BIEDS — ICTERIDAE— TRUPIALIS MILITAKIS. 



533 



TRUPIALIS, Bonaparte. 



Trupialis, Bonap. Conspectus, 1850, 429. Type Sturnus militaris, L. 

 Peziles, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 191. Type Sturnus loyca, Mol. 



Ch. — Form of Sturnella. Bill elongated ; length about two and a half times the height. Feathers on top of head with bristly 

 shafts. Tail feathers broad, widening at the ends ; the inner corner rounded off. Hind toe nearly as long as the middle. 

 Above banded ; throat and beneath red , without any crescent. 



This genus, formerly united with Sturnella, is very similar, having the same general appear- 

 ance The hill is higher at the base, and more like Agelaius; it is longer than the head, and 

 about equal to the tarsus. The tarsus is longer than the middle toe, which is scarcely longer 

 than the hinder. The toes are much shorter, the claws sharper and more curved, than in Stur- 

 nella. The tail is differently formed, being rather broad and rounded, with feathers widening 

 externally at the tip, instead of being formed of narrow, lanceolate, acute feathers, with the 

 outer web the same throughout. 



Comparative measurements of species. 



TEUPIALIS MILITARIS, Bonap. 



Red-1)reasted iLark. 



Sturnus militwis, Likn. Mantissa, 1771, 527.— Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 803. (Falklands.) 

 Trupialis militaris, Bokap. Consp. 1850, 429. 

 Pezites loyca, Cabanis, Mus. Hein. 1851, 191. 



Sp. Ch.' — Bill longer than the head ; shaped like Sturnella. First quill between fourth and fifth in length. Tail slightly 

 graduated ; the lateral feathers about .20 of an inch shorter. Above dark brown, each feather edged with yellowish brown ; 

 the exposed surfaces of wings, tail coverts, and tail almost an olive brown ; the rump grayer ; all banded narrowly and trans- 

 versely with dark brown, of which color are the concealed portions of wing and tail. A spot in front of the eye, bend of 

 wings, extreme shoulder, with the under parts, red, The sides of the head, neck, and body, with the hinder part of the 

 abdomen and under tail coverts, black, the feathers edged with gray, and showing indistinct transverse bands. The red of the 

 chin passing up on the side of the lower jaw. A faint median, and conspicuous superciliary stripe, with the under wing coverts, 

 white. Tibia brown. Length, 9 .50 ; wing, 4 .90 ; tail, 4 . 10. 



Hab. — West coast of South America, around to Falkland Islands. Perhaps in Brazil. Coast of California? 



In this species the blackish on the side of the neck extends inwards so as to leave a very narrow 

 streak of red just on the upper part of the neck. The red extends nearly as far back as the 



