340 NOinil AMIOKIOAN UlUDB. 



luw II liiiigiT tiirsiis and a (liflcicnt style of coloriition. The species are dis- 

 tin;^'uislR'd as Ibllows : — 



8. uigrioaiiB. Suoty liluuk ; aliduiiit'ii ami cil^ru ul' oiiiui' web ut' lateral 

 liiil-li'niliiT piiri' wliilt'. . 



(t. LoWLT tail-uovi'its piiie white. 



Greater wing-coverts paler toward lips ul' outer wehs. Wing, 

 3.00; tail, 3.4.'). Hub. I'acilie I'loviiieo, liiiteil States, niid M(^x- 

 ifi) .......... var. n i (J r icitnii. 



b. Lowiu- tnil-coverts blaekisli. 



Qrcatcr I'overts not appreciably paler ul cmls. Wing, 3.35; tail, 

 3.30. llab. Middle America, north of Panama . vav. aqnalic im,^ 



Uoth rows of wing-coverts distinctly tipped with white; white 



edging!* of secondaries very eonspieiious. Wing, 3.35; tail, 3.30. 



Hah. New Granada; Venezuela . . . var. cinernnccns^^ 



S. fusouB. Orayish-olive above, ami on sides ofbn.'ast; beneath (including 



tiu-oai) wliile, tinged with sul|)hur-yelIow. Wing, 3.40; tail, 3.'J0. Hah. 



Eastern Province Uniteil States ; Eastern Mexico. 



S. sayus. Urowiiish-ashy, the tail and upper tail-eovorts black ; abdomen 

 and crissuni deep ochraceous. Hub. Western Province of United States, 

 and whole of Mexico. 



Sayomis nigricans, P.onap. 



BLACK FEWEE. 



Tijrannula -nigrieam, Swainson, Syn. liiids SIe.\. Taylor's rail. Mag. I, 1827, 3G7. — 

 NF.wnF.nitv, Zoiil. Cal. k Or. Uoule, licp. P. II. R. Surv. VI, iv, 1857, 81. Miuicicaprt 

 viijn'aDts, Ain. Orn. Itiog. V, 1839, 302, pi. cccclxxiv. — In. Bink Am. I, 1840, 

 218, jil. Ix. Tiimnnm vUjriatns, Nittam-, Man. I, (2d pd.,) 1840, 320. ^fl/iohius 

 viririaiiin, OliAV. Mjiinn-hus niijricinis, ('AliANis, Tschudi Fauna IVruaii. 1844-46, 

 1.13 (I'fiu). Sai/nmi.i nigricnns, IJoxap. f'omptes liendus XXVIII, 1854, notes Orn. 

 87. — lUiKii, riirdsX. Am. 1858, 183. — IIeek.m. X, S, 38. — CoorEii, Orn. Cal. 1, 

 1870, 3iy. AiilaiKix niriricitii.i, f.'AnA.Nis, C'nb. Journ. fiir Ornith. IV, .Ian. 185G, 2 

 (tyiM' of genus). — lu. M. II. 11, 68. Musciciqia sciiiUitrti, Vkioks, Zoul. IVccliey 

 Voy. 1839, 17. 



' Sin/oriiis niijrimns, var. (iqiititlcii.i. Saijorni.i aqwttkh.t, Sci.ATKU & .Sai.vin, Ibis, 1859, 

 p. 119 ((iuatcmala). 



- iSin/iinii.i iiiijricnii.i, vnr. ciiicroccn.i. ftniinriiis ^liicraeca, Lafh. I?ov. Zoiil. 1848, p. 8. — 

 Scl,. Ciital. Am. Birds, 1862, 200. The above race.'- are clearly shown to be merely modifieations, 

 with latitude, of one type, by the series of sj)eeimcns before us. Thus, specinu'iis of S. niijri- 

 cans fiom Orizaba show more or less tlusky on the lower tail-eoverts, while in more northern 

 .specimens (i. e. typical var. iihjricuiis) there is not a trace of it. Tyiiical s|ieciinens of aqmtticna, 

 from Oiiateniala, show merely a more advanced melanism, the lighter markings on the wings 

 becoming greatly restricted ; there is still, however, a decided presence of white on the lower 

 tail-coverts, .'^lucimens from Costa Itica (typical aqititt icus) exhibit the maximum degree of 

 nndanism, the white beneath being confuicd to a central spot on the abdomen. In cineraccus 

 (from New Oranada) the white beneath is similarly restricted, but on the wings is very coii- 

 siiicuous, showing a reversion back to the character of nigricans, though surpassing the latter 

 in the amount of white on tla? coverts and secondaiies. 



The ,V. /ii/imstris (.lnhniiu- L Cah. k Hf.is. Mas. Ilein. ii, p. 68 ; Sdi/oniis 1. ^c\.. Cat. Am. 

 H. 1862, 200), from Kcuador, we have m)t seen. It is probably also refembic to tlu; same type. 



