BIBDS OF NOKTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



249 



feathers of head, neck, back, scapulars, chest, and sides narrowly 

 tipped with gra3dsh brown (paler and more buffy on under parts). 



Admit fefmale in summer. — Head, neck, and under parts brownish 

 slate-color or dark brownish gray, faintly glossed with greenish on 

 under parts of body and with violet on head and neck, especially on 

 pileum and hindneck; upper parts darker, especially the wings and 

 tail, which are more strongly glossed with bluish green; bill, legs, and 

 feet black; iris light brown. 



Admit female in winter. — Similar to the summer plumage, but color 

 of head, neck, and anterior under parts paler and more buffy gray (the 

 superciliary region, malar region, chin, and throat pale hair brown). 



Young. — Very similar in coloration to winter females, but texture 

 of plumage very different and feathers without gloss. 



Adult mfflfo.— Length (skins), 213.4-247.7 (228.6); wing, 120.1-133.9 

 (128.5); tail, 91.9-107.2 (98.8); exposed culmen, 21.1-23.6(22.6); depth 

 of bill at base, 9.1-10.2 (9.7); tarsus, 30.5-33 (32.3); middle toe, 20.3- 

 22.4 (21.3).' 



Adult female.— hmgth (skins), 198.1-221 (210.3); wing, 116.8-119.6 

 (117.6); tail, 87.1-92.7(88.9); exposed culmen, 19.1-20.8 (20.1); depth 

 of bill at base, 8.4-9.7 (8.9); tarsus, 28.7-32 (30.5); middle toe, 

 19.8-21.1 (20.3).' 



Western United States and British provinces and greater part of 

 Mexico; north to British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and 

 Manitoba (breeding); east to Minnesota, Nebraska, Kansas, Indian 

 Territory, and Texas, occasionally, dui'ing migrations, to Iowa, Wis- 

 consin, Illinois, Missouri, Louisiana, and even South Carolina; breed- 

 ing south to Lower California (San Pedro Martir range, 8,200 feet; 

 San Fernando), southern Texas (San Antonio; Houston; Brownsville?), 

 and northern Tamaulipas (Matamoras) ? ; ' in winter over the whole of 



' Eight specimens. 



^Nine specimens. California specimens average decidedly smaller than those from 

 east of the Sierra Nevada, as the following measurements show: 



'The breeding record for Matamoras is somewhat doubtful. The species undoubt- 

 edly breeds over the more nothern portions of Mexico, but I have not data which 

 would enable me to define with greater precision the southern limits of the breeding 

 range. 



