AMPELID^ — THE CHATTERERS. 409 



the limits oi' the United States, altliough several others occupy adjacent ter- 

 ritory in Mexico. Several are peculiar to islands of tlie West Indies. 



The only two species closely related to the M. townscndi are the M. unicolor 

 and M. obscicrus, which belong to Mexico. Tliey may be distinguislred as 

 follows : — 



An ochraceous l)aiul across base of secondaries and upper primaries, conspicuous on onter 

 surface. 



1. M. townsendi. (xenerally dull ashy, paler beneath. Throat and abdomen 

 whitish. Ilab. Middle and Paciiic Provinces of United States only. 



No ochraceous on outer webs of secondaries and primaries. 



2. M. obscurus.' Back and wings rusty-olive. Head and beneath ashy, top of head 

 deepest ash. Hab. Mountains of Mexico and Guatemala ; Tres Marias Islands. 



3. M. unicolor.'- Entirely dark bluish slate-color, lighter beneath. Lores black. 

 Hab. Central Mexico and Guatemala. 



Myiadestes townsendi, Caban. 



TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE. 



Ptiliogonys townsendi, Aun. Orn. Biog. V, 1839, 206, pi. ccccxix, fig. 2. (For other ref- 

 erences see Bh-ds N. Am. 321.) — NEwr,EUUV, P. R. Rep. VI, Wliipj)le's Rep. Zool. 

 82. Culicivora towns. De Kay, N. Y. Zool. II, 1844, 110. Myiadestes towns. Cabaxis, 

 Wieg. Arch. 1847, I, 208. — Sclateii, P. Z. S. 1857, 5; 1858, 97. — Baikd, Birds 

 N. Am. 1858, 321 ; Rev. 429. — Cooper & Suckley, P. R. Rep. XII, ii, 187.— 

 Kennerly, p. R. Rep. X, Whipple's Rep. 25. — Loi;i), Pr. R. Art. Inst. Woolwich, 

 IV, 116 (Br. Col.). — CooPEK, Orn. Cal. 1, 1870, 134. 



Sp. Char. Tail rather deeply forke<l. Exposed portion of spurious quill less tlian one 

 third that of the second; foui'th quill longest ; second a little longer than the sixth. Head 

 not crested. General color bluish-ash, paler beneath ; under wing-coverts white. Quills 

 wnth a brownish-yellow bar at the base of both webs mostly concealed, but showing a 

 little below the greater coverts and alute ; this succeeded by a bar of dusky, and next to 

 it another of brownish-yellow across the outer webs of the central quills only. Tertials 

 tipped with white. Tail-feathers dark brown ; the middle ones more like the back ; the 

 lateral with the outer web and tip, the second with the tip only, white. A white ring 

 round the eye. Length, 8 inches ; wing, 4.-50 ; tail, 3.85. (8,234.) 



Hab. Mountainous regions of Middle and Western United States. (Xot Ibund at 

 Cape St. Lucas nor in Mexico.) 



Young birds have a large triangular ]iale-ochraeeous light s])ot on the end 

 of each feather (rather paler below), bounded exterually by a narrow l)order 

 of blackish ; the ([uill and tail featliers as in the adult. 



Habits. The first specimen of tliis somewhat remarkable l)ird was shot 

 by Captain Brotchie, at Fort George, Astoria, and presented to IVIr. Townsend, 

 and by the latter given to Isiv. Audubon. For some time tliis remained unique, 



1 Myiadestes obscurus (Lafres.), BAiun, Rev. Am. Birds, 1866, 430. Hah. Mountains of 

 Mexico to Guatemala and Tres Marias Islands. 



- Myiadestes unicolor (Sclater), Bah^d, Rev. Am. Birds, 1866, 428. Hab. Central Mexico 

 and Guatemala. 



52 



