262 Mearns oh the America}/ S/arrozv Hn-ivl-s. r.l"ly 



face, and is, as might be presupposed, of smaller size, with a 

 rather large beak ; beyond this, there is nothing worthy of recog- 

 nition in the variety isabellimis so far as the coast region of the 

 United States is concerned. The series from Louisiana shows 

 the crown to be more darkly plumbeous than in Florida birds. 



In the timbered country of the middle district, from Illinois 

 eastward through Ohio, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, etc., there is 

 a tendency to somewhat heavier coloration than farther east. 



Sparrow Hawks from the coast region of Texas are similar to 

 those from Louisiana, but in western Texas and the Plains region 

 lying between the Mississippi River and the Rocky Mountains 

 there is a form almost intermediate between typical sparvcrms 

 and deserticolus of the Great Basin and contiguous areas of the 

 Southwest, its relationship to the latter being about the same as 

 that existing between Octacoris alpestris arenicola and O. a. 

 adiista or chrysolcema^ of corresponding regions. 



British North America (Nova Scotia, Moose Factory, Hudson's 

 Bay, Fort Rae, and British Columbia) and the northwestern 

 United States furnish specimens of unusual depth of coloration, 

 though lacking bright rufous tints. In males the spotting of the 

 under surface, usually confined to the sides, extends over a larger 

 area ; and in females the under surface is more buffy or rufescent 

 and the under striping broader and browner. Males taken by 

 Captain Charles E. Bendire at Walla Walla, Washington, have 

 the breast of a deep cinnamon color. 



Taking in hand the material from south of the United States, 

 all specimens from Mexico, except a pair from Mazatlan collected 

 by Col. A. J. Grayson, andallfrom Central America, are distinctly 

 sparverius. The males have considerable ochraceous on the 

 underparts, and quite distinct moustaches (as much so as in those 

 from Arizona, but less than in Eastern specimens) . Nos. 103,357 

 and 103,358, Smiths. Coll., from Guatemala, have but a trace 

 of rusty on the crown; and No. 33,213, Smiths. Coll., from 

 San Jos6, Costa Rica, has very little. The remaining seven 

 have large rufous crown patches. The tail, as a rule, is less 

 variegated than in specimens from the northern part o' 1 lie ccai- 

 tinent, three having but two black spots, and a fourth only one 

 on the lateral feathers, the outer web being plain white, with a 

 narrow black line along the shaft ; but a similar condition is noted 

 in specimens from other regions, among which is one from Hud- 

 son's Bay, 



