iCTERlD.r. — THE UlUOLKS. 



173 



\viiig-i-('Vcrts coiicdloi- with the wiii;.^s (inslciul nl' very ilci-idiidlv 

 moiv bluish;; Muck liuis ..I' Icitials mid tail-luiitlicrs clciiii, n:irn)\v, 

 mid isohilcd. WliiU; of sides, liaiii<s, uiid crissmii nearly imi-e. 

 lldh. Wesieiii Uiiitod States and Western Mexien . var. neijlcctd. 



In mnfina iiml luy/n/a, tin. leatliors of tlie pectoral crescent are generally 

 lilaek to the liase, their roots beiii-,' j^rayisli-wliito ; one speciiueu ol' the 

 Ibrnier, iKJwevor, irom Xorth Carolina, has the roots of the I'etitliers yellow, 

 lorhulchng the aiiiioiiiicoiiient of this as a (iistinguisliiiij,' cliaracter ; nu.nmna 

 may have tlie liases oi' these leathers either yellow or grayish ; while kippu- 

 crepis has only the tips of tlie feathers black, the \\hole concealed portion 

 being bright yellow. 



In mr.rintnd , there is more of an approach to an orange tint in the yellow 

 than is usnally seen in mwjna, but specimens from Georgia have a tint not 

 distinguishable ; in both, however, as well as in hipiwcrepis, there is a deeper 

 yellow tluu) in ^m/lerfa, in whicli tlie tint is more citreous. 



As regards the bars on tertials and tail, tliere is considerable variation. 

 Sometimes in either of the species o])posed to ney/ccta by tliis character 

 there is a tendency to their isolation, seen in the last few toward tlie ends 

 of the feathers ; Init never is there an approach to that regularity seen in 

 neglecta, in whicli they arc isolated uniforinly everywhere they occur. Two 

 specimens only (.H.OlU California and 1(),:UG l>end)ina) in the entire series 

 of ncijlcdn show a tendency to a blending of these biirs on the tail. 



Maipia, maricf.na, mcridioini/ix and hippoercpix, are most similar in colora- 

 tion; lu'iili'da is most dissimilar comiiared with any of the others. Though 

 each possesses peculiar characters, they arc only of degree ; for in the most 

 widely ditterent forms (nci/hrUi and vif.nrmia) tliere is not the sli-htest 

 departure from the pattern of coloration ; it is only a matter of extension or 

 restriction of the several colors, or a certain one of them, that produces the 

 differences. 



_ Kach modilication of plumage is attended liy a still greater one of jiro- 

 portion.s, as will be seen from the diagnoses ; thus, thoiigh iin//<Tfa is the 

 largest of the grou|), it has actually tlie smallest legs and feet ; with nearly 

 the same general proportions, iiKfi/nu exceeds it in the latter respects 

 (esjiecially in tlie bill), while mcrinnKi, a very much smalh'r liird liiaii 

 either, has disi)roportionaliy and absolutely larger legs and feet united with 

 the smallest si/c otherwise in the whole .series. Mcriiliunuliti presents no 

 differences from the last, except in pro|i(n'tions of bill and feet; for wh-ile 

 the latter is the smallest of the series, next to na/lrrta, it has a bill much 

 exceeding that of any other. 



The inarlcings of the upper plumage of the young or even winter birds 

 are different in pattern from those of the adult; the tendency being toward 

 the peculiar features of the adult iici/lrrfa ; the various species iu these 

 stages being readily distinguisiialilc, however, by the general characters 

 assigned. Mexkana and luy/cda are both in proportions and colors the 



