BIRDS — KRINGILUDAi: — PLECTROPIIANKS ORNATLS. 



■i35 



PLECTROPITANES ORNATUS, Towns. 



ChcstiiuUcullurcd Uuutiui;. 



rteelroiilianes oniaiui, Townseno, J. Ac. Nut. Sc. VII, 1837, 180.— Is. Narrative, 1839, .■)44.— A«i>. Syn. 1839, 



99.— Ib. Birds Amcr. Ill, 1841, 53 ; pi. 154.— Ndtt. Man. I, 2d cd. 1840, 537. 

 Embrrittt omala, AuD. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 44 ; pi. 394, f. 1. 

 Cinlrophams ornalus, Cabanis, .Mils. Ilein. 1851, 1*^7. 



Sp. Cii. — Hill dark plumbeous. Crown, a narrou' crescent on the side of the liead, with a line runninjr into it from behind the 

 eye, entire breast and upper part of telly all round, black ; throat and sides of tlic head, lower part of belly and under tail 

 coverts, with bases of the tail feathers, white. The white on the tiil feathers runs forward ns an acute point. A chestnut band 

 on the back of the neck extending round on the sides. Rest of upper parts grayish brown, streaked with darker. Lesser wing 

 coverts like the back. Length about 5.25 inches ; wing, 3.20 ; tail, 2.30 ; tarsus, .75. 



llab. — Plains of the Upper Missouri. 



In this species the line of demarcation between the white of the throat and the black of the 

 breast is very strongly marked. The black of the crown is margined on the sides by the white 

 of the head, and in some specimens there is an indication as if a narrow white line were 

 continued round on the occiput so as to margin the black ; the black crescent may possibly be 

 continued forward to near the base of the lower jaw, making the markings of the head very 

 similar to those of P. picttis. There is a very faint indication of a white band along the edges 

 of the lesser coverts, which, towards the elbow joint, increases considerably, but by its position 

 is more or less concealed. There is, however, no tendency to black. Tlie first and second tail 

 feathers are entirely white, the latter with a faint trace only of brownish near the end 

 externally ; the third, fourth, and fifth have the tips and sides near the end brown ; the 

 innermost feather is white only near the basal portion of the inner edge. The white runs out 

 to an elongated acute point in tlie feather. The wing feathers are edged with paler, but there 

 is no white. 



Specimens not in full breeding plumage have the black feathers margined more or less with 

 brownish white. 



A young bird probably of this species has the top of the head streaked like the back, and 

 concealed traces only of the black of the breast. The female shows no black ; this is replaced 

 below by brown streaks on brownish yellow ; there is a row of streaks on each side the throat. 

 The top of the head is streaked like the back. 



The black breast, white throat, and chestnut collar sufficiently distinguish this species from 

 its congeners, except P melanomus. 



lAst of specimens. 



