in Various Species of North American Birch. 43 



fers from that of the adult in being much darker, and the tail is conspicu- 

 ously tipped with white, and crossed by six bands of white spots. From 

 a specimen in my collection obtained by Mr. C. A. Allen at Nicasio, Cal., 

 August 3, 1878. This bird was thought by Mr. Allen to be in first plu- 

 mage. Its feathering, however, is so perfect, and the coloring so nearly 

 like that of the adult, that I am inclined to consider it as in the second 

 or autumnal plumage. The iris was yellow ; the bill pale green ; the feet 

 greenish-yellow. 



114. Ictinia mississippiensis. 

 Autumnal plumage : * young male. Head and neck ashy-white, each 

 feather centrally streaked with dark plumbeous. Rest of upper parts 

 dull black, with a narrow terminal rusty edging upon most of the feath- 

 ers. Primaries and secondaries, with a few of the primary coverts, broadly 

 tipped with white. Lores and eyelids black, as in the adult. Cheeks 

 black, slightly streaked with white. Throat yellowish-white, with fine 

 longitudinal plumbeous pencillings. Rest of under parts deep rich sal- 

 mon, fading to yellowish-white on the abdomen, each feather with a me- 

 dial, longitudinal, ovate spot of chestnut, which in most cases is laterally 

 bordered by dark brown. Tail black, crossed beneath by three white 

 bands (formed by angular spots on the inner webs), with corresponding 

 ashy ones above, very faintly but more continuously defined. From a 

 specimen in my cabinet collected by Mr. G. H. Ragsdale at Gainesville, 

 Tex., September 5, 1878. A young female of apparently about the 

 same age as my bird, described by Mr. Ridgway (B. B. & R., Hist. N- 

 Am. Birds, Vol. Ill, p. 204), seems to differ in several important respects. 



115. Tetrao canadensis. 



Downy stage : chick about a week old. General ground-color buff -yel- 

 low. Central area of crown bright rufous, with a marginal lining of black. 

 A spot of black on the forehead and on each lore, with three nearly con- 

 fluent ones over the auriculars. Rump yellowish-rufous. Back and wings 

 fulvous, the primaries, secondaries, wing-coverts, and scapulars barred 

 with brownish-black. Under parts immaculate. From a specimen in my 

 collection obtained with the female parent at Upton, Me., June, 1873. 



First plumage : female. Ground-color above bright reddish-brown, be- 

 coming reddish-chestnut on the crown. The feathers are marked every- 

 where with black blotches of angular outlines and irregular shapes. 

 Upon the neck and rump they form transverse bars : they are broadest 



* It is possible that, like certain of the Owls, this species may pass through 

 two preparatoiy stages, viz. a downy one and a distinctive first plumage. In 

 this case the plumage above described would represent a first plumage cor- 

 responding with that of most Passerine birds. The better known members of 

 this family, however, change directly from their downy dress into the regular 

 autumnal plumage. 



