92 



V. S. p. R. K. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY GENERAL REPORT. 



brown, with faint black streaks, the white spots above smaller, and less numerous. In speci- 

 mens from California and further east the white is purer, the spots more conspicuous. 



This species differs chiefly from F. pubescens in the considerably smaller size of the spots on 

 the wing, and their restricted number. Thus there are none on the wing coverts except very 

 occasionally, chiefly in the concealed portion. The most exposed tertiaries are entirely black, 

 or with oiae or two spots on the outer webs only, instead of having two or three conspicuous 

 white bands, or double series of spots. The lowermost black stripe on the cheek is generally 

 better defined ; the bristly feathers at the base of the bill browner ; the black bands on the tail 

 feathers more distinct. 



A specimen from Sacramento valley, (0098,) labelled F. meridionalis, by Dr. Heermann, is 

 exactly intermediate between F. pubescens and gardneri, with less white on the wing than the 

 one, and more on the other. 



The almost perfect parallelism, with appreciable differences, between the markings of the 

 northwestern and southeastern varieties of Ficus harrisii and gairdneri, and their relationship 

 to the eastern F. villosus and pubescens, is a remarkable fact in American ornithology, and 

 may possibly indicate the necessity either of dividing the dark ones into a Pacific and Rocky 

 mountain series, or of considering all as varieties of two species, a larger and smaller, changing 

 their character with longitudinal distribution. Many other supposed species are involved in 

 the same consideration ; but a larger number of sjjecimens, in better condition than those before 

 me, and from localities of more equable distribution over the continent, will be necessary to 

 settle the question in the jiresent instance. 



List of specimens. 



Locality. 



When col- 

 lected. 



Shoalwaterbay, W. T Oct. 9,1854 



Steilacooni.W. T... Oct. —,1855 



Fon Dalles, 0. T Feb. —, 1855 



do Nov. 10, 1834 



Si. Helen's, O. T 



do . 



do Jan. 27, 18.'.0 



do 



do Jan. 27, 1R>6 



Petaluma, Cal 



Sacramento, Cal .' 



San Francisco 



California 



do 



Laramie river, K. T Aug. — , 18.56 



P.irtLammio Oct. 28,1857 



Whence obtained. 



Dr. Cooper 



Dr. Suckley 



do 



do 



do 



do 



dn 



do 



lo 



K. Samuels 



Lieut. Williamson. 



R. D. Cutts 



Dr. Heermann . . 



do 



Lieut. Bryan ... 

 W. M. Magtaw . 



Orig. 



No. 



103 

 132 

 154 

 145 

 207 

 204 

 206 

 203 

 205 

 162 



209 

 214 



Collected by — 



Dr. Cooper . 



Dr. Suckley., 



Dr. Heermann. 



W. S. Wood . 

 Dr. Cooper .. 



Length. 



Stretch ! Wing, 

 of wings. 



7.00 

 7.00 

 6.75 

 6.75 

 6.75 

 6.50 



B.37 

 7.25 



12.00 

 12.37 

 12.12 

 12.12 

 12.12 

 12.00 



4.00 

 3.87 

 3.70 

 3.75 

 3.75 

 3.75 



-l.-lll 



12.75 4.111 



Remarks 



Iris rt-ddiiih brown 



i*. nicriWtoMa/i*, 

 Heermann 



