358 



V. 8. P. E. H. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 



broadly with black. Inner tail feathers like the back ; the others with a broad black bar near the end ; the tips cinnamon ; the 

 outer on each side alternately banded with this color and black. A dull white line above and behind the eye. Length, 5.70 ; 

 wing, 2. 8J2; tail, 2.40; (7159.) 



Hab. — High central plains through the Rocky mountains to the Coast and Cascade ranges, (but not on the Pacific coast?) 



The name obsoletus applies well to this species, the feathers all having a faded appearance 

 very difficult to define. Very few specimens in collections possess distinctly the markings 

 mentioned above, especially the small whitish spots of the upper parts, the brown of the back 

 having generally a more reddish appearance, the dark bars and lines more indistinct. In one 

 specimen (1857) from Fort Union there is no reddish on the abdomen and under tail coverts, 

 which are nearly white ; the bands on the latter too are much less distinct. This agrees better 

 with Say's description, but appears to be of the same species. 



In young or immature specimens, which are much oftener seen in collections than adults, 

 there are neither light spots nor dusky lines above, the color being uniform brownish, passing 

 into pale du^l cinnamon on the rump. The breast too is unspotted. The bill does not attain 

 its full length until maturity. 



This species has some resemblance in form to the C. mexicanus ; the bill, however, is 

 considerable shorter, being only ec[ual to the head. The wings are rather longer and perhaps 

 more pointed, and reach nearly to the middle of the tail. The claws are considerably smaller. 

 There is also some similarity in the color, but the reddish is paler in obsoletus, and the inner 

 tail feathers are brown like the fore part of the back, with crowded bars ; the basal half of all 

 except the exterior, similar, instead of all being uniform reddish brown, with six or eight 

 narrow black bars. The comparative diagnoses of the two species, without reference to their 

 generic distinctions, will be as follows : 



C. mexicanus. — Bill considerably longer than the head ; claws very large. Throat pure 

 unspotted white ; posterior part of body all round dark reddish brown ; tail feathers nearly 

 similar, all with equidistant bars of black. 



8. obsoletus. — Bill as long as the head. Claws moderate. Throat with dusky streaks. 

 Posterior parts of body pale cinnamon. Middle tail leathers much like the back. 



List of specimens. 



Catal. 

 No. 



1857 

 1917 

 8830 

 5277 

 5279 

 5278 

 883S 

 8831 

 8780 

 8781 

 8779 

 5645 

 7158 

 7162 

 3967 



7160 



7157 

 7159 



Sex and 

 age. 



o 



9 

 Q 



3 





Localily. 



Fort Union, Nei) 



do 



Running Water, Neb. 

 Ulacktoot country . . . 



Powder river 



do 



Black nills, Neb .... 



do 



Forks of Plaue river. 



do 



do 



Pole creek 



El Paso, Hex 



do 



Patos, Coabuila 



Camp 113, Bill Williams 

 Fork. 



Tcjnri valley..... 



do 



FortTcjon 



When col- 

 lected. 



July 8,1843 

 July 18,1843 

 Aug. 15,1856 

 July —,1855 

 Aug. 4,1856 



,. do 



Sept. 19,1857 



Aug. 18, 



Aug. 13,1857 



.... do 



.... do 



July 25,1856 

 Dec. — ,1M4 

 May —,1852 



Whence obtained. 



S. F. Baird 



do 



Lieut. Warren. .. 

 Col. Vaughan.... 

 Lieut. Warren... 



do 



do., 



do 



Wm. M. Magraw. 



do 



do 



Lieut. Bryan 



Maj. Emory 



do , 



Litut. Couch...., 



Feb. 5,1854 Lieut. Whipple.... 

 , , Lieut. Williamson. 



.do.. 



J. X. de Vesey. 



Grig. 



No. 



153 

 154 

 152 

 153 

 15 



238 



68 



Collected by — Length 



J. J. Audubon . 



do 



Dr. Hayden.... 

 do 



5.37 



do I 



do 



. ...do 5.75 



do 5.50 



Dr. Cooper 



do 



do I 



W.S.Wood.... 



Dr. Kenncrly .. 5.12 



do 5.12 



' 5.50 



Dr. Heermann.. 

 do 



Stretch 

 of wings. 



Wing. 



9.25 



2.50 



8.50 

 8.50 



8.00 

 8.87 

 8.75 



2.75 

 2.50 



3.00 

 2.75 

 2.75 



Iris light gray . 



Iris light brown . 



Eyes chocolate brown. 



Eyes dark brown ; feet 



lead 



Eyes gray 



