140 BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Male. Wing, 10.25-11.00 inches; oulmen. 1.60-1.75; width of bill. .C0-.75 ; tarsus, 1.45-1.70; 

 middle toe, l.SO-1.00. Female. Wing, 10.00-10.10; culmen, 1.55-1.65; width of bill. .60-70; 

 tarsus, 1.60; middle toe, 1.75-1.80. 



Although one of the above diagnoses will fit almost any ex- 

 ample of this species, there is yet a very considerable extent of 

 individual variation noticeable in a large .series. Thus, No. 

 17,040 (Washington, D. C, Feb. 25, 1860; C. Duexler) has the 

 uniform brown of the pileum coming down over the side of the 

 head to a line on a level with the lower eyelid, the whole upper 

 half of the head being thus nearly free from specks; while that 

 portion behind the eye has a faint, but very perceptible, rose- 

 purple reflection — this part of the head calhng strongly to mind 

 the head-pattern of A. caroUnensis and A. americmut. On the 

 other hand, an adult male from Philadelphia (No. 46,658, 

 J. Krider) has even the top of the head spotted. No. 0,791, 

 adult male. Fort Steilacoom, Washington (Dr. Georre Suck- 

 lev), has the pileum almost chestnut, the brown having there 

 so deep a reddish cast; the lower neck is nearly plain pale 

 ochraceous, abruptly defined against the dai-kly colored jugulum. 

 Specimens from Cape St. Lucas and Utah present no unusual 

 features. 



All American specimens differ uniformly from the single Euro- 

 pean pair before us, in several very tangible respects. The 

 European male has the neck quite deeply ochraceous, while in 

 the American ones there is seldom more than a mere tinge 

 of this color; the chest is pervaded by a wash of a more 

 pinkish tinge of ochraceous, while there is appreciably less regu- 

 larity and clearness in the markings of that region. The longer 

 scapulars are more deeply tinged with fulvous, and the finely 

 undulated portions are pervaded with a brownish wash, entirely 

 wanting in the American series. The measurements of this 

 specimen (No. 57,187, Europe; Schliiter (.'olleetion) are as fol- 

 lows: Wing, 10.80 inches; culmen, 1.65; width of bill, .70: 

 tarsus, 1.55; middle toe, 1.85. The feiiiale specimen from En- 

 rope is very similar to North Americftn examples, but is rather 

 more deeply colored, the dark centres to the feathers being 

 nearly deep black. The whole throat is immaculate white. Tlie 

 measurements are as follows: Wing, 9.50 inches: culmen. 1.50: 

 tarsus, 1.35: middle toe, 1.60. 



