140 



NORTH AMEUICAN BIRDS.. 



altlioiw^h the other diameters are somewhat siinihir. Cifhoulrifis of Cabanis, 

 witli the same hiek of first juimary, lias a iiiiieli stouter liill. Tlie spurious 

 primary, more depressed hill, aud diU'ereutly constituted nostrils and nasal 

 fossie of Ahiuda are readilv distinctive. 



The type of this cijenus is 

 the AInuda (dpcMris, Linn., 

 a well-known cosi>io]>olitan 

 species, thout^'h the birds of 

 the Xew World have been 

 distinguished under distinc- 

 tive names, as vuravta, chr}/- 



solanio, 2fcir'J''i'if^} ^^^" The 



examination and critical com- 



j)ari.«<on of more than a hun- 



ErfmniMn niptstns drcd s])eciniens froui all parts 



of Xorth America, however, has convinced us of the identity with aljusfris 



of the several forms mentioncnl above, thou,L,di it may be atlvisable to retain 



one or more of them as Ljeoura})hical races. 



Species and Varieties. 



E. alpestris. Adidt. Al>(>v<' piiiki.<h-irrav, vaivin<^ tn cinnainon. the pinkish 

 deepest uu iiaj)e and lesser winir-covorts; tail Maek (e.xcept two niifMle feathers), 

 the outer feather educd with white. Beneath white, the sides pinkish or 2:rayi.sli. 

 A frontal band and snpercihary stripe, the niidtUe of aurieulais, eliin. J\nd throat 

 varying: from white to deep Naples-yellow: forepart of crown, an<l " ear-tufts," a 

 pateh on lores and cheeks, and a hroad ei-e.'seent across the jnprnlum. «leep black; 

 end of auriculars ashy. Female and autunnial males, with the j^attern less 

 sharply defined, and the colors more sud'nsed. Yuxng. ]]rownish-1ila('k above, 

 more or less mixed with clay-color, and sprinkled with whitish dots: winir- 

 feathers all bordered with whitish. Beneath whiti*. Markinjrs on head and 

 juirnlum just merely indicated by dusky cloudincrs. 



Winj? (of adult male), 4.20 to 4.<>0 ; tail. L'.OO to 3.10; culmeii. .HO to .(!.'). 

 White frontal band, .25 to .30. wide: the Idack prefrontal patch. .20 to .3;") 

 wide. The pinkish above oC an ashy-lilac shade. 



Throat and forehea<l white, with only a vciy faint tiuire orydlow; 

 pinkish tinu-e above more rufous. Hah. Interior Northern IMains of 

 the Fnited States ....... var. orrhlentalix 



Throat and forehead pale straw-yellow, or stroncrly timred with it; 



pinkish tinire above varvinir from ashy-lilacous to purplish-rufous. 



FLih. Northern re^'ions of ( )ld and New Worlds . . var. (( I pes tr i s 



Wintr (adult male), 3.80 to 4.10: tail. 2.7'> to 2.00; culmen. .53 to .02. 



White frontal l)and. .13 to. 10 wide: the black prefrontal patch .35 to .5() 



= wide. Pinkish above of a deep cimmmon sha<le. //-/A. Desert plains of 



South Mi<ldle Province of United States, and table-lands of ^h-xico, south 



to Bogota . • ... . . . . . var. chr y solie m u . 



