260 



NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



the form of large longitudinal broad spots, occupying the greater middle portion of each 

 feather ; abdomen, sides, and tibise with smaller and more cordate spots of dull rufous ; 

 the lower tail-coverts immaculate; the decided ochraceous tinge beneath, deepest pos- 

 teriorly. 



Young, first year (11,984, Washington, D. C). The blackish above is much variegated, 

 being broken by the narrow rusty borders to interscapulars, rump, and lesser wing- 

 coverts ; the broader and more ochraceous borders to scapulars and greater wing-coverts, 

 and partially concealed whitish spotting on the former. Upper tail-coverts white, with 

 broad bars of blackish-brown ; secondaries and primaries edged terminally with whitish. 

 Tail dull umber-brown, growing darker terminally ; narrowly tipped with white, and 

 crossed with six obscure, narrow bands of dusky, the (concealed) bases of all the 

 feathers white. Superciliary region, cheeks, chin, throat, and entire lower parts, delicate 

 pale ochraceous, or whitish cream-color ; a conspicuous " mustache," a medial longitudinal 

 series of streaks on the throat, with large longitudinal ovate spots on sides of breast, 

 cordate spots on sides and flanks, and sagittate spots on tibiae, clear blackish-brown. 

 The ochraceous deepest on the abdomen and crissum. Wing beneath as in adult. 



A very young bird, scarcely fledged (33,598, Milltown, Me. ; Gr. A. Boardman), differs 

 from the last in a much more continuous black shade above, the deeper ochraceous 

 beneath, and larger, as well as more numerous, blackish spots beneath. 



In the adult plumage of this species, the principal variation is in the continuity or 

 distinctness of the anterior light band on the tail, and the extent and depth of shade of 

 the brown beneath. The first feature is characteristic of most specimens, only one 

 (55,980, ^, Costa Rica) being without it; it is broadest and most conspicuous, as well as 

 less concealed by the coverts, in the females, and this appears to be the principal sexual 

 difference. The dull brownish-rufous of the under parts is most prevalent in a specimen 

 from Mirador, Mexico (30,895, 9 ? September ; Dr. Sartorius), in which specimen the 

 breast is almost continuously of this color, and the lower tail-coverts are strongly barred 

 (or transversely spotted) with the same ; the ground-color beneath is also more ochra- 

 ceous than in any other individual. In the Costa-Rican specimen (the one lacking the 

 anterior tail-band), the brown beneath is quite different from that of the others, being of 

 a much more ashy shade ; the lower tail-coverts are also immaculate. The brown mark- 

 ings beneath are most sparse in 20,389, from Coban, Vera Paz (January; 0. Salvin) ; 

 in this, also, the tail-bands are very distinct, and almost white. 



A young bird from Costa Rica (30,412 ; Dr. Frantzius) is exactly similar to No. 27,048, 

 from Fort Garry, Selkirk Settlement. 



LIST OF SPECIMENS EXAMIXED. 



National Museum, 18; Philadelphia Academy, 6; Boston Society, 3; New York 

 Museum, 2 (Caraccas) ; Museum, Cambridge, 2 ; Cab. Gr. N. Lawrence, 5 ; Coll. R. Ridg- 

 way, 2. Total, 38. 



Measurements. 



Hab. Eastern North. America southward along Gulf coast through Louisiana, into 

 Mexico and Central America; Cuba, Ecuador, Upper Amazon, Caraccas (N. Y. Museum). 



Localities: Ecuador, winter (Scl. 1858, 451); Orizaba (Scl. 1857, 211); Upper Am- 

 azon (ScL. 1857, 261) ; Cuba (Cab. Journ. II, Ixxxii ; Gundlach, Rept. 1865, 223 ; 

 resident); Panama (Lawr. VII, 1861, 288); S. E.Texas (Dresser, Ibis, 1865, 325; 

 breeds) ; Costa Rica (Lawr. IX, 133). 



