204 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



lesser wing-coverts, primaries, and upper tail-coverts, the tail being nearly pure black. 

 Primaries with an indistinct narrow concealed stripe of chestnut-rufous on the outer 

 webs, and larger spots of the same on the inner webs ; feathers of the head, neck, and 

 lower parts abruptly pure white beneatla the surface, this showing in partially exposed spots 

 on the pectoral "region and crissum. Scapulars also with large concealed white spots. 

 Shafts of primaries and tail-feathers black on both sides. Wing-formula, 3, 2-4-5-6, 1. 

 First primary angularly, the second concavely, emarginated. Tail emarginated, lateral 

 feather longest; depth of fork, .40. Wing, 11.75; tail, 6.80; culmen, .63; tarsus, 1.20: 

 middle toe, 1.15. 



Adult female (No. 1,487. Coll. Ridgway, Richland Co., 111.. August 19, 1871). 

 Similar to the male, but head and secondaries decidedly darker, hardly approaching ligiit 

 ash ; scarcely any trace of rufous on the primaries, none at all on outer webs ; shafts of 

 tail-feathers white on under side. Wing, 11.80; tail, 7.25. Bill, cere, eyelids, and interior 

 of mouth, deep black; iris deep lake-red; rictus orange-red; tarsi and toes pinkish 

 orange-red; lower part of tarsus and Jarge scutellse of toes dusky. (Notes from fresh 

 specimens, the ones above described.) 



Immature male (transition plumage; 1,488, Coll. Ridgway, Richland Co., 111., 

 August 21, 1871.) Similar to tlie adult female, but the white spots on basal portion of 

 pectoral and crissal feathers distinctly exposed ; secondaries not lighter than rest of the 

 wing. Tail-feathers with angular white spots extending quite across the inner webs, 

 producing three distinct transverse bands when viewed from below. Inner web of outer 

 primary mostly white anterior to the emargination. Wing, 10.50 ; tail, 6.25. Color of 

 bill, etc., as in the adult, but interior of mouth whitish, and the iris less pure carmine. 



Immature female (ColL Philadephia Academy, Red Fork of the Arkansas, 1850 ; Dr. 

 Woodhouse). Similar to the last. Wing, 11.10; tail, G.31. 



Young female (first plumage ; Coll. Philadelphia Academy, North Fork Canadian 

 River, September 19, 1851 ; Dr. Woodhouse). Head, neck, and lower parts white, with 

 a yellowish tinge ; this most perceptible on the tibife. Each feather with a medial longitu- 

 dinal ovate spot of blackish-brown ; more reddish on the lower parts. The chin, throat, 

 and a broad superciliary stripe, are immaculate white. Lower tail-coverts each with a 

 medial acmninate spot of rusty, the shaft black. Upper parts brownish-black ; wing- 

 coverts, scapulars, and interscapulars, feathers of the rump, and the upper tail-coverts, 

 narrowly bordered with ochraceous-white, and with concealed quadrate spots of the 

 same ; primary coverts, secondaries, and primaries sharply bordered terminally with pure 

 white. Tail black (faintly whitish at the' tip), with three (exposed) obscure bands of a 

 more slaty tint ; this changing to white on the inner webs, in the form of angular spots 

 forming the bands. Lining of the wing pale ochraceous, transversely spotted with rusty 

 rufous; under primary-coverts with transverse spots of white. Wing, 11.90 ; tail, 6.40. 



Hab. Central Mexico and Southern United States; common as far north as Georgia 

 (accidental in Pennsylvania, Vincent Barnard), on the Atlantic coast, and Illinois, Iowa, 

 and Wisconsin, in the Mississippi Valley. Exceedingly abundant surtimer bird on the 

 prairies of Southern Illinois. 



Localities: Coban (Salvin, Ibis, III, 1861, 355); E. and N. Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 

 327) ; Chester Co., Pa. (breeds ; Barnard.) 



LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMINED. 



National Museum, 6 ; Philadelphia Academy, 4 ; New York Museum, 1 ; Cambridge 

 Museum, 1 ; Cab. Gr. N. Lawrence, 1 ; R. Ridgway, 3. Total, 16. 



Measurements. 



