FIUNGILLID.E — THE riXCIIES. oH 



The females are less stronj^ly marked tliaii the maU'S, lacking the distinct 

 patches of black (which, however, are nearly always faintly indicated), and 

 other characters, and are streaked like the Spht/I ina: 



Species and Varieties. 

 A* Prevailini? color wliito. 



1. P. nivalis. ^. Back, scapulai-s, oiids of tcrtials, alula, tcrininal half of 

 primaiit's and the middle tail-leathers, deep Mack ; otherwise pure white. 

 9. The hlaek replaced hy grayish with lilack spots; erown jTrayish 

 spotted with Mack. Young considerably tinged with ochraceous. 

 /Lib. Circinnpolar regions: south in winter into the United States. 



B. Ahove brown, t;})Otted with black. ^. Crown black. 



a. Six to ten middle tail-teathers almost wholly black; the rest without 

 black ends. ^ with a nuchal collar of rufous or bufl". and without rufous 

 on the wings. 



2. P. lapponicus. ^. II- id, all round, and jugulum, deep black; a 

 post-oeular stripe, running downward behind the black jugular jiatt-h, 

 and entire lower i)arts from the jugulum, white. Nuchal cdlar chestnut- 

 rufous. 9 '^^idi the black areas merely indicated l)y a dusky clouding, 

 and merely a tinge of rufous round the nape. Ifib. (.'ircunipolar 

 regions; south in winter into the t'nited States. 



3. P. pictua. ^. Head above and laterally deep black, bordered 

 anteriorly and below with white; a p(»st-ocidar stripe, an<l an ovate 

 auricular spot of the same. Nuchal cidlar and entire lower surface 

 bright buff. 9* 1*'*'^' grayi.sh-buft", darker above ; above distinctly, and 

 on the jugulum obsoletely, streaked with black, [Itfh. Interior plains 

 of North America, Jiortli to Arctic Ocean. 



4. P. ornatus. ^. Head above, and whole breast and abdomen, 

 black; a superciliary striiie, side of head, chin, tliroat, anal region and 

 cri,«sum, white ; nuchal collar rufous. 9 haidly distinguishable IVoni 

 that of P. jnctiis. 



a. Lesser wing-coverts l»rownish-gray ; black feathers of bn^ast, 

 etc., without rufous edges. Hub. Interior plains of United States. 



var. o r n u i 



b. Lesser wing-coverts black; black feathers of breiust, etc., with 

 rufous edges. Ildb. Southern plains of Nt)rth America, and taV)le 



land of Mexico. . var. me .oniHa. 



b. Only two middle tail-feathers almost wholly black; the rest with ' .<. 

 ends. ^ without a nuchal collar of rufous or bull', and with rufous liie 



wmgs. 



5. P. macco'wni. ^. Crown, and a broad crescent on the .igulum, 

 black; rest ol' head and neck ashy, approaching white on tn thri>at 

 and over the eye; beneath white, above grayish-brown, streaked with 

 black; middle wing-coverts rufous. 9- Above yellowish-umber, be- 

 neath vi'Uowish-white ; thicklv streaked above, unstreaked ben(\ath. 

 No rufous on wings, ami no black on head or jugulum. //ab. Plains, 

 from Texas, northward. 



There seems to he no special reason for suhdividini,' this aenus, althouj^h 

 this has been done, — P. nicalis heinj^ alone retained in Plntroi)hanc>i ; P. 

 maccou'iii fonning the type and sole member of the genus lllLi/iuvpJiums 



