516 NORTH AMERICAN BUiDS. 



crimson and the dark lirowii base of the feathers. The brown nasal tuft is 

 scarcely diUcrcnt from tiie I'eatliers of the forehead. 



In a large series of specimens of this species, from a M'ide area of distribution, 

 considerable diH'erences are appreciable in size, but fewer in coloration than 

 niiglit be expected. Yucatan birds are the least {Pkus parriis, ('abut ; «(//((- 

 tus, Cassin), the wing measuring '^^^() inclies. Tliose from Southern Mexico 

 are but little larger (wing, li.lid). In Northern Mexico the wing is nearly 

 4 inches; in New Mexico it is 4.i50. The markings vary but little. The black 

 and wliite bauds on the back are about of ecpial width, liut sometimes one, 

 sometimes the other, appeal's the larger ; the more eastern have, perhaps, liic 

 most white. The pattern on the tail is tpiite constant. Thus, assuming tlie 

 three outer featliers to be white, banded with black, the outermost may be 

 said to have seven transverse bars of black, of which the termiiuil four 

 (sometimes five) are distinct and perfect, tlie basal three (or two) confiuent 

 into one on the inner web (the extreme base of the feather wiiite). The 

 next feather has, perhaps, the same number of dark bands, but here only 

 two (sometimes three) are continuous and com])lete ; the innermost united 

 together, the outer showing as scallops. The third feather has no continuous 

 bands (or only one), all the inner portions being fused ; the outer mere scal- 

 lops, sometimes an oblic^ue edging ; generally, however, the intersi)aces of 

 the dark bands are more or less distinctly traceable tlirough their dusky suf- 

 fusion, especially on the inner web of the outer feather. The number of free 

 bands thus varies slightly, but the general pattern is the same. Tiiis condi- 

 tion prevails in nearly all the specimens before us from Yucatan and Mexico 

 (in only one specimen from Arizona, and one or two i'rom Tcxa.s), and is 

 probably the typical scalaris of Wagler. 



In specimens from the Iiio CJi-ande and across to Arizona the seven bands 

 of the outer feather are frequently continuous and complete on both webs 

 to the base, a slight suffusion only indicating the tendency to union in tlie 

 inner web. The otlier feathers are much as described, except tliat the white 

 interspaces of the lilack scallops penetrate deeper towards the siiaft. This 

 is perhaps the race to which the name of P. hiirdi has been applied. We do 

 not fiiid, however, any decided reduction in the amount of red on the ante- 

 rior portion of the liead, as stated for this species (perhaps it is less continu- - 

 ous towards the front), except in immature birds ; young females jiossibly 

 losing the immature red of the crown, as with typical scalaris. 



A tliird type of tail-marking is seen in specimens ironi the Pacific coast, 

 and from the Ties Marias especially ; also in some skins from Southwestern 

 Arizona. Here tlie extreme forehead is black, with white spots ; the red of 

 the crown not so continuous anteriorly even as in the last-mentioned race. 

 The general ])attern of tail is as described, and the bars on tiie inner webs 

 are also confiuent to^ "ds the liase, but we have only two or three trans- 

 verse bars at the end it the outer feathers ; the rest of outer web entirely 

 white, this color also invading the inner. The second feather is similarly 



