4. SCOPS. 113 



the feathers of tlio crown ])lack, minutely mottled with tiny spots 

 and bars of rufous sandy ; the ear-coverts similarly coloured, and not 

 to be distinguished from the crown ; on the nape a few feathers 

 barred with buffy white, forming an indistinct band ; scapulars ex- 

 ternally white, tipped with black ; wing-coverts coloured like the 

 back, the mottlings of buff paler and broader on the median and 

 greats coverts, some of which arc tipped with large oval spots of 

 white ; primary-coverts black, crossed with distinct bars of sandy 

 rufous ; quills blackish brown, mottled with sandy vermiculations 

 near the tips, and barred with pale sandy brown on the inner webs, 

 these bars represented by sandy buff ones on the outer web of the 

 secondaries, distinctly inclining to white on the primaries, the 

 innermost secondaiies resembling the back, but somewhat washed 

 with grey near the tip ; tail blackish brown, mottled with sandy 

 buft' on the edges and at the tips of the feathers, which are likewise 

 crossed with about eight bars of sandy rufous ; loral plumes and 

 feathers in front of the eye whitish, slightly tinged with rufous and 

 tipped with browii ; sides of face sandy rufous, barred across with 

 black, inclining to white on the cheeks and on the hinder ear- 

 coverts, which are broadly tipped with black, merging in the ruff ; 

 this is composed of buff-coloured feathers, tipped and centred 

 near the base with black, the gular feathers mesially streaked and 

 broadly barred with black ; chin-feathers whitish ; rest of under 

 surface of body white, thickly mottled with vermicidations of dark 

 brown, forming regular zigzag lines on most of the feathers ; the 

 breast washed with sandy buff, many of the feathers broadly marked 

 with black in the centre ; leg-feathers rufous, narrowly barred with 

 dark brown ; under tail-covcrts white, the cross markings less di- 

 stinct than on the belly ; under wing-coverts yellowish buff, in- 

 clining to fawn-colour on the lower ones, with a few dark brown 

 bars near the outer edge of the wing, which is white, the lower 

 series dark brown, yellowish at base, and resembling the inner 

 lining of the quills, which are dark brown below, inclining to ashy 

 buff on the inner web and to buffy white on the outer one. Total 

 length 8-5 inches, wing 6-5, tail 3-7, tarsus 1-25. 



Adult (rufous phase). General colour above bright bay, with a 

 few mesial streaks of black on the head, disappearing on the dorsal 

 feathers, and not very distinct on the wing-coverts ; a few feathers 

 in front of and over the eye white ; sides of face bay, the ear- 

 coverts streaked with white ; rest of under surface of body white, 

 thickly mottled on the belly with cross lines and vermiculations of 

 sandy brown, the feathers mesially streaked along the shaft with 

 black, these streaks rather more broadly developed on the chest, 

 which is otherwise bright bay, irregularly barred with white on the 

 centre of the chest ; cjuills and tail brown barred with rufous, in- 

 clining to white on the outer edge of the primaries, the innennost 

 secondaries and centre tail-feathei-s nearly uniform rufous. Total 

 length 8-5 inches, wing 6-3, tail 3-5, tarsus 1-25. 



Hah. Central America, from Veragua northwards to Mexico. 



