172 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Species and Varieties. 



1. S. magna. Above brownish, or grayish, spotted and barred with black; 

 crown divided by a median whitish stripe ; side of the head whitish, with a 

 blackish streak along upper edge of the auriculars. Beneath more or less 

 yellowish, with a more or less distinct dusky crescent on the jugulum. Sides, 

 flanks and crissum whitish, streaked with dusky ; lateral tail-feathers partly 

 white. Adult. Supraloral spot, chin, throat, breast, and abdomen deep gamboge- 

 yellow ; pectoral crescent deep black. Young. The yellow only indicated ; 

 pectoral crescent obsolete. Length, about 9.00 to 10.50 inches. Sexes similar 

 in color, but female much smaller. 



A» In spring birds, the lateral stripes of the vertex either continuous black, 

 or with black largely predominating; the black spots on the back extending 

 to the tip of the feather, or, if not, the brown tip not barred (except in 

 winter dress). Yellow of the throat confined between the maxilte, or 

 just barely encroaching upon their lower edge. White of sides, flanks, and 

 crissum strongly tinged with ochraceous. 



a. Pectoral crescent much more than half an inch wide. 



Wing, 4.50 to 5.00; culmen, 1.20 to 1.50; tarsus, 1.35 to 1.55; 

 middle toe, 1.10 to 1.26 (extremes of a series of four adult males). 

 Lateral stripe of the crown continuously black ; black predominat- 

 ing on back and rump (heavy stripes on ochraceous ground). 

 Light brown serrations on tertials and tail-feathers reaching nearly 

 to the shaft (sometimes the terminal ones uninterrupted, isolating 

 the black bars). Hah. Eastern United States . . var. magna. 



Wing, 3.75 to 4.30; culmen, 1.15 to 1.30; tarsus, 1.50 to 1.75; 

 middle toe, 1.10 to 1.25. (Ten adult males !) Colors similar, but 

 with a greater predominance of black ; black heavily prevailing on 

 back and rump, and extending to tip of feathers; also predomi- 

 nates on tertials and tail-feathers. Hah. Mexico and Central 

 America ........ .var. mexicana.^ 



Wing, 4.45 ; culmen, 1.62 ; tarsus, 1.50 ; middle toe, 1.20. (One 

 specimen). Colors exactly as in last. Hah. Brazil. 



var. meridionalis? 

 h. Pectoral crescent much less than half an inch wide. 



Wing, 3.90 to 4.10; culmen, 1.25 to 1.35; tarsus, 1.40 to 1.55; 

 middle toe, 1.00 to 1.20. (Three adult males.) Colors generally' 

 similar to magna, but crown decidedly streaked, though black 

 predominates ; ground-color above less reddish than in either of 

 the preceding, with markings as in magna. Pectoral crescent about 

 .25 in breadth. Hab. Cuba .... var. hippocr ep is .^ 



B. In spring birds, crown about equally streaked with black and grayish ; 

 black spots of back occupying only basal half of feathers, the terminal 

 portion being grayish-brown, with narrow bars of black ; feathers of the 

 rump with whole exposed portion thus barred. Yellow of the throat 

 extending over the maxilte nearly to the angle of the mouth. 



Wing, 4.40 to 5.05; culmen, 1.18 to 1.40; tarsus, 1.30 to 1,45. 

 (Six adult males.) A grayish-brown tint prevailing above ; lesser 



^ Sturnella mexicana, Sclater, Ibis, 1861, 179. 



'^ Sturnella meridionalis, Sclater, Ibis, 1861, 179. 



8 Sturnella Mppocrcpis, Wagler, Ibis, 1832, 281. — Lawr. Ann. N. Y. Lye. 1860. 



