THE GENUS CHOEDEILES SWAINSON OBERHOLSEE. 



83 



Geographical distribution. — Greater Antilles. Breeds in the Upper 

 Tropical Zone of Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, Porto Rico, and the Isle of 

 Pines. Winter home unknown. 



Remarks. — This is the smallest and most deeply tawny or rufescent 

 of all the races of Chordeiles virginianus. It is also the southernmost 

 in distribution. It differs ver}'- decidedly from Chordeiles virgini- 

 anus by reason of its much smaller size ; coarser and much more tawny 

 markings on the upper surface; and darker, much more rufescent, 

 taAvny, and ochraceous inferior parts. 



The female of the present race is considerably more different from 

 the male than is the case in Chordeiles virginianus vicinus. Slie has 

 the dark areas of the upper parts more brownish (less blackish) than 

 has the male, their light mottlings duller, more ochraceous or tawnj'' ; 

 the dark areas of the inferior surface decidedly more rufescent (less 

 blackish) ; and the posterior lower parts decidedly more ochraceous 

 or tawny. 



The first autumn plumage is similar to that of both Chordeiles 

 virginianus virginianus ^nd Chordeiles virginianus chapmani^ but the 

 light markings are normally much more deeply tawny. Occasional 

 specimens are, however, more grayish, and scarcely, if at all, distin- 

 guishable. 



Individual variation is great, and about the same in both sexes. 

 There are really two fairly distinct color phases, a tawny or rufous 

 and a gray, the latter of which is comparatively rare. Taking these 

 two phases as the extremes, the prevailing color of the light markings 

 above in both male and female varies from deep tawny to grayish 

 white and creamy white ; the light areas of lower parts from tawny 

 ochraceous to grayish white in the male, and from buff to deep tawny 

 in the female. 



Specimens from the Isle of Pines appear to be identical with those 

 from Cuba. The males we have examined from Jamaica have an 

 average longer wing and tail than those from Cuba, but the females 

 show no difference. In color they are all the same, and this apparent 

 size difference would probably disappear in a larger series. How 

 much it is appears in the following table of average measurements: 



Localities. 



Ten males, from Cuba 



Five males, from Jamaica 



Eight females, from Cuba 



One female, from Porto Rico 

 Five females, from Jamaica. . 



Wing. 



mm. 

 168 

 174.6 



168.1 



173 



1C8.8 



Tail. 



mm. 

 93.5 

 94.8 



95.3 



95.9 



Exposed 

 culmen. 



mm. 

 6.6 

 6 



6.7 



7 



6.2 



Tarsus. 



mm. 

 13.4 

 13.2 



13.5 



12 



13.5 



Middle 

 toe. 



mm. 

 13.9 

 13.9 



13.9 

 13.2 

 13.8 



