﻿FIELD AND FOREST. 39 



no constant* sexual difference in coloration, many females being as 

 brightly colored as some males, and vice versa.'" 



And, again, regarding " var. /ittora/is," (page 75 :) "In regard to 

 the two sexes, as compared with one another, there is the same abso- 

 lute similarity in appearance and size that exists in griseinucha and 

 tephrocotis, many females being more brightly colored, and some larger, 

 than some males." 4 As to the comparative extent of the series ex- 

 amined separately by Mr. Allen and myself, they are somewhat 

 unequal, so far as numbers are concerned ; the number in each being 

 respectively 94 and 7 1 . But my series embraced both forms in the very 

 dissimilar winter and summer dresses, as well as all transition stages 

 from the livery of the one season to that of the other, and they were like- 

 wise obtained in various localities by numerous collectors ; Mr. Allen's 

 series, on the other hand, embraced only winter specimens, collected 

 at a single locality, by two persons. The due importance of this dis- 

 tinction must therefore be allowed full weight. 



As to " geographical variation," the case of the genus Leucosticte is a 

 notable exception to certain supposed "laws" under this head. As 

 I fully demonstrated this fact in my monograph (pages 58, 59,) Mr. 

 Allen's remarks on my "strictures" give his theories no additional 

 support,. 5 notwithstanding from much contained in my arraignment 

 of his views on the question, Mr. Allen "begs leave to dissent, 



2 In my table of comparative measurements is an important error, respecting " L. 

 tephrocotis var. tephrocotis" which Mr. Allen has kindly pointed out, and which was un- 

 fortunately copied in the diagnosis of that race ; the average of the wing and tail in 

 the female being given as 4:16 and 3:12 inches, instead of 4:05 and " 2:97." Mr. 

 Allen, however, has made an equally "unfortunate inadvertance " in correcting the 

 last figures, since the true average of the several measurements given of that sex 

 amounts to only 2:94 ! 



3 Not italicized, in the original. 



4 Upon inspecting the measurements given by either Mr. Allen or myself of differ- 

 ent " sexed " individuals of these two forms, it will be seen that while there is a very 

 inconsiderable average difference in size between the sexes, this difference is by no 

 means constant. Exactly the same kind of difference obtains in the plumage, the 

 general aspect of a series of females being appreciably paler and less brightly tinted 

 than a series of males, when the two groups are placed side by side for close compari- 

 son, but so perfectly similar specimens of opposite sex can be selected from the two 

 series that if interchanged in position they could not possibly be distinguished. In L. 

 aitstralis, on the other hand, a series of 36 females does not contain a single specimen 

 which even approaches in brightness the dullest male in a series of 69 ; while in 3 



pecimens of L. atrata, the difference is equally positive! 



