250 U. S. P. R. R. EXP. AND SURVEYS—ZOOLOGY— GENERAL REPORT. 
specimens from the Missouri plains and westward. Some of these vary, however, and in most 
cases the characters of wing are more like those of J. viridis, from Pennsylvania. The only 
constant feature is the greater length of tail in western specimens, which prevails throughout. 
If there be a specific difference, it will be based essentially upon the latter feature, upon which 
the Jcteria longicauda of Mr. Lawrence was founded. His specimen, now before me, has the tail 
rather longer than in any other I have seen, measuring 3.90 inches. A California specimen 
from Petaluma measures 3.60, or a little less than in No. 3978. Mr. Lawrence’s specimen is 
in other respects much like the eastern ones, having less white about the sides of the head, less 
gray on the crown, and less white on the outer margin of first primary than in No. 3975. 
The determination of the name of this long-tailed species (if it be really one) of Icteria is a 
matter of much uncertainty. There are three from which to choose: J. velasquezii of Bonaparte, 
1837, auricollis of 1850, and longicauda, Lawrence, of 1853. Neither velasquezii nor auricollis 
are described in a way to indicate any material difference from J, viridis. The former is said to 
have the under mandible white. If this be found to be a constant character in adult males, it is 
probable that none of the specimens in the Smithsonian collection belong to it. The description 
of auricollis, though not distinctive, will answer very well, especially as the white about the 
head is mentioned so particularly as to render it probable that it appeared more conspicuous 
than in the J viridis, which is really the case in the subject of the present article. As based on 
a Mexican specimen, it in all probibility is the same with those from New Leon—3978—and 
these identical, as far as I can see, with Nebraska and California ones. Still, as Mr. Lawrence’s 
description is positively applicable to the one bird only, and Bonaparte’s answers almost equally 
well for both, I prefer to adopt the name of the former, leaving a further examination of the 
type of auricollis in the Berlin Museum to settle the question. 
Specimens from Loup Fork, apparently young, (8841-’2,) differ in having the upper parts of 
a ‘ull brewnish yellow, occasionally touched with olivaceous. The under mandibles are whitish. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. Sex. Locality. When col- Whence obtained. Orig’]| Collected by— | Length. Stretch | Wing. Remarks. 
No. | lected. | No. | of wings.| 
| | | 
——— —— | 
8602 |...... Californiaccsiccccecisiees|essevsiascceeccss G. N. Lawrence.... Jaccadececcccevcee [ececeser|ccceccec|encecces 
5520 |...... Petaluma, Cal. .... ses. April —, 1856 | E. Samuels......... ae | 3.16 
pects Fort Tejon, Cal... ....|-ceccecsee-s coos! Je Xantus de Vesey. | sesceces 
8175 |..... Frontera. .csecsseces cece May. A510 v1852 7] (ChasavVirietitcras.cc's | cwsieleia)| sesisisiete’stseteieis visiemel| cseteleior| iselsioaisel sieleieisioieg 
SUTAG| Session Fort Thorn; NeiMiseecc|socovcisececleisiciss Dre Henrycecsisceass aaeefaaic.s|(cciectocen||(sse ices eeee ce 
4725 | GQ | Nebraska .........000 May 17, 1856 | Lt. Warren........ Neatee 4 Bo] Baca 
4724 | reece. Mouth White river..... May 21, —— |...... COS HAR ESE aad jonocOn acccodubdenoososalll APSR Beil ae ST inGrdr Goose 
5307 | GO | Ft. Lookout, Neb....... Mayzic3lss——" | s.cante dO sseoaicec one 3.00 | Byes black... 
BSLOMMOM etccscss dOcrecsseciscswes June 17, 1856 |...... 
SONU rca |cesiemeee tikons cack, cAaden|bsaded 
5308 |oecees|secceces GO siatse sialueiste cis |lesleaieie 
53007 eGuailtnejee es dOrsecesve x seliJune 
4647 |......| Ft. Pierre, Neb......... June 
4648) || Gu ll) aches dO: sas ueecess sas May 
5306 | © | Little Shyenne. .......| June 
56401 sci Platte: cesscsexcesjeceres Aug. 35 siBryanesess css 292! We SaWV00d: --.4|--2-10--c) seemones 
8841 | GO | Loup Fork........-.... Aug. 5, TOVUAITE Msc nevseiee | ects Dr. Hayden...... 
S849 5 sualliseite ico GO.. vasees voceee|-cvees G15 cond. sosane dO. cesevceces|cocses Jeveees dO)s-eseecs| G6275)||  (8512)1 
Cy teh lASsaca Forks of Platte river....| Aug. 13, 1657 | W. M. Magraw. 151 DE HCOOPErs emcinse| neon sere |eeiteianete | 
AOTIS | efectas Ft. Chadbourne, Tex. ..]..cc.c.-ecceess Dr. Swift nso ge CSCO DO CSnOEO! aascooded| lnoononon Ison ctpel sooo csad nada noo nbd 
3978 | | New Leon, Mex........ Mar. —, 1853 | Lt.Couch.... ee ccce cers seccecoer 5 
S979 Miyilligescisces OOrcececcateecs Bell metsesisoee meee esses dovces , Bill b’k; ft. dark lead. 
9109 |..000- MEXICO... cece cceceecees|sonsvecses ceceee M. Verreaux....... a ceeeee veecccevecees 
