64 



Mearns o/i Birds of Arizoi/a. [Jiinuary 



white spots ; and some of the under tail-coverts are faintly tipped or spotted 

 with the same. The form is light, the legs slender. Four outer primaries 

 have their inner webs cut. Wing-formula, 4, 5, 3, 2, 6, 7, i. Tail of twelve 

 feathers; slightly rounded, the amount of graduation between the outer 

 and central pair being 25 mm. The primaries extend 150 mm. beyond 

 the secondary remiges. D/dici/s'o/is* — Length, 497; alar expanse, 1240; 

 wing, 397; tail, 230; chord of culmen and cere taken together, 34; cere, 16; 

 culmen, 22; gape, 36; tarsus, 70; middle toe and claw, 62; toe alone, 45. 

 The hind claw is longest, measuring 25 mm ; the inner and middle claws 

 are equal, measuring 27, mm. each ; and the outer claw measures but 17 mm. 

 Adult female in breeding plitmag-c (No. 4007, New River, Arizona, May 

 16, iSSi^; E. A. M. Mated with the above, and parent of egg described 

 below). This specimen closely resembles the male just described, except 

 that there is an additional tail-bar, plainly indicated above; and the basal 

 white of plumage is exposed upon the breast. The tail is somewhat more 

 rounded, the amount of graduation being 19 mm. ; and the exposed tail-bars 

 are tinged with brown. Dimensions. — Length, 530; alar expanse, 1315; 

 wing, 420; tail, 235; culmen and cere taken together, 36; cere, 17; culmen 

 (chord taken from cere), 24; gape, 40; tarsus, 77; middle toe and claw, 66; 

 middle toe alone, 48. Claw of hallux, 27 ; inner claw, 26; middle claw, 23 ; 

 outer claw, 19. Another adult female (No. 4050, taken on the Agua Fria 

 at Swilling's Ranch, Arizona, May 17, 1885. E. A. M. ; parent of eggs 

 described below) does not differ appreciably. It presents the following 

 dimensions : Length, 540; alar expanse, 1350: wing, 430; tail, 245; culmen 

 and cere, 36; cere, 17; culmen, 25; gape, 41 ; tarsus, 76; middle toe and 

 claw, 70; toe alone, 49. Claw of hallux, 27; inner claw, 25; middle claw, 

 22 ; outer claw. 17. 



Toting male (No. 2945, Verde River, near Fort Verde, Arizona, May 

 28, 1884; E. A. M.). Differs from the adult in having the exposed portion 

 of the tail hoary brownish gray above, crossed by ten narrow black bars, 

 the subterminal one being much the widest; upon the concealed inner webs 

 the light color fades to white, sharply contrasted with the black bars, which 

 do not usually correspond upon the two webs of the feather. The spec- 

 imen also exhibits much more white; the feathers of the top of the head, 

 back, scapulars, and ventral surface are pure white at base, the white bases 

 being considerably exposed upon the nape, interscapulars, and breast. The 

 white forms a series of lateral spots upon the webs of the scapulars and 

 neighboring coverts, upper and lower tail-coverts, and flanks. The lining 

 of the wings is black, with the longest feathers regularly spotted with 

 white. Under surface of rectrices and remiges hoary grayish, fading to pure 

 white upon the inner webs, except the terminal portion of the outerprima- 

 ries. which is dark; rectrices barred with dusky, corresponding to the 

 black dorsal bars ; remiges barred or spotted with the same. Dimensions: — 

 Length, 498; alar expanse, 1245; wing, 400; tail, 230; culmen and cere, 33 ; 

 cere, 15; culmen, 22; gape, 36; tarsus, 66; middle toe and claw, 60; toe 



* All measurements are given in millimetres. 



