420 



NoltTII AMKItlCAX IMIIDS, 



C'rtliiolii fiai'tola. 



well, uiiil nil till' niitcr rciluccil to a iinrniw linnlcr. ('. rtiho/i tVom ("nziiiiu'l, 

 near tlio wistiM'ii coast ol' N'licaiaii, cxliiliils tlic ( uiiliiu'iilal iiiiprt.'ss in pns- 

 st'ssiiij,' tlic I'liaiactcr las( luciitiuiu'il. 



In all tliii sjiLrics IVniii tlir (Ircatrr Anlillcs and tlic |inrtinii of ( 'oi tinon- 



tal America west and directly soiilli 

 of lliis j,'rou]), there is a distinct ex- 

 tc riial wliitc patch at liase of ([uills ; 

 M Idle this disaiipears in the sjiecics of 

 tiiu Lesser Antilles and eiisturii South 

 Anieriea, or is only faintly trae.ealilu. 

 Aj^aiii, in the species of the Lesser 

 Antilles, wilh the disapin'a ranee of the 

 white win;,'-pateli, the j,'reater and niid- 

 ille \vin^f-eo verts show a faint ed^in,u; of 

 lijiliter, liy which, as well as hy the darker hack, they are distin^adslied I'loiii 

 their South Aiiieiican allii's. 



The slia]ie of the while patch at hase of thi^ (|uills on the outer weli liir- 

 iiishes, in eoniliiiuilion with the color of the throat, excelleiiL and p(!rniancnt. 

 sjK'cific characters. This in the Jamaican, ilaytfeii, and llahanian forms is 

 elonj^atcd, exteiidini,' };radiially and uniformly lieliind to the outer edge of 

 the ([uill, wliik^ in those of I'orto L'ico, St. Thomas, Cozuinel, and the Siaith 

 American species, where it exists, the posterior (uitlinu is nearly triiiisverse, 

 and only running out a little along outer web. 



As a general rule Soiitii American species have shorter tails than the 

 West Indian. 



It is a iiii'e ([iiestioii what are really s]pocies in tliis genus, and what merely 

 raci.'s or varieties ; hut it would proltalily ln' not far from correct to assume 

 that the various forms deserihed are simply nioditicatioiis of one jirimitive 

 s])eeies, jiroduced hy geographieal distribution and external jjliysical condi- 

 tions. In the foUowing diagnosis I shall treat all the varieties as oceujiying 

 tin; same rank, without attempting any discrimination. Altlaaigli but orie 

 of the.se belongs to the I'nited States, and that as a straggler from the Itaha- 

 nias, I give the talile of the whole, to show the interesting relationship be- 

 tween them. 



("oMMox Cii.M!.\('TKiis. Aliovc iliiskv-olivc Or lilnikisli; llic ninip oliviiccnus or 

 yellowish : thu liciul iiinl cliccks iil\v:iys Mack, mid soincliiiiis diiikcr tlinii liack. 

 ("hill and llnnal asiiy or lilack. fic^i nf iiiidcr part ycllnw, duller lichiiid. A 

 liroad while stripe I'lcnii liill ahove eyi' In nape. .V while patch at hase of pii- 

 Iliaiies : L'eliei'ally visihie extei'iially. soliM'tillies coiieealeil. I,ateral tail-l'eatheis 

 lip|ie(l with while. Hill lilai'k; k'f^s dusky. 



A. Head iiiiiliiiin in eoloi- wilh rest of upper parts: dark sooty-hrowii tir lilackish. 

 lioth welis of outer lail-li>atlicr tipped with white (except in liilfulii). All West 

 Indian exee)it Ik/i'dIh. which, however, occurs in Tohajjo ami Trinidad, and }ren- 

 urally heloiiL's to the shores of the Carrihuan Sea. 



1. A distinct and conspicuous external white patch at ba.se of prininries. 



Wiiiif-eoverts not iuarfj:iiieil with paler. 



