AGELAIUS. 369 



a 1 . "Wing exceeding tail by length of tarsus ; sexes decidedly different in color, the 

 lesser wing-coverts of adult male bright red. 

 b 1 . Adult males deep black, with very faint dull bottle-greenish gloss, the lesser 

 wing-coverts bright vermilion-scarlet, the middle coverts never pure 

 white ; adult females with texture of plumage comparatively harsh, but 

 with colors extremely variable. 

 &. Adult females much streaked below, and never uniform above. 



d 1 . Adult males with middle wing-coverts wholly buffy or ochraceous 

 (feathers nearly white at tips in midsummer plumage) ; adult 

 females with white predominating on lower parts, and with a 

 very conspicuous white superciliary stripe. 

 e 1 . Adult female darker colored ; lower parts with white and dusky 

 in about equal amount, or else the latter predominating ; 

 chin and throat often tinged, more or less, with cream-color 

 or buffy ; lighter markings on upper parts less conspic- 

 uous. 



Male: Length about 9.00-10.00, wing 4.60-5.05 (4.88), 

 tail 3.55-3.95 (3.84), culmen .88-1.00 (.94), depth of 

 bill at base .45-.50 (.49), tarsus 1.12-1.20 (1.14). Fe- 

 male: Length about 7.50-8.50, wing 3.80-4.25 (3.99), 

 tail 3.10-3.40 (3.12), culmen .72-.80 (.79), depth of bill 

 at base .40-.50 (.42), tarsus 1.00-1.05 (1.03). Eggs .97 

 X -67. Hab. Temperate North America in general, 

 except western Mexico and lower Colorado Valley; 

 north to Great Slave Lake, south to Costa Eica. 



498. A. phoeniceus (Linn.). Bed-winged 



Blackbird. 

 e 2 . Adult females lighter colored; lower parts with white de- 

 cidedly prevailing over dusky; chin and throat often 

 tinged with delicate pale pink, but not with buffy or 

 cream-color; lighter markings on upper parts very con- 

 spicuous. 

 f 1 . Larger, with smaller bill, and upper parts lighter colored. 

 Male : Length about 9.00, wing about 5.05, tail 4.00, 

 culmen .90, depth of bill at base .45, tarsus 1.20. Fe- 

 male : Prevailing color of upper parts light grayish 

 brown (more clay-colored and much mixed with rusty 

 in winter), the top of head narrowly streaked with 

 dusky, but with scarcely any indication of lighter 

 median stripe (often with none at all), the back and 

 scapulars broadly streaked with dusky ; length about 

 7.50-8.50, wing 4.00-4.25 (4.10), tail 2.95-3.20 (3.09), 

 culmen .72-.85 (.78), depth of bill at base .38-.42 (.39), 

 tarsus 1.00-1.12 (1.04). Sab. Northwestern Mexico 

 and lower Colorado Valley, in southern California and 

 47 



