526 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



crimson and the dark brown base of the feathers. The brown nasal tuft is 

 scarcely different from tlie feathers of the forehead. 



In a large series of specimens of this species, from a wide area of distribution, 

 considerable differences are appreciable in size, but fewer in coloration than 

 might be expected. Yucatan birds are the least {Ficus parvus, Cabot ; vaga- 

 tus, Cassin), the wing measuring 3.30 inches. Those from Southern Mexico 

 are but little larger (wing, 3.60). In Northern Mexico the wing is nearly 

 4 inches ; in New Mexico it is 4.30. The markings vary but little. The black 

 and white bands on the back are about of equal width, but sometimes one, 

 sometimes the other, appears the larger ; the more eastern have, perhaps, the 

 most white. The pattern on the tail is quite constant. Thus, assuming the 

 three outer feathers to be white, banded with black, the outermost may be 

 said to have seven transverse bars of black, of which the terminal four 

 (sometimes five) are distinct and perfect, the basal three (or two) confluent 

 into one on the inner web (the extreme base of the feather white). The 

 next feather has, perhaps, the same number of dark bands, but here only 

 two (sometimes three) are continuous and complete ; the innermost united 

 together, the outer showing as scallops. The third feather has no continuous 

 bands (or only one), all the inner portions being fused ; the outer mere scal- 

 lops, sometimes an oblique edging ; generally, however, the interspaces of 

 the dark bands are more or less distinctly traceable through their dusky suf- 

 fusion, especially on the inner web of the outer feather. The number of free 

 bands thus varies slightly, but the general pattern is the same. This condi- 

 tion prevails in nearly all the specimens before us from Yucatan and Mexico 

 (in only one specimen from Arizona, and one or two from Texas), and is 

 probably the typical scalaris of Wagler. 



In specimens from the Eio Grande and across to Arizona the seven bands 

 of the outer feather are frequently continuous and complete on both webs 

 to the base, a slight suffusion only indicating the tendency to union in the 

 inner web. The other feathers are much as described, except that the white 

 interspaces of the black scallops penetrate deeper towards the shaft. This 

 is perhaps the race to which the name of P. hairdi has been applied. We do 

 not find, however, any decided reduction in the amount of red on the ante- 

 rior portion of the head, as stated for this species (perhaps it is less continu- 

 ous towards the front), except in immature birds ; young females possibly 

 losing the immature red of the crown, as with typical scalaris. 



A third type of tail-marking is seen in specimens from the Pacific coast, 

 and from the Tres Marias especially ; also in some skins from Southwestern 

 Arizona. Here the extreme forehead is black, with white spots ; the red of 

 the crown not so continuous anteriorly even as in the last-mentioned race. 

 The general pattern of tail is as described, and the bars on the inner webs 

 are also confluent towards the base, but we have only two or three trans- 

 verse bars at the end of the outer feathers ; the rest of outer web entirely 

 white, this color also invading the inner. The second feather is similarly 



