74 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Sp. Char. Male. Head above and on'the sides, with chin, back, wings, and tail, black. 

 A well-marked collar on the hind neck all round (and in var. capitalis a more or less dis- 

 tinct median stripe on crown, and one behind the eye), edges of interscapular feathers, 

 rump, and under parts generally pale brownish-orange, almost light cinnamon. Middle 

 of belly, axillaries, and under wing-coverts, yellow. Belly just anterior to the anus, 

 under tail-coverts, a large blotch at the end of the inner webs of first and second tail- 

 feathers, a band across the middle and greater wing-coverts, some spots on the ends of 

 the tertiaries, the basal portions of all the quills, and the outer three primaries near the 

 tips, white. Length nearly 8 inches ; wing, 4.25 ; tail, 3.50. 



Female has the chin, sides of throat, and superciliary stripe white ; the black markings 

 replaced by olivaceous-brown ; the cinnamon markings paler, and almost white ; the 

 white of wings more restricted ; that of tail wanting. Usually there are few or no 

 streaks beneath as in ludovicianus (faint ones on flanks) ; in young males, however, they 

 are more appreciable. The lemon or gamboge yellow axillars and under coverts in all 

 ages and stages separate this species from H. ludovicianus, the female and young of which 

 have those regions of a saffron or fulvous yellow. 



Hab. High Central Plains from Yellowstone to the Pacific. Table-lands of Mexico. 

 Xalapa (Sol. 1859, 365); Orizaba (Scl. 1857,213); Vera Cruz, Alpine and plateau, 

 breeding (Sum. M. B. S. I, 551). 



This bird, in its range of habitat, appears to be represented by two varie- 

 ties, wliich, however, run into each otlier, so that it is often difficult to de- 

 termine to which variety specimens from intermediate regions should be 

 referred. 



Taking the series from Eastern Mexico (Orizaba and Mirador) and north- 

 ward along the Eocky Mountains of the United States, we find the black of 

 the head continuous, sharply defined by a gently curved outline behind, and 

 without a trace of either tlie vertex or post-ocular stripes. This is the true 

 mclanocejjhalus, as restricted, and may be regarded as the Rocky Mountain 

 form. The most western specimen is 11,241, from Fort Bridger; the most 

 northern (19,355), from Stinking River, Northern Wyoming. All specimens 

 from the Pacific coast eastward to the western base of the Rocky Mountains, 

 including Cape St. Lucas and Western Mexico south to Colima, differ from 

 the Rocky Mountain series in having the posterior outline of the black hood 

 ragged, and irregularly indented by the rufous of the nape, which always 

 extends in a quite broad stripe toward the eye, along the side of the occiput, 

 and quite frequently forms a conspicuous median vertex stripe, though the 

 latter feature is sometimes not distinct. These differences are observable 

 only in tlie males, and, although apparently sliglit, are yet sufficiently con- 

 stant to justify distinguishing them as races. The Rocky Mountain form 

 being the true 7nelanocephalus, the name capitalis is proposed for the western 

 one. 



Habits. This bird occurs from the high Central Plains to the Pacific, 

 and from the northern portions of Washington Territory to the table-lands 

 of Mexico. Mr. Ridgway found this species abundant, during the summer 

 months, in all the fertile wooded districts along the entire route of the 

 survey. At Sacramento it was common in the willow copses, and was ob- 



