10 



was taken at Arden, Man., on Sept. 

 8, 1900; this bird was alone on a 

 pond and was shot for a gull. On 

 June 14, 1897, I received a piebald or 

 partially albino kingbird which had 

 the white feathering scattered over 

 the entire plumage, and the normally 

 white flanks streaked with grayish. 

 This specimen is now in the collec- 

 tion, of Mr. J. H. Ames, of Toronto. 

 On Oct. 6, 1903, I received a robin in 



Piebald Robin. 



a similar plumage, taken at Yorkton, 

 Assa. It has a plentiful sprinkling 

 of the white feathers over the entire 

 plumage, and presents much of a har- 

 lequin appearance. These partial al- 

 bino phases I fancy would revert to 

 the normal plumage at the first moult. 



SOME MELANISTIC PLUMAGES. 



Converse to albinistic color phases 

 we find melanistic phases among 

 some forms due to a melanic or black 

 deposit in the outer layers of the 

 skin producing a black plumage or 

 fur. Like albinism it may not be 

 permanent, and specimen, m=iy after 

 first moult or change of hair revert to 

 tb<\ nomal color. This color phase is 

 amon^ birds most regularly noticed 

 among the hawks. I have in several 



instances examined melanistic plum- 

 ages of Swainson's hawk (Buteo 

 Swainsonii) and the rough-legged 

 hnwk (Archibuteo laqopus sanciti- 

 johannis), with the latter species it is 

 quite a common color phase. With 

 Swainson's hawk the darkest specimen 

 I have handled in Manitoba was col- 

 lected at Portage la Prairie, on Sept. 

 29, 1898, and was a young male bird. 



Swainson's Hawk. 

 Buteo Swainsonii — Melanistic Plumage. 



On April 13, of 1899, another black 

 specimen was brought in from the 

 same locality, but closer examination 

 showed it to be a female (Buto . bor- 

 ealis) red tailed hawk, and much larg- 

 er than Swainson's. Whil^ on Mav 

 30, of the same year, one of the boys 

 of the town secured and brought me 

 a very fine black male broad-winged 



