Vol.^XIV"! Orerholser on a Neiv Marsk Wrett. 1 87 



from the intermediate region belong to an apparently undescribed 

 geographical race. 



Considered with reference to its western representatives pains- 

 iris presents the extreme of darkness and richness in the colora- 

 tion of the upper parts and flanks. The Pacific Coast bird is, 

 however, nearly as dark above, though the colors are duller ; but 

 the form from the Great Basin is paler than either. In palustris 

 the lower parts are usually clearer white, the bill averages longer, 

 the wings and tail shorter than in either of the western races. 

 The eastern bird further differs in having the middle tail-feathers 

 usually without regular or distinct bars, the upper and lower tail- 

 coverts not barred ; but no one of these characters is quite 

 constant. In most examples of palustris (90 per cent of the 

 specimens examined) the markings of the central rectrices are 

 reduced to mere spots or scarcely indicated bars, being rarely so 

 regular or so clearly defined as in extreme examples of the western 

 races. In 94 per cent of the available specimens of palustris the 

 superior tail-coverts are found to be without appreciable transverse 

 markings ; while the remaining 6 per cent exhibit fairly well 

 defined bars. The absence of distinct bars on the lower tail- 

 coverts serves to distinguish 7 1 per cent of the specimens 

 examined, and is apparently a fair average character, though 

 some of the remaining 29 per cent have these markings fully as 

 dark and as clearly indicated as in the most typical examples of 

 the western forms. 



Professor Baird, in distinguishing ^ /^r/z/j-Zr/j from \\\% paludicola 

 says of the former, "bill lengthened, equal to tarsus"; but 

 reference to the measurements given in the present paper will at 

 once show the fallibility of this character. 



Fall specimens oi palustris are, as a rule, noticeably darker and 

 more richly colored than those taken in spring or summer, this 

 affecting chiefly the brown portions of the plumage ; but in this 

 respect there is at all seasons considerable individual variation. 



Among the specimens at hand, most of them from Illinois and 

 from the vicinity of Washington, D. C, much difference exists in 

 the amount of paler color on the pileum. This lighter brown 



Review of American Birds, I, 1864, 148. 



