BIRDS — PARIDAE — POLIOPTILA CAEEULEA. 



381 



more conspicuous than in eastern apeciniens, although some from Illinois come quite near to 

 it. Skins from the Mitnbrcs, however, appear precisely similar to eastern ones. Occasionally, 

 especially in winter skins, (Tl'.M,) the black advances further along the inner web of the second 

 tail feather, and lias a more transverse outline. Tliis is the case in one specimen from Fort 

 Thorn, while another is like eastern ones. The same is the case in Nos. 7193 and 7194, from 

 the Organ mountains. These specimens are smaller than usual, with shorter wings; but I 

 am unable to observe any other characters df difference. 



lu the collection before me is a specimen from the Colorado river, California, (4593,) which 

 is very similar to eastern specimens, although it is of large size, and has rather more black on 

 the tail. It is, however, in too imperfect condition (in addition to being probably a female) to 

 exhibit its complete characteristics. 



A female PoUoplUa, probably P. hlUneata of Bonaparte,' labelled, by Mr. Verreaux, P. 

 mtxicana, Bonap., and atricapilla, Vieill., and received from him, is very similar to the female 

 of P. caerulea, but differs in having the sides of the head as white as the throat ; this color 

 seen above the eye as a well marked line. Nothing like it is seen in the female of the other 

 species, where there is a narrow whitish ring round the eye but no superciliary white, the 

 •whole sides of the head plumbeous, nearly as dark as the crown. The outer two tail feathers 

 are white, as in caerulea. The spurious primary is much larger than in caerulea, being more 

 than half the second quill. It is unquestionably distinct from any of the known species of the 

 United States. It differs from P. melanura and plumhea in the white outer tail feathers, and 

 from caerulea in the white cheeks and large first primary. It agrees pretty well with G. hili- 

 neata of Bonap. 



Gundlach describes a Culicivora (Poliopfila) lemheyi from Cuba, (Annals N. Y. Lye. Feb. 

 1858,) differing from the caerulea, in having a black line extending from behind the eye around 

 the ear coverts. The outer tail feathers have more black on them. 



List of specimens. 



Caul. Sex. 

 No. 



616 

 615 

 7i63 

 10-^13 

 10114 

 a4Ul 

 eC7l 



■t683 

 S64I 

 Tins 

 7194 

 7188 

 39SS 

 3984 

 4583 I 



9223 



<? 

 3 



a 

 s 



9 

 9 



Locality. 



Washington, D. C. 



do 



do 



Union county. 111 . 



South Illinois 



Savannah, Ga. ... 

 Indian Key, Pla... 



When col- 

 lected. 



Whence ohtalned. 



Orig'l 

 No. 



April 5,1842 

 do 



3 

 9 

 9 



&ild island, Neb 



East of Fort Riley 



Organ mountains, Te.T 



do 



Fort Thorn, N. M 



Tamaulipas, Mex 



do 



Colorado river, Cal. ... 



FortTejon 



Mexico 



Guatemala 



.April 20, J857 

 May 15, 1857 



1845 



Aug. 27, 1837 



April 25, 1850 

 June IC, 18j6 



1853. 

 1853. 



S. F. Baird 



do 



Wni. Hulton 



N. W. University . 



do 



S. F. Baird 



G. Wurdeniann ... 



Lieut. Warren . . 



Lieut. Dryati 



Major Kinory... 



do 



Or. T. 0. Henry. 

 Lieut. Couch ... 



.... do 



Major Emory... 

 J X. dc Vesey.. 



John Gould 



do 



15 



Collected by — 



Wm. .M. Baird. 



R. Kennicott.. 



Jos. Leconte. 



Dr. Hayden . . 

 W. S. Wood.. 

 J. U. Clark ... 

 do , 



A. Schotl. 



Length. 



5.50 



4.50 



5.011 

 5.00 



4.00 



Stretch 

 of wings. 



6.50 



Wiog 



2.00 



0.50 

 G.50 



2.01 

 3.04 



Black eyes & legs; 



bil^Ilacki^h.... 



Eyes black 



2.00 



Eyes dark brown. 



' PoLiorTiLA BiLiKEATA, Sclater. 



Culicivora bilineata, Uonap. Consp. 1850, 316. 

 Polioplila bilineata, Sclatee, Pr. Zool. Soc. 1853, 12. 



