1'22 BIRDS OF ILUNOIS. 



brown: unilor iiartucrettmjr wliitu wllli a lemon-yellow Uneo, mont pronounced on the 

 bn-ast nnd iiliilumfn f.ilnt«Kt on ilio tbr'^at und crlssum: «I«1"k of huily brownlHti olive; 

 Kliles of breast ollviioeouK usby, eztenillne completely ucfohr the breiist In h broiiJ but 

 ruiher ioUlstluct bund of pale, nebulouH spots: throiit. abdomen and crUsum Immaculate: 

 iidUHky stripe starlini: ut the loref* (wblcb are nearly black i passes backward along the 

 slilu of the head IntorsectlnK the eye and separatlns a conspicuous, brownish white su- 

 perciliary stripe from the roBion below the eye. which Is dappled with u reddish brown on 

 a creamy white K'ound, There Ix also u short, yellowish, concealed niedUn stripe on the 

 for«'head. Iris hazel: Iocs and feet (losh-color (notes taken from freshly killed specimens), 

 'liiiiii'nHiona.—L.&.CS; ex.. 9.1HI: wine J.S'J: tall. 2.113: tar, .74: culmen fiom base, .7it: from 

 feathers, .61 : from nostril. A2; depth of bill at ant cor. of nostril, .18: width at same poiot. 

 .Vi. Sexes indistinKuishable. 



"jHr.. first plumage— a No. 224, A. T, W., Charleston, June 9. 18S4.) Wings and tail 

 essentially as In the adult; abdomen dirty white; rest of plumage, including the crown, 

 nape, buck. rump, throat, breast, sides of head, neck and body, and the wIng-coverts, 

 nearly uniform dull cinnamon brown, without bands, spots or any other markings what- 

 ever, even on the head. Another specimen from the same brood, but apparently older, 

 has the lores distinctly black, the light space on the abdomen nearly obscured by a brow- 

 nish tipping on many of the feathers, and the general coloring lighter, approaching choc- 

 olate-brown in places. 



"The above-described plumngu Is very odd and striking. In general coloring the 

 bird seems to most nearly resemble the young of Oporornis /ofmusus .' It differs so wide- 

 ly from the adult // .stcuia.'toni that no one would suspect their Identity were It not for the 

 bill, which in the smallest specimen before me shows all the essential characteristics of 

 the genus. 



"Juv. fall piuma<ie.—{s Ho. Sit. k.T. W.Charleston, Aug. 23. 1S84.) Entire upper parts 

 rich olive strongly tinged with reddish brown, the crown scarcely deeper colored than 

 the back, the wings a trillo redder; loral stripe blackish; superciliary stripe tinged with 

 yellow; under parts strongly yellowish. Otherwise like the adult. 



"Farind'oni.— Among the adult and fall-plumaged young before me there Is much va- 

 riation in the size and shape of the bill, as well a.s In general coloration. Some examples 

 have the upper and lower outlines of the bill nearly if not quite straight; in others the cul- 

 men Is strongly curved, the gonys often with an appreciable angle. Again some speci- 

 mens have the bill decidedly notched at the tip, although In the majority it is plain. As a 

 rule ibut not invariably) young birds seem to have a shorter, slenderer and struighter Mil 

 than do the adults. 



"The color variations range between two extremes. In one the crown, wings, and 

 tail are bright reddish brown— almost reddish chestnut on the secondaries— in decided 

 contrast with the back, which Is deep brownish olive: the underparts strongly yellowish. 

 In the other the wings and tall are concolor with the back, wlilch is of a plain grayish 

 olive; the crown dull reddish brown: the under parts creamy white scarcely. If at all, yel- 

 lowish. That those variations are not sexual is evident, tor the richest-colored bird In 

 the whole scries is a female (No. 1H7, A. T. W.. May lo.i and several of the dullest, males: 

 that they are not connected with age is eiiuaJly certain, for among the young birds still 

 bearing traces of first plumage both types occur. As a rule, however. In autumn they are 

 more apt to be yellow beneath than are breeding birds, but in none of the specimens 



•As described by Mr. Ridgway. Bull. N. O. C. Vol. Ill, No. 3, April, 18(». p, 80. I have 

 no specimens for comparison. 



