94 



grayish, tliree to six in number, the last black band broadest and usually 

 subterminal ; tail sometimes (in fresh plumages) with a terminal margin 

 of white. Adult : — Above, uniform §late or plumbeous, growing darker 

 on the pileum, which is sometimes black ; occipital feathers pure white 

 beneath the surface, and scapulars with large concealed spots of the 

 same. Legs and feet yellow ; lower jDarts extremely variable, usually 

 Avith transverse markings of rufous or brown, rarely white, broken 

 only by dusky shaft-streaks or narrow faint stripes on the breast and 

 sides, and uniform rufous tibite ; sometimes entirely rufous, or uniform 

 plumbeous, with rufous on the tibite. Young : — Above, dark brown, the 

 feathers with terminal margins of rusty brown or buft". Beneath, white 

 or ochraceous, usually with longitudinal (rarely with transverse) mark- 

 ings of brown — immaculate only in N. hicolor. 



Key to the species. 



A. — Black bands of the tail decidedly narrower than the gray interspaces. 

 a. Size large (wing, 8.25-11.00; tail, 6.80-10.50). 



1. N. COOPERI.— Wing, 8.70-11.00; tail, 7.80-10.50; culmen, 0.58 



-0.80 ; tarsus, 2.30-2.85 ; middle toe, 1.45-1.85. Tail with four 

 black bands. Adult: — Beneath, white, with transverse spots or 

 bars of rufous, except on throat and crissum. Young .-—Thighs 

 variously marked with brown ; breast, belly, and sides with 

 stripes of the same. Eah. — North America, except Arctic re- 

 gion and West Indies. 



2. N. GUTTATUS.—AYing, 8.50-10.50 ; tail, G.SO-8.50; culmen, 0.60; 



tarsus, 2.40-2.65. Tail with four black bands. Adult : — Beneath, 

 pale ''fawn-rufous"; the breast with white spots and half-bars; 

 the thighs and lining of wing plain. Hah. — Paraguay and 

 Bolivia. 



3. N. CHiLENSis.— Wing, 8.25-9.90; tail, 7.65-8.50; culmen, 0.50- 



0.70; tarsus, 2.25-2.65; middle toe, 1.40-1.70. Tail with five to six 

 black bands. Adult: — Tibiie plain richrufous; other lower parts, 

 except crissum, ash-gray or umber, shaded with rufous and 

 slate-color, and broken by white spots, these forming distinct 

 bars on the abdomen. Young : — Below, buff, more rusty on^he 

 tibife, the latter transversely spotted with rusty-brown ; breast, 

 sides, and abdomen with lanceolate or ovate stripes of blackish. 

 Hah. — Chile to Straits of Magellan. 



4. N. GUNDLACHL— Wing, 8.60-10.50; tail, 7.50-9.50; culmen, 0.68- 



0.70 ; tarsus, 2.50-2.75. Tail with four black bands. Adult : — 

 Jugulum and sides of neck plain ash-gray ; lower part of breast 

 and upper portion of abdomen plain rufous, the feathers nar- 

 rowly margined with white ; tibi?e rufous, the feathers with 

 subterminal darker bars and lighter tips. Young : — Sides and 

 tibi?e with broad transverse spots of brown ; breast and abdo- 

 men with broad strii^es of the same; longer lower tail-coverts 

 with narrow shaft-stripes of blackish. Hob. — Cuba. 

 l. Siz3 small (wing, 6.35-8.80; tail, 5.50-8.25). 



5. N. FUSCUS.— Wing, 6.35-8.80; tail, 5.50-8.25; culmen, 0.35-0.60; 



tarsus, 1.85-2.30; middle toe, 1.10-1.55. Tail with four to five 

 black bands. Adult : — Tibitie barred or spotted transversely 

 with rufous and white ; other lower i^arts, except throat and 

 crissum, with wide bars or transverse spots of rufous and white. 

 Young : — Tibise white or i^ale rusty, with markings of brown of 

 variable shape ; other lower parts, except crissum, with brown 

 stripes, more spot-like on the sides. Hah. — Entire continent of 

 North America. (Not in West Indies.) 



