258 MNIOTILTID^. 



claws dusliv ; iris dark brown " (Audubon). Total length 4-2 

 inches, culmen 0-45, wing 2-45, taU 1-7, tarsus 0-65. 



Achilt female. Differs from the male in being less pure slat/y blue, 

 these parts having a slight wash of yellowish olive ; the white tips 

 to the wing-coverts not so broad and the wing-bars in consequence 

 not so distinct ; the spots on the outer tail-feathers smaller ; under- 

 neath, the thi-oat and breast are yeUow, with a little orange on the 

 fore neck and a slight appearance of blackish bases to the feathers 

 of the lower throat ; the white spot below the eye is well marked, 

 and there is a slight appearance of a narrow white eyebrow : the 

 vinaceous patches on either side of the breast are wanting altogether 

 or are almost obsolete. Total length 4-2 inches, culmen 0-4, 

 wing 2-1.5, tail 1-85, tarsus 0-6. 



The winter plumage of both sexes is like that of the adult female, 

 the blue of the upper surface being entirely washed with ohve- 

 yellow. Males can be distinguished by the somewhat deeper yeUow 

 of the throat, aud in the adult bird some traces of the chestnut and 

 black can be discovered below the yellow tips to the feathers, and 

 the vinaceous breast-patches still remain. 



Young birds of either sex in their winter plumage, however, 

 cannot he told from the adult females, and show little or no trace 

 of the throat-markings below the yellow feathers. As in the old 

 hen bird, also, there is a slight trace of a whitish eyebrow. 



Adult males on their return to the United States often show a 

 good deal of olive shading on the blue of the head, being the remains 

 of their winter plumage, and the yellow tips to the plumes of the 

 fore neck gradually wear off, allowing the black and chestnut throat- 

 patches to become distinct. 



The variation in the number of white spots on the outer tail- 

 feathers is curious: sometimes the third tail-feather has a small 

 white spot near the end, but this is often obsolete, and occasionally 

 it is present on one side of the tail and absent on the other. 



Hab. North America as far as the foot of the Rocky Mountains. 

 Winters in Central America from Mexico to Guatemala ; Bahamas, 

 Cuba, Jamaica, S. Croix, S. Domingo. 



0. [cJ] ad. St. North America. J. Gould, Esq. [P.]. 

 6. c? ad. sk. North America. Sclater CoUection. 



c. S ad. sk. North America. Goidd Collection. 



d. (S ad. sk. North America. J. J. Audubon, Esq. [P.]. 



e. (S ad. sk. Wisconsin, May 8. Dr. Brewer [P.]. 



/'. (5 ad. sk. St. Louis Countv, Mis- R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



souri, May 22 {H. K. 

 Coale). 

 g. (S ad. sk. Illinois, May {H. K. E. B. Sharpe, Esq, [P.]. 



Coale) . 

 h,i. 5ad. etjuv. Illinois, Sept. (H. E. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



sk. Coale). 



k. $ ad. sk. Michigan, May {H. E. R. B. Sharpe, Esq. [P.]. 



Coale). 



1. S ad. sk. Massachusetts ( Wight). R. B. Sharpe, Esq. fP.l 

 m. (5 ad. sk. W^isliington,D.C.,Mayl6 R. B. Shai-pe, Esq. [P.]. 



(Preiitiss). 



