STRIGTD.E — THE OAVLS. 



63 



Etrhn virsiniiiniis. 



ci-esront of Hack lionlcrini,' tlu; iipptT .'ycliil, nnd conllucnt with tlic I'lack of tlio car- 

 tiifcs. Facial circle cDiitinuons black, except across tlio Ibioneck ; chin, throat, and 

 iujrnlmii pun- iiimiacnlate 

 white, to the roots ol' the 

 feathers. Beneath, white 

 prevails, Imt the yellowish- 

 nilim- is prevalent on the 

 sides of tln! breast, and 

 show;, as the base color 

 wherever the feathers are 

 (lisurrani,'eil. The sides of 

 the breast, sides, and Hanks 

 liave numerous sharply 

 defined narrow transverse 

 bars of brownish-lilack ; 

 anteriorly these are liner and more ragged, becoming coalesced so as to form conspicuous, 

 somewhat longitudinal, black spots. On the lower tail-coverts the bars are distant, though 

 not less sharjjly defined. The abdomen medially is scarcely maculate white. Legs and 

 toes plain ochraceous-white. 



Wing-fornnda, •2,3-4-1, 5. Wing. U.oO : tail, 8.20 ; culmen, 1.10; tar.sus, 2.00; 

 middle toe, 2.00. 



9 (12. (»()."), Maryland; R. J. Pollard). General ajipearance same as the male. Black 

 blotiihes on head above and nape less conspicuous, the surface being mottled like the 

 back. etc. ; primary coverts with three well-delined narrow pin-e black bands ; primaries 

 with only six band.s, these broader than in the male ; seconilaries with only five bands ; 

 tail with br.t si.x dark bands, these very much narrower than the light ones. Tibiic and 

 tarsi with sparse transverse bars of dusky. Wing-formu'a, :!, 2, 4 - 1 = 5. Wing, 10.00; 

 tail, 9 00; euimeu, 1.20; tar.sus, 2.20; middle toe, 2.10. 



YoiiiKj. Wings and tail as in adult. Downy plumage of head and body oehraceons, 

 with detached, ratlu^r distant, transverse bars of dusky. (12,0(i2, Wa.shington, D. C, 

 May 20. 1859; C. Drexler.) 



Il.vn. Eastern North America, south of Labrador ; west to the Missouri; south through 

 Atlantic region of Me.\ico to Costa Rica; Jamaica (Gossk). 



Localities: (?) Oaxaca (Sci.. ISoO, 390; po.ssiblj' var. ardicus); Guatemala (Srr,. Ibis, 

 I. 222) : .lamaiea (Gosse. 23) ; Texas (Dhksser, Ibis, 18Go, 330, breeds) ; Costa Rica 

 (Lawh. IX, 132). 



Specimens from the re<i;ioiis indicated vary but little, tlie only two jwssess- 

 ini; differences of any note being one (58,747,' $) from Soutliern Illinoi.s, 

 and one (.'?3,218, San Jose; J. Carniiol) from Costa liica. The first differs 

 from all tliose from the eastern United States in much dee])er and dtirker 

 siiades of color, the rufons preilominant below, the legs and crissv.ni being 

 of (|uito a deep shade of this color ; the transverse bars benetitii are also 

 very broad and pure bhick. This specimen is more like Audubon's figure 

 thiin any other, and may possibly represent the pecidiar style of the T.ower 

 Mississippi region. The Costa Kica bird is remarkable for the predomi- 

 nance of the rufous on all parts of the plumage ; tlie legs, however, are 



> No. 559, collection of 1{. Ridgway ($, Mt. Cnrmcl, Wabash County, Soutliern Illinois, Oc- 

 tober 14, 1869). 22.\ - 54. Weight, 3.^ lbs. ; bill black ; iris gamboge-yoUow ; toes ashy ; claws 

 Iiorii-color, black at ends. 



