SCO iSUHTIl AMERICAN BIRDS. 



Contopus virens, \ar. richardsoni, Haird. 



SH0RT-L£GO£D FEWEE ; WESTEBN WOOD FEWEE. 



Tiimniuiht rii-lttd-ilsoiii, Swai.nsun, ]•'. Bor.-Ain. II, 1831, 14(), plate. Miixcicapa rkhard- 

 .idiii, Aui). Oiii. liioj,'. V, 1S.J9, •2111), |il. cLi'cxxxiv. Tynimiuht jiliabc, Hon. List, 

 isass, 2-t. .ynni'icii/iii p/iu:bi; At Dilio.N, Syiiojihis, isyi), 42. — II). Biid.s Am. I, 1840, 

 ■Jill, (il. l,\i (not of Latii.v.m). Ti/niiiniis ji/nrbc, Nuttai.i,, Man. I, (2(1 cd.,) 1840, 

 ;U!i. 'riiraiinitsa/riirjis, D'Onnicw (lidc (!. li. (iUay). Contopus rklmrilsoni, Baiisd, 

 Biids X. Am. 1858, ISil. — S(i,.vn;it, Catal. 18t>2, 231. — (,'ooi'Kii, Orn. L'al. I, 1870, 

 325. Ch^'fupHs xitnlidulus, Scl-AlKl!, Catal. 18ti2, 231. Contopus p/cbiiu.i, (Cabas.) 

 Scl.ATKl!, Cat. 181)2, 231. Contopus bmjotciisis, (Bu.NAP.) Sci.ATEK, 1'. Z. S. 1858, 459. 

 {Tiintnnula b. Bo.NAr. Conii). Uciid. \i. li)(i.) 



Sp. Ciiah. GLMicral a])|H'aniiico of f. rirei:s. Bill bidad. Wini,'.s voiy long and much 

 pointed, considc'i-alily oxcuudin;^ the tail ; st'cond (piill l(inj:(.'st; tliird a little .^lioiter; first 

 shorter than fourth, and about midway between distance from second to fifth (GO of 

 an inch). I'riiniiries 1.20 inches longer than secondaries. Tail moderately forked. 

 Above dark olive-brown (the head duiker) ; tiie entire breast and sides of head, neck, 

 and liody of a paler shade of the .siinc, tinycin<r strongly also the dull whitish throat and 

 chin. Alidomen and under tail-coveils dirty pale-ydlowish. Quills and tail dark 

 biaekish-browii ; the .secondaries narrowly, liie terlials more broadly edged witii wliitish. 

 Two quite indistinct bands of brown i.sh-wliito across the wing.s. Lower mandible yellow ; 

 the tip brown. Length. (i.20 ; wing, 3.05; tail, 3.10. 



Had. High central dry plains to the Pacific; Rio (irandc Valley, soutjiward to Jlexico; 

 Labrador (Ai-Di-iioN). Localities: Orizaba, Ouateina'a, Col)an (Rci-. Ciital. 1S02, 231); 

 Costa Rica (Law li. IX, llo); .Matamoras, Texas (Duk.sskh, Ibis, 180"), 474, breeds); San 

 Antonio, Texas (Duksseh, one spec); W. Arizona (Colks, P. A. N. S. 18GG, Gl). 



This s]iecios lias a very clo.so relationsliip to C. rii-cns, aoreeiiig with it in 

 general shape (if wings and in color. The wings are, however, still longer 

 and more ])oiiitod : the primaries e.xceeding the .secondaries ))y nearly 1.2ij 

 inches. The iiroportidiis of the (piills are netirly the same in l)otli ; the 

 primaries, too, are siinihirly a little cniarginated or attenuated towards the 

 end. The tail is rather more deejily forked, the feathers liroader. The 

 hills are similar; the feet are larger and stouter. 



The g(,'iieral colors are almost precisely the same. The outer primaiT, 

 however, lacks the decidedly white margin. The under ])arts are much 

 darker anteriorly, the entire hreast being nciarly a uniform olive-brown, but 

 little paler than the back; the throat, to(j, in .some specimens, being sctircely 

 ]ialer. Tlun-e is little or none of the pale suljihur yellow of C. virnin on the 

 abdomoi, and the under wing-coverts and a\illaries are much darker oli\a- 

 ceous. In C. rirois the middle line of the breast is always paler than the 

 sides, or at Ica.st the connecting space is short. 



The lower mandible is geiiernlly yellow ; in a few specimens, however, it 

 is (piite dusky, csjieciidly on its terminal half. 



The young bird bus tlie darker hetid and brondcr light edgings, with the 

 fcrniginoiis tinge on the wing-markings, usually seen in young of the 

 Ti/f((ii)iidus. 



