510 AI'l'ENDIX. 



the winter iiliiiimge, while the red is at the sumo time miicli intensified, induces ns 

 to modify our views exiiressod on i)iige.s 504, ;")().5, in regard to Mr. Allen's (-'olorudo 

 specimens, and to rej.'in-d them as representing a race which must have the head 

 dusky (it (til xednoii'. and tiat a seasonid phase of var. te/i/iramlifi. The winter 

 plumage i)rol)al)ly tlitfers from that descriiied above only in the red heing of a soft, 

 rather dilute, rosy tint, instead of a harsh liright carmine ; the hill is also proba- 

 bly yellow in winter, since in the i)reeding specimens of (/rixciimv/id from Alaska 

 the bill is lilack, while in winter examples it is yellow, with only the point dusky. 

 A series of seven fine specimens sent in by Mr. J. 11. ISatty, the naturalist of 

 Dr. Hayden's expt'dition, confirm the validity of this fia-m, and even so much as 

 Migiri'st to us the possiliility of its eventually proving a distinct species, more 

 nearly related to A. Iiniinieiitnch't than to L. ti/i/irucolix. Tiiey were c<illected on 

 some one of the iiigh peaks of Colorado, but as Mr. IJatty's notes have not come 

 to hand we cannot tell which. The specimens are all males, and resendile Mr. 

 Allen's specimens, except that they are pei-haps moi-e highly colored. 'J'hey all 

 have the t/tnxi/ tinged with carmine, and in some the tinge is very deep, — on one 

 extending over the whole breast and throat, up to the cheeks and bill. We hope 

 to learn soon from Mr. Batty some interesting details regarding this series. 



Centronyz bairdi (I, r)."?!). The past year has been a remarkably fortunate 

 one fta* our knowledge of this species, and, owing to the investigations of Mr. C. 

 E. Aiken, Dr. Cones, and Mr. J I. W. Henshaw, it cannot now be classed among the 

 rare birds of our country ; the total ninnber of si)eciniens collected by these gentle- 

 men amounting to more than one hundre<l. The first exanii)le — the second one 

 then known — was collected by .Mr. Aiken in I'll I'aso County, Colorado, October 9, 

 1872, and, being in the soft autuumal ])lumage, appeared to be so di.stinct from the 

 type that, after a careful com])ari.sou of the two specimens, Mr. Ridgway wrote Mr. 

 Aiken that it was in his opinion diil'erent, and accompanied his letter b}- a com- 

 parative diagnosis of the two supposed species. The Colorado specimen was then 

 described in the .\merican Naturalist (Vol. VJI. .Vpril, 1873, p. 23(1) as Coifroni/r 

 oc/ir(ir<'ji/i(iliis, AiKKX. On the Gth of May, 1873, Mr. Aiken obtained another 

 specimen at the same locality ; and this one, being forwarded to Mr. Uidgway for 

 comparis(ai, proved to be so decidedly intermediate between the ty]>os of C. l/ainli 

 and C. "ochfocrp/uiliin" that they immediately suggested the probability of their 

 being seasonal stages of one species, — 6'. fxtlrdi ix-presenting the very fiided and 

 much abratled midsmnmer dress ; C. ocltrorep/m/its being the autumnal di'ess, 

 probably of a young l)ird, with the pattern of coloi-ation distinct, and the colors 

 soft and deep ; and the May specimen the spring plumage, just intermediate be- 

 tween the two others. 



During the past summer (1873) Dr. Cones collected about seventy specimens along 

 the northern border of Dakota, from just west of the Pend)ina Mountains to the 

 second crossing of the Mouse lliver. The\' frequented the open prairie exclusively, 

 associating in vast nund)ers with Xcorori/s sprai/iiei and P/irtr<ij>hiiiif.i oriintiis, these 

 three being the most abundant and characteristic birds of the ])rairie. I'y the 

 middle of July young birds were already oliserved ; and, ecpially young ones being 

 taken in the middle of August, it is presumed that two broods were raised. The 

 splendid suite of specimens brought in by Dr. ('ones compri.ses both adult and 



