FALCUNIUvK - THE l-'ALCONy. 



147 



arc yoiitij,' males inmilting, scatteved I'e.itliei's appearing on the upper parts 

 indicatiny the I'uture blue plumage. 



Vnr. Micklryi, llinowAT 

 BLACK HESLIN. 



Sp. Ciiah. a miniatiin^ of F. /lorcgriuiis, Viir, jicali'l. Aliovo, iinilbrm fiiliginous-Mnck, 

 the S('(:<)iulai'i<'s and tail-l'catliois vt'iy narrowly luit sharply lipiu'd willi white, and the 

 priniaiii's pa^sini,' into whitisli on thi'ir tciininal inaijjin ; nnclial icf^non with conccalt'd 

 spotting- (il pall' rusty oi- (linj.'y whitish. Hciicath, lonjrilndinally striped with fnlijfinous- 

 hlack, (irdark sooty-hrown, and pale oehfaeeons; the former |iredoniinatin^' on the hivast, 

 tlie latter [irevailinj,' on the throat and anal reijion. Sides and Hanks nearly iniifonn 

 dusky, with roundish wdiite .spots on both webs; lower tail-coverts with a broad satritlato 

 spot of dusky on eaeh leather. Lininfr of the wiiif,' fuliginous-dusky, with sparse, small 

 roundish .spots of while. Inner webs of |)riniaries plain dusky, without spots, or else 

 with them only liiintly indicated. Tail plain diisky-lilaek, narrowly tipped with white, 

 and without any bands, or else; with them only liiinlly indicated. 



Mali; (No. 4,477, Shoalwater ]Jay, Washin^fton Territory ; .1. G. Cooper). \\"m<^, 7.35; 

 tail. 5.2."); euhnen, .50; tarsus, 1.30; middle toe, l."25. 



Female (\o. 5,83'J, Fort, Steilacooiu, Washington Territory, Septendier, 1850; Dr. 

 George Suckley). Wing, 8.50 ; tail, 5.70 ; eulmen, ..55 ; tarsus, 1.02; middle toe, l.,35. 



II.Mi. Coast region of Northern California, Oregon, and Washington Territory (prob- 

 ably northward to Alaska). I'ngt't Sound, Steilacooiu, Yreka, California (Out.), and 

 Shoalwater Bay {Xationul Mnxenin). 



The plumage of this race is the chief point wherein it difiers from the 

 other forms of the species ; and in its peculiarities we find just what should 

 1)0 e.\])ected from the Oregon region, merely representmg as it does the melan- 

 istic condition so frequently ol),scrval)le in birds from the northwest coast. 



The up])er parts are unicolored being continuous bLjickish-plumbeous I'rom 

 head to tail. The tail is tipped with wliite, but the burs are very iaintly 

 indicated, being in No. 4,4'JO altogether wanting, wliile in 'll;c,'.V.\ they can 

 scarcely be discovered, and only four are indicated ; in the others there is 

 the usual number, but they are very obsolete. In No. 4,41)9, the most 

 extreme example, the sjiots on the niner webs of the ]irimaries are also 

 wanting ; the sides of the head are very thickly streaked, the black i)redonn'- 

 nating, leaving the suiierciliary stripe ill-defined; the throat is streaked, 

 and the other dark markings beneath are so exaggerated that they cover all 

 portions, and give the jjrevailing color ; the under tail-coverts have broad 

 central cordate black spots. 



Another specimen from this region (4,470, Puget Sound) is similar, but the 

 spots on primaries are conspicuous, as in examples of the typical style ; 

 indeed, except in the most extreme cases, these spots will always be found 

 iiulicated, leading us to the unavoidable conclusion that the specimens in 

 question represent merely the ftdiginous condition of the common species ; 

 not the condition of melanism, but the ])eculiar darkened jdumage charac- 

 teristic of many birds of the northwest coast, the habitat of the present 



