1885.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 19 



to the writer, embracing altogether 45 adult males (6 from Yucatan, 9 

 from eastern and southern Mexico, and 30 from northwestern Mexico, 

 including Arizona and Lower California). From this comparison of 

 specimens the following facts become at once evident : 



(1) That all specimens from Arizona, southern California (San Diego), 

 Lower California, and western Mexico as far south as Mazatlan, are 

 uniformly and decidedly paler in coloration than those from other por- 

 tions of Mexico, the yellow never assuming an orange tint, but approach- 

 ing quite closely to the tint known as Indian yellow, from which there 

 is scarcely any variation in a series of 30 specimens. The difterence is 

 so great and so constant that the birds from the region in question 

 should be separated as a well-marked geographical race. 



(2) Specimens from Yucatan are, on the other hand, more intensely 

 colored than those from southern and eastern Mexico, the orange color 

 being both more intense and purer. It may be necessary to separate 

 the Yucatan birds on this account, but having only six specimens, and 

 these in somewhat worn plumage, I would not under the circumstances 

 feel justified in making the separation. Should such a step be deemed 

 desirable or necessary, however, I propose for the Yucatan bird the 

 name Icterus cucullatus igneus. 



The name cucullatus having been based by Swainsou upon a speci- 

 men or specimens from Temiscaltepec, on the table land of southwestern 

 Mexico, it follows that the form requiring a new name is that inhabit- 

 ing the northwestern portions, or a definite region extending from Ma- 

 zatlan to southern Arizona, thence west to San Diego, and again south- 

 ward to Cape St. Lucas. This new form may be appropriately named 

 Icterus cucullatus nelsoni, Arizona Hooded Oriole, Mr. E. W. Nelson hav- 

 ing supplied the material upon which these observations are based. 



Type, No. 98992, $ ad., Tucson, Arizona, April 26, 1884 ; E. W. Nel- 

 son. 



PASSER SATURATUS, A NETV SPECIES OF TREE-SPARRO'W FROM 

 (n V) THE LIU-KIU ISLANDS, JAPAN. 



By r.i:OIVHARI> STEJIVEOER. 



Passer saturatus, ep. n. 



Diagnosis. — Similar to Passer montanus, but washed all over with 

 umber-brown, except on head, which is slightly tinged with ashy ; the 

 feathers on the breast are indistinctly edged with brown, the cross- 

 bands on the wings are broad and strongly suffused with the brown 

 color, and the whitish or grayish tips of the tertiaries have entirely 

 disappeared, the whole border being brown j on back no trace of gray, 

 and the black stripes small and few; all brown colors, except that of 

 the head, deeper and richer. 



