1548. The Zoologist — February, 1869, 



hands immediately after being procured, and I made a careful examina- 

 tion of the specimen before it was skinned. 



The following description and measurements of the bird were then 

 taken: — Length, six inches and a half; length of tail, about three 

 inches; wing, from carpus, nearly three inches; wings, when closed, 

 reaching to the extremity of the tail-coverts; irides hazel. Bill robust : 

 mandibles compressed at the tips, the upper, which is longest, being 

 hooked at the tip and darker in colour. From the nostril to the back 

 of the head there is a distinct line, which is of a rich yellow iu front 

 of the eye and a dull white behind it. Feathers on the crown of the 

 head reddish brown at the base, and rich brownish black at the tips, 

 divided by a medial whitish line; feathers on the shoulders rich bay 

 at the base and tipped with reddish brown, those on the back having 

 brighter tints and a longitudinal spot of black on the tips. Rump 

 olive-brown; chin white; breast dusk}'; under parts dirty white; 

 feathers on the sides somewhat darker along their shafts. Quills dusky ; 

 outer webs margined with white. First quill short; third, fourth and 

 fifth, about equal, and longest in the wing. First and sixth about 

 equal in length ; second, third, fourth and fifth quills abruptly cut 

 away on the outer webs. Secondaries emarginate, edged with ferru- 

 ginous on the outer webs. A double bar on the wings is formed by 

 tlie white tips of the greater and lesser wing-coverts, the line on the 

 smaller coverts being more conspicuous ; the first feather being yellow, 

 like the lower surl'ace of the wing shoulder. Tail dusky, straight, 

 consisting of twelve feathers, the outer webs being broad at the base, 

 while the inner webs are broad at the points. Tarsus seven-eighths of 

 an inch long; legs and toes robust; claws convex and sharp. 



Sex, female. The stomach contained grass, sand, seeds and 

 insects. 



Variation. — On comparing the specimen described above with a 

 male from New Brunswick, forwarded to me by the Society's secretary, 

 and with other specimens obligingly lent to me by Professor Nicol of 

 Marischal College, I find a slight difference in the bills — the sinus of 

 the upper mandible being more or less distinct. The colours of the 

 male in the New Brunswick specimen are not nearly so bright as those 

 of the specimens belonging to the College Museum here,* the latter 

 being, moreover, distinguished by having the whole throat mapped off 



* These specimens were presented to ibe Museum by Audubon, and are labelled 

 in the handwriting ot the late I'roi'cssor Macgillivray. 



