618 FEINGILLID^;. 



p. 317; Coues, Key N. Amer. B. p. 150 (1872) ; Sol. # Salv. Nomencl. 

 Av. Neotr. p. 29 (1873) ; Baird, Brewer, 8f Ridgiv. Hist. N. 

 Amer. B. ii. p. 82, pi. 30. figs. 13, 17 (1874) ; Coues, B. N.-West, 

 p. 171 (1874) ; Lawr. Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 20 (1875); 

 Sennett, Bull. U.S. Geol. Surv. iv. p. 20 (1878); Merrill, Pr. 

 U.S. Nat. Mus. i. p. 128 (1878) ; Cory, B. Bahamas, p. 90 (1880) ; 

 Salv. Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 224 (1882) ; Boucard, P. Z. S. 1883, 

 p. 444 ; Nutting f Ridgiv. Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. xi. pp. 373, 383, 

 392 (1884) ; Salvin fy Godman, Biol. Centr.-Amer., Axes, i. p. 364 

 (1886). 



Adult male. General colour above blue, ligbter and more cobalt 

 on the rump and upper tail-coverts ; lesser wing-coverts like the 

 back ; median and greater coverts black, externally brigbt purplish 

 blue ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, quills, and tail-feathers 

 dusky blackish, externally edged with pale blue, greyish on the 

 edge of the primaries ; head and neck more ultramarine ; lores 

 and eyelid blackish ; under surface of body rich ultramarine, 

 paler and more cobalt along the sides of the body and on the 

 abdomen and under tail-coverts ; axillaries and under wing-coverts 

 light blue, the edge of the wing ultramarine ; quills dusky below, 

 ashy along the inner web : " bill brownish black, light blue 

 beneath ; feet yellowish brown ; iris dark brown " {Audubon). 

 Total length 5 inches, culmen 0'45, wing 2-85, tail 2*05, tarsus 

 0-65. 



Adult male in winter plumage. Rufous-brown above, hiding the 

 blue colour of the full livery ; underneath ochraceous brown, whiter 

 on the throat and abdomen, in each case concealing the underlying 

 blue of the forthcoming summer dress ; wings and tail as in 

 summer, but the coverts edged with the same rufous-brown as the 

 back ; bill pale horny brown. 



The spring plumage seems to be gained by a direct moult, and 

 not by abrasion of the brown margins of the feathers as would have 

 been expected. 



Adult female. Different from the male. General colour above 

 dark brown, rather more rufescent on the head and back, the 

 mantle slightly mottled with dark brown centres to the feathers ; 

 lesser wing-coverts like the back ; median and greater coverts 

 dusky blackish, externally edged with brown, and margined with 

 whity brown towards the ends ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and 

 quills dusky brown, externally edged with greyish blue, the inner 

 secondaries margined with brown like the back ; tail-feathers dusky 

 brown, edged with pale greyish blue ; lores dull white ; cheeks and 

 ear-coverts pale reddish brown ; throat and under surface of body 

 dull white ; fore neck and chest as well as the sides of the body 

 and nauks pale reddish brown, with some dark brown streaks on 

 the fore neck, chest, and sides of breast ; axillaries and under wing- 

 coverts ochraceous buff with dusky centres ; quills dusky below, 

 ashy along the inner web. Total length 4*7 inches, culmen 0-4, 

 wing 2-45, tail 1-9, tarsus 0-7. 



The winter plumage of the adult female only differs from the 

 summer plumage in having clearer whity-brown margins to the 



