02 



XOUTII AMKUICAN lURDa 



Sin/in .Mnlis. 



(JExrs SIALIA, Swainsox, 



Sialid, SwAixsoN, Z<M>1. .Tour. Ill, Si-jit. 1>27, 173. (TyiH* Molncilln sinlis, L.> 



Gen. Cuak. Hill short, stout, broailer tliiiu hijrii at the base, then eonip;ess«Ml ; slijrhtly 



iu)t<he(l at tip. Rictus with short bristles. 

 Tarsi not lon^'»'r than the middle toe. Claws 

 considerablv curved. Win«rs nnich lonjjcr than 

 tlie tail; the hrst primary spurious, not one 

 fourth tlu' lonirest. Tail moderate; slightly 

 lorked. K;.'jrs plain blue. Nest in holes. 



The species of tliis genus are uU well 

 mavketl, ami adult males are easily 

 disiin<;uishal>le. In all, blue forms a 

 prominent feature. Three well-marked 

 sjiecies are known, with a fourtli less 

 distinct. Tlie females are didler in 

 color than the males. The young are spotted and aireaked with wliite. 



Synopsis of Species. 



Common Characters. Rich blue above, duller in the I'eniale. IJeucath reddish 

 or blue in the male, reddish or liijrht drab in the ieiuale. Yoinig with winirs and 

 tails only blue, the head and anterior parts of" body with numerous whitish spots. 

 A* Hrensf reddish, or cJiestuut, 



1. S. sialis. No chestnut on the back ; throat reddish; abdomen and 

 crissum white. 



Blue of a ricli dark pm-plish shade. Tail about 2.75. llah. East- 

 ern Province I nited States, Cuba, and TJerumdas . . var. sialis. 



Blue of a jrreenish shade. Tail about 3.20. /fah. East Mexico 

 and riuatcmala . var. aznrea.^ 



2. S. mezicana. Chestnut, in irrcater or less amount, on the back ; 

 throat blue ; abdomen and crissum blue, Jluh. W«'st and South Mid- 

 dle Province Cnited States, south to Jalapa, Cordova, and Colima. 



B. Breast hlne (Jif/ht drah in 9). 



3. S. arctica. Entirely rich frreenish-blue ; abdomen white. Jlab. 

 Middle l^rovincc United States; Fort Franklin, British America. 



Sialia sialis, Baird. 



EASTEBN BLXTEBISD. 



Motacilla sialis, LiXX. S. N. iToS, 187 (based ou Catf.sby, I, pi. xlvii). Sudia sialis, 

 Baihi), Birds X. Am. 18.^8, 222; Rev. 62. — Boaki.max, Pr. Host. Soc 1862, 124 

 (Calais, Me.; very ran-). — Dkksskk, Ibis, 186r>, 46') (Texas, whiter). — Sami'ELs, 

 B. X. Kn«;., IT."). Siidia irilsimi, Swaixsun, Zoul. Jour. Ill, 1827, 173. — Cab. Jour. 

 18,"58, 120. — GuxDLAcii, Cab. Jour. 1861, 324 ; Hepertorio, 1865, 230. — JoNES, 



1 i>. azania, Bahu), li«'v. Am. Birds, 1864, 62. {S. azurca, Swaixsox.) 



