streaked with 



white; back, etc., with gloss more bluish. (Southern Honduras to 



western Panama.) Balanosphyra formicivora striatipectus (p. 110). 



