196 KEVIEW or AMERICAN BIRDS. [PAET I. 



1 Sylvia rathbonia, AcD. Orn. Biog. I, 1831, pi. 65. — Sylvicola r. Aud. 



B. A. II, pi. 89. 

 ?MotaciUa rubiginosa, Pallas, Zoog. Kosso-Asiat. 1, 1831, 496 (Kodiak). 

 Rhimamphus chryseolus, Bon. Bull. Soc. Linn. Caen, II, 1851, 32 (Z). 



csstiva, from South America ; Cayenne). 

 Otheb Localities: Xalapa, Sclatee, P. Z. S. 1859, 363. — Guatemala, 



ScLATER & Salvin, Ibis, 1859, 11. — Panama, winter. Lawk. Ann. 



N. Y. Lye. 1861, ^21.— Turbo, N. Grenada, Cass. Ft. A. N. So. 



1860, 191.— Bo^o^a, Sclatek, Pr. 1855,143. — City of Mexico, Is. 



1864, 172. 



Hab. Entire Nortli America, into South America as far as Ecuador, Cayenne, 

 and Trinidad. Not recorded from West Indies, where replaced by allied species. 



No North American bird has a wider range throughout the entire 

 continent, or is more abundant and familiar, breeding apparently as 

 far south as Mazatlan if not through Central America. Its range 

 into South America is also quite extensive, reaching Ecuador through 

 New Grenada, and eastward as far as Cayenne and Trinidad. I have 

 sought in vain for tangible characters to distinguish more than one 

 species, apparent discrepancies in single southern specimens having 

 been matched by others from the United States. 



A skin from Costa Rica (30,487) appears to have more yellow 

 than usual on the inside of the quills, and a considerable amount of 

 red on the head ; not more, however, than in upper Missouri speci- 

 mens. Others exhibit occasional differences from the typical char- 

 acter, but nothing of apparent specific value. A specimen from 

 Guatemala, probably female, is much smaller than any other in the 

 collection, measuring only 4.00; wing, 2.25; tail, 1.85. 



If there is any feature apparently belonging more to southern 

 than northern skins it is a greater paleness of bill, and a tendency 

 to a narrow line of dusky along the outer side of shaft of outer tail 

 feather, reaching to its base, instead of only about half way. Even 

 this, however, is not constant, and may be more a condition of winter 

 plumage than anything else. 



I have not noticed in young birds the peculiar whiteness of the 

 tnroat and ash of the sides of head and nape, seen in B. petechia. 



Specimens (about 200 in all) are in the collection from nearly all 

 regions of North America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and 

 north to the Arctic Ocean ; from Forts Yukon, Good Hope, Ander- 

 son, Simpson, Rae (where very abundant), Resolution; Moose 

 Factory, etc. (None from Cape St. Lucas ?) • also— 



