2'J. i'odasocys. 241 



of sandy buff, especially about tbe hind-neck and mantle ; rump a 

 little more dusky brown ; upper tail-coverts light ashy brown ; 

 wing-coverts like the back, the lesser coverts darker brown, forming 

 a band along the edge of the wing ; greater series also somewhat 

 darker brown and tipped with white ; bastard-wing, primary- 

 coverts, and quills dark brown, the primaries with white shafts 

 and having a darker outer web and tip ; secondaries slightly fringed 

 with whitish, the innermost like the back ; tail-feathers light ashy 

 brown, with white tips, preceded by a broad sub-terminal band of 

 blackish brown ; crown of head brown ; forehead white, extending 

 backwards over the eye and separated from the crown by a broad 

 band of black ; a loral streak of black from the base of the bill to 

 the eye ; eyelid, cheeks, and under surface of body white, with a 

 tinge of isabelline buff on the fore-neck and chest : " bill black ; 

 feet light dull brownish yellow " (J. J. Audubon). Total length 

 8*5 inches, culmen 1, wing 5, tail 2*4, tarsus 1-55. 



Adult female. Similar to the male, but with the black frontal 

 band not so defined. Total length 8 inches, culmen 0'9, wing 5*8, 

 tail 2 - 5, tarsus 1-55. 



Adult in winter plumage. Differs from the summer plumage in 

 wanting the black band on the crown. The hind-neck is washed 

 with sandy buff, and there are slight evidences of sandy colour on 

 the edges of the feathers. 



Young. Similar to the adults in winter plumage, but distinguished 

 by having distinct sandy edgings to all the feathers of the upper 

 surface : the sides of the face and eyebrow washed with sandy 

 rufous, which extends over the chest and sides of the body : on 

 each side of the fore-neck a large patch of ashy-brown feathers, 

 edged with sandy rufous. 



X(Stling. Covered with sandy-buff down, beautifully mottled 

 with black on the head and back, the priucipal features being a 

 black line down the centre of the back and spots of black on each 

 side of the rump ; owing, however, to the general distribution of 

 the black spots, none are particularly prominent ; round the neck 

 an isabelline collar ; forehead, eyebrow, and sides of face, as well 

 as the under surface of the body, isabelline buff, with a tinge of 

 yellow on the chest ; a bare line on each side of the lower throat. 



The downy pattern is retained on the lower back and rump till 

 the bird is of good size, and the black markings become very dis- 

 tinct. The first feathers are brown, with sandy-rufous margins. 



l/ul,. Western United States from Montana and Dakota, south 

 to Texas, Lower California, and Mexico. 



a, b. Ad. sk. 49th Parallel, June (G. Bate- N. Amer. Boundary 



son). Commission. 



c. Pull. sk. Frenchman's River, July 9 Salvin-Godman Coll. 



(Dr. Ooues). 



d. cJ imm. ; e,f. San Antonio, Texas, June Salvin-Godman Coll. 

 $ imm. sk. (//. E. Dresser). 



y->n. 6 $ ad. et Corpus Ghiisti, Nov. (F. B. Salvin-Godman Coll. 



juv. sk. Armstrong). 



VOL. xxiv. B 



