BIRDS OF KANSAS. 113 



I 



AVatson, of Ellis, informs me that one put in an appearance 

 March 26th, 1885, and stayed about his premises on the creek 

 for several days. 



B. 497. R. 500. C. 648. G. 233, 50. U. 188. 



HABITAT. The whole of tropical and warm temperate Amer- 

 ica; casually northward to New York, Wisconsin, Utah and Ne- 

 vada. 



SP. CHAK. "Adult: Head and upper half of the neck naked, and covered 

 with hard, scurfy skin of a dusky color; the vortex covered by a somewhat 

 shield-shaped horuy plate of a lighter color; the neck with transverse, some- 

 what ovate, bark-like, rugose scales. Plumage in general uniform white, the 

 primary coverts, remiges and rectrices black, with metallic purple, bronze and 

 green reflections. Bill dusky yellowish brown, the edges yellow; sides of the 

 head dark bluish purple, upper part of the head horn color or dull grayish yel- 

 low, the rest of the bare skin of the same tint, many of the scales anteriorly 

 blue; iris deep brown, at a distance seeming black; tibia and tarsus indigo blue; 

 toes above black, on the lateral and hind toes, however, many of the scutellse 

 bluish gray; the webs pale yellowish flesh color; claws black. Young: Head 

 and neck covered with rather scant, somewhat woolly, feathers, excepting the 

 forehead, anterior part of the crown, lores, anterior portion of malar region, 

 chin and anterior part of throat, which are covered with a smooth skin. Head 

 and neck grayish brown, darkest on the occiput (where dark sooty), growing 

 gradually paler below. Eest of the plumage as in the adult, but the black 

 feathers of wings and tail less metallic. Immature: Head bare and corrugated, 

 as in the adult; neck feathered as in the young. 



"Wing, 17.60 to 19.50; tail, 6.10 to 7.30; culmen, 7.55 to 9.30; depth of bill 

 through nostril, 1.55 to 1.90; tarsus, 7.00 to 8.50; middle toe, 3.85 to 4.30; bare 

 part of tibia, 5.00 to 6.25; weight, \\% fts.; total length, 44% inches; extent 

 of wing, 62 inches." 



A male in the "Goss Ornithological Collection" measures: 



Stretch of 

 Length. -wing. Wing. Tail. Tarsus. Bill. 



Male 38.50 70.50 19.00 7.10 8.00 9.00 



These birds are quite a common resident in all the Gulf 

 States, and on the Colorado and Gila Rivers, in the near vicin- 

 ity of Fort Yuma, and in suitable locations I have found them 

 abundant in Mexico and Central America. During the breed- 

 ing season they assemble in large flocks, but scatter more or 

 less after, when it is not uncommon to find a solitary bird upon 

 its feeding grounds or perched upon the dead limb of one of 

 the tallest trees in the vicinity. 



