172 BULLETIN 61, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Kansas and Nebraska specimens. Just what influences the presence 

 of this red pigment can not now be determined, but it is interesting to 

 note that in a series of sixty-five young born in capti\aty of a typical 

 jMrietalis mother (upper row of spots fused and red interspaces) from 

 Clay County, Iowa, but one showed the least trace of red at birth, and 

 this one but little, showing that the red color may be developed to a 

 large extent after birth, as in most North American l)irds. Eastern 

 specimens with two rows of spots and red interspaces have been 

 examined from eastern Kansas, eastern Iowa, eastern Missouri, and 

 Isle Royale, Lake Superior. The Colorado and New Mexico material 

 in which specimens with the same arrangement of spots occur were 

 referred by Cope to dorsalis. 



AJfinities. — One need not search far for the relatives of this form. 

 There can be no question but that to the eastward it grades into 

 sirtaUs, and although, as before stated, typical specimens of imrietdlis 

 may be found as far east as eastern Iowa and sirtalis specimens as far 

 west as Kansas, the section of this form which inhabits the entire 

 prairie region (i. e., east of central Kansas and Nebraska) as well as the 

 edge of the adjoining forest region "' may be considered as intermedi- 

 ate, for in this region the distinctive characters which separate typical 

 jxirietalis (upper row of spots fused and red interspaces) break down. 



The presence of specimens in Colorado with two distinct rows of 

 spots is also significant, inasmuch as such individuals are indistinguish- 

 able from eques, when the red of the sides has disappeared, for we have 

 already noted that eques may have 7 supralabials, and apparently 

 shows a tendency to have red interspaces in Texas and New Mexico. 

 This is why it is impossible to define at present the respective south- 

 ern and northern limits of the two forms, points which can not be 

 settled until their relations are worked out from fresh material. 

 Since, however, in the two forms the scutellation (with the exception 

 of the number of supralabials), proportions, and position of the 

 lateral stripes are approximately the same, while the ranges are 

 at least near together, the evidence seems to indicate a close relation- 

 ship, and we believe that the similarity in coloration of specimens from 

 near the common boundary is such as to indicate an actual intergrad- 

 ing. As already noted, the number of infralabials is noncommittal in 

 small series, as they may be 7 or 8 in both forms. 



Specimens have been exanfined from as far south as Taos, San 

 Ildefonso, Las Cruces, and Albuquercpie, New Mexico, that can be 

 referred to parietalis, as well as others from San Ildefonso that are 

 apparently eques, but this does not signify that intergradation does 

 not occur. The whole question must await further investigation, 



a I have elsewhere noted that on Isle Royale, Michigan, which is well within the 

 forest region, most of the individuals are typical sirtalis in coloration, but that speci- 

 mens are also found in which the lateral spots are in two rows and the interspaces bright 

 red. 



