o2 



AI-TltI(l.\r. (ilt.M.LAToKKH IlKUoDIONEiy. 



the iwiiif. Hill li^jlilir-niloivil tlniii in lin' iniuli, iliill KiwiiNh iiri'vuilliiff, only the niliiiL'ii ilunky, 

 the ItiMiT iiiaiiilililr iiiii>ily pall- ycllowisii ; !«•>;■< ami Irii iliill j^ici'iiith ycllnw or ulivjuciiUH. 



licii^'ili, uliniii i:>.(K»-l!».(H»; ixiiaiiKi', i':i.tKi-J7.<H), Wtixlil, (U imiihi'h (Ai im iio.v). \Vii% 

 (l.:t<>-H.(N) ; tail, :i 4<»-:i.4(i; I'liliiiL'ii, ^.(Ni-2>Vi ; iK'iilli uf bill, .KKIH); tul>tu^ 1.75-2.10; middlv 

 tipf, l.(;.VI.!(,'> ; Imiv |"iilii(ii iiriilda, .7<i-.)«'. 



Till' iaiij,'t' 111' iinli\iiliial vaiialicm in ilii'< N|icri( •< in viiy ((mHiiU'iiililc, hh fai' uh ilinu'iiMiouH iirc 

 coiu'criifil ; liiit tix' ciirvfiil iiifaKiiii'iiifiit nt' a lai;,'i- m'l'iui* uf rt{ii-i'iiuL'tm tuiuli« to luovt- that tlit- viiria- 

 tioii ill tliii i('>iicrl i-i a |iiiiv!y imliv idiial (nn'. T\h; laip'st ."iMTimni in a xfrir-* ul' almnl loity i* 

 one t'i'iiiii (lie |>iliiiiii-> III' T('liuaiiti'|i<'r, Mcxiiii, jiii>l till' niiiallcMl it Iroiii I'miii Itiin.' As tn dilurs, 

 tlif (laikc^il ami i'ii'lii-Nt-|iliiiiiah'>'<l i'xaiii|iii' in llii' whole ni-ricH iit No. •2'>'.)''.), Itm ki'nril, lllimiis, 

 in whii'li llii' aliiliiini'ii is ■•11 stMiii^ly wa.^lii'il with dark rusty as not to dH'ci' any iiiaiki'd runtrast 

 to the iiiariiiiii III' till' jn^'uinnj ; tlic rnlm's ci^'whcr)' arc i|uitu mniual, tlmn^^li a litlli' darkri' and 

 richiT than usual. In s|i<'riiii('iis whirh have the R'athciH iiiuic advancud in a^'c, the lanri-nlatd 

 liluiiifs of the hack liwf the chalky III' Kliiiinms cast which distiii;,'nishcs these leathers when the 

 pliinm^u is mure recently aci|niivd, and assume a moru or less iinil'orin liron/y hue. The ludest- 

 coliiicd adult s|ieciinen i-< Nil, l!(.'»:il, Saciiiinentii, Calirornia (.(uiie In), which has tiie neck lij,dit 

 riiiiianion-rul'iius, in.-tead of rich [iiiriilish chestnut or niaruon, the lower jiarts very pale ash-j,'ray, 

 the n-mif^es and iiriiiiary-covertH very coiiHpicuously tijiiied with tieHccntic marks of luiro white, 

 and tin- iiliiinaj;!' ^'cnerally jiale and dull Another speciiueii killed at the same locality was 

 similar. The |K'culiarities presented liy these liirds, however, appear to lie the result of a sim|)le 

 bleachiii;,', caused hy the excessividy dry and hot climate which prevails continuously in that locality 

 for one half the year ; while the white lips to the remises and priinaiy-coverls are no douht rem- 

 nants of the immature pluiiia;^'e, since they may 1k^ seen, thi)Uj,di xfu'i'dly they mv smaller, in 

 specimens which otherwise have assumed the adult livery. Exce|itin^' the examples above noted, 

 no variations worthy of tin,' least mention can be detected in the series before us. 



The (Jrecii Ilcroii i.s ii coniiuoii ami almiidiuit Hpccics tlirout^hout tlu' United States, 

 frctiii Jraiiie to Orefjoii, ami in the interuir extends its niif,'ratinns into Canada, being 

 found, ai'cortliiij,' to .Mr. Melhvraitli, near llainilton. where, however, it is ijiiite rare. 

 It occur.s near Niagara Falls, as I have its eggs from Druiunioiidville, Ontario. Mr. 

 Ihiardman informs us that it is eoninioii along the more western |iortion of the coast of 

 Maine, it is found at Calais, altlnuigh not eommoii there. It is quite rare in New 

 Brunswick, but abundant throughout the United States, in favorable localities, both 

 on the Atlantic and the I'acitic coasts. It is resident in all the West India Islands 

 and ill Central America, and is a freiiueiit visitant of the Herinudas. It is also 

 found in the northern regions of South America. ]Mr. J. A. Allen met with it in 

 Western Kansas, near Fort Hays. Mr. llidgway observed it in tin; vicinity of Sacra- 

 mento City, where it was (jnite eominon among the willows bordering the sloughs, and 

 around t.'iu stagnant ikuuIs; he did not notice it in the interior. Jlr. Dresser found 

 it quite common, breeding on all the large rivers in the scnitliwesteni ])()rtion of 

 Texas. Dr. Cooper mentions it as eomiuon in (Jalifornia throughout the snnimer, 

 and probably in Oregon also. A few winter in the southern portion of the former 

 State, but most of them migrate farther south, returning northward about the middle 

 of April. This bird chiefly frequents the banks of such running streams as are 

 wooded, and the borders of jxinds, and when startled, it usually flies along the stream 



1 The extreme nieasurpnients arc as follows : — 



Liircest. Sniallost. 



Wing : 57877, from Tehuantcpcc, 8.00 ; (i032i), from Porto IJico, 6.30. 

 Tail: " " " 3.30 ; 73069, " " " 2.40. 



Culmcn: 55570, Ft. Macon, N.C., 2.55 ; 730G0& 00.320, " " 2.08. 



Tarsus • f ^^*'^' '^"'* ^""'^' '^""•'"'^' ^-l^- nn<l l fioi29 " •' 1 75 

 ^"""^ ■ 1 31887. Manzanillo B,,y, W. Mcx., 2.15 \ ^^^^^' ^•'^' 



Middle toe : 71221, City of Mexico, 1.5)5 ; 00320, 1..55. 



