116 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Generally similar to the male. Head above conspicuously streaked, but tlie dusky pre- 

 vailing. Above the transvei-se bands are less regular and continuous, anteriorly the plum- 

 beous largely prevailing ; posterior portions, however, as in the male, but on the rump 

 the bands are more distinct. Beneath, the markings are more numerous, larger, and 

 broader ; those on the jugulum linear ; those of the abdomen medially elliptical ; laterally 

 they are transversely cordate, and on the flanks in form of broad transverse spots, or 

 broad bars ; on the tibiae and lower tail-coverts they form regular transverse bars, — on the 

 latter, quite distant. Wing-formula, 2-3-4,1. Wing, 15.50; tail, 9.50; tarsus, 2.15 

 and .80; middle toe, 1.95. 



Juv. ( (J, 55,400, Alaska, Nulato, February 10, 18G8 ; W. H. Ball). Above plumbeous- 

 umber, precisely as in young of islmidicus, but on the rump having a decided ashy cast. 

 No white edges to the feathers, as in islandicus, but, instead, numerous irregular transverse 

 spots or obsolete ragged bars of cream-color or pale ochraceous-buff ; the whole upper 

 surface is quite thickly variegated with these irregular markings. Tail crossed with 

 thirteen narrow bands of creamy-white, these so thickly mottled with dusky on the outer 

 webs as to be obscure, but on inner webs they are regular and sharply defined ; the 

 last is terminal. Primaries plain dusky, skirted obscurely with paler, and marked toward 

 bases with obsolete mottled spots of cream-color. Head streaked with dusky and creamy- 

 white, the former predominating on upper surface, along upper edge of ear-coverts, and 

 across the cheeks, on the latter forming a mustache ; the white prevails over the ear-cov- 

 erts in a broad supra-oral stripe, and on the forehead and lores. Beneath, soft dull white ; 

 chin and upper part of throat, only, immaculate ; each feather with a broad medial stripe 

 of clear dark plumbeous-brown, on the flanks and tibise prevailing, the whitish assuming 

 the form of roundish spots ; lining of the wing similarly marked ; prevailing aspect of 

 under surface of primaries Avhite, crossed with narrow bars of ashy, fifteen in number 

 on the longest. Wing-formula, 2, 3 - 1 =4. Wing, 14.00 ; tail, 8.40. 



Hab. Interior regions of Arctic America; Anderson River, McKenzie, Yukon, and 

 Severn River regions. Breeding abundantly in the former district, whence numerous 

 specimens of skins and eggs have been received by the Smithsonian Institution. 



In the young specimen described, there are one or two new feathers 

 appearing on the rump and upper tail-coverts, precisely as in the blue 

 plumage, and proving conclusively their relationship. The species is as dif- 

 ferent from the Iceland bird in the young stage as in the mature. The most 

 readily apparent differences are, lack of sharp white edges of feathers above, 

 and in their stead numerous ragged transverse spots of yellowish ; dark aspect 

 of head above, etc. . . 



Specimens vary considerably in the shades of color and distribution of 

 the markings, but the types of the above descriptions are the lightest of the 

 series. The darkest example is No. 43,144J (" 9 and eggs "), Fort Anderson, 

 May 22, 1864. In this the whole head and neck (except underneath) are 

 continuous blackish-plumbeous, only the middle of the auriculars being 

 faintly streaked ; the back is nearly plain dusky, and even on the wdngs the 

 bars are very obscure and much reduced in width. The rump is plain ashy- 

 blue, the darker bars being nearly obsolete. The longitudinal markings on 

 the pectoral region are enlarged into conspicuous stripes, while on the sides 

 and flanks the transverse bars form heavy spots. The transverse bars on 

 the tibiae are ashy-blue ; those on the crissum clear plumbeous, and regularly 

 transverse. Wing, 15.75 ; tail, 9.30. Upon comparing this S2:)ecimen with 



