466 



BIRDS OF ILLINOIS. 



Hab. Eastern border of the Great Plains, from Minnesota to central Texas. 



Sp. Char. Third to fifth quill longc't. the first always shorter than seventh (some- 

 time shortest); four outer auills with inner webs distinctly omarginated. Tarsus less 

 than twiee as long as middle toe. Adult. Tail rufous, paler (sometimes whitish) at tip, 

 and usually, crossed by a subterminal narrow band of black, often with more or less dis- 

 tinct indications of other narrow bars. Upper parts blackish brown (sometimes much 

 mixed with white), nearly uniform on the back, elsewhere broken by more or less of 

 paler transverse barring and spottine. Occipital feathers pure white at the base, but 

 feathers of nape edged with dull rufous. Wings with indistinct lighter grayish brown 

 bands, the tips of the remiges distinctly paler. Lower parts varying from nearly pure 

 white, with few dark spots across the abdomen, to almost uniform blackish brown. Un- 

 der surface of primaries plain white anterior to theiremarginations. Young. Tail gray- 

 ish brown, crossed by 9 or 10 narrow but usually sharply defined bands of blackish; 

 colors otherwise much as in the adults but with less rufous. 



The above characters cover the extreme variations in the plum- 

 age of this species that have come under my notice. The species 

 varies not only to a great extent individually, but also geographi- 

 cally, a peculiar style of plumage prevailing in separate geographical 

 areas of the country. The following geographical races are fairly 

 well defined : 



A. Never with dusky or rufous prevailing on lower parts; tail of adult usually with 

 only one continuous dusky bar, sometimes with none. 



o. borealis. Upper parts with dark brownish largely prevailing; abdomen and 

 flank with conspicuous dusky spots. Tail deep rufous, usually with a dis- 

 tinct subterminal bar of black. 



y3. krideri. Upper parts with much white spotting; lower parts almost wholly 

 white, with little or no dark spotting on abdomen and flanks. Tail Ught rufous, 

 usually without a subterminal bar. 



B. Frequently wt'i rufous or dusky prevailing on lower parts. Tailof adult frequently 



with indications of numerous bars. 



y. oalnms. Earely but little darker than 6orea!is; usually much darker, and not 

 unfrequently almost uniform blackish brown. 



a. borealis. 

 Sp. Chak. Adult. Upper parts rich blackish brown, approaching black on the 

 back; scapulars and middle wine coverts edged and barred beneath the surface with 

 dull white, and tinged along edges with ochraceous. Wings generally of a paler shade 

 than the back; secondaries fading into nearly ivhiteat tips, and, with the greater coverts, 

 obscurely barred with darker; primaries nearly black, tips edged with pale brown, 

 this passing into whitish. Eump uniform blackish brown, the feathers obsciirely bor- 

 dered with rusty. Uppertail-coverts ochraceous white, nearly pure terminally, and with 

 about two distinct transverse bars of deep rufous. Tail rich uniform lateritious rufous, 

 passing narrowly into white at the tip, and about an inch (or less) from the end crossed by 

 a narrow band of black. Head and neck with the feathers medially blackish brown, the 

 edges rusty rufous, causing a streaked appe.arance; the rufous prevaiUns on the sides of 

 the occiput, ear-coverts, and neck. The blackish almost uniform on the forehead and on 

 the cheeks, over which it forms abroad "mustache"; lores and sides of frontlet whitish. 

 Throat whlte.with broad stripes of pure slaty brown; lower parts in general ochraceous 



