BIEDS OF NORTH AND MIDDLE AMERICA. 



667 



SPOROPHILA MINUTA MINUTA (Linnaeus). 

 MINXTTE SEEDEATER. 



Adult male. — Pileum, sides of head and neck, back, scapulars, lesser 

 wing-coverts, and upper tail-coverts brownish gray, deep olive-gray, 

 olive, or brownish olive; rump and under parts (including malar region) 

 varying from light cinnamon-rufous or rufous-cinnamon to deep cin- 

 namon-rufous; wings and tail dusky with light gi'ayish brown, olive, 

 or light brown edgings; a white spot at base of primaries (except two 

 or three outermost); secondaries with basal half or more of inner web 

 white, and outer web white for the portion concealed by greater cov- 

 erts (sometimes showing a little beyond the latter); usually a small 

 white spot on apex of malar region, but this frequently absent; axil- 

 lars and under wing-coverts white; bill wholly dusky (in breeding 

 season^) or brownish with mandible paler; legs and feet dusky horn 

 color; length (skins), 87.88-102.87 (97.28); wing, 47.24-52.07 (49.78); 

 tail, 36.32-42.16 (39.62); exposed culmen, 7.62-9.14 (8.13); depth of 

 bill at base, 6.86-7.62 (7.37); tarsus, 13.21-14.73 (13.97); middle toe, 

 10.41-11.18 (10.92).' 



Adult ftinale. — Above plain light olive, olive-drab, or light buffy- 

 olive, somewhat lighter on rump; wings and tail dusky with edgings 

 of the same color as the back, etc., but usually paler; ^ under parts 

 much paler than the upper and more buffy; bill brownish, the mandible 

 paler; length (skins). 90.93-102.36 (94.23); wing, 47.75-50.80 (49.53); 

 tail, 36.83-40.13 (38.86); exposed culmen, 8.13-8.64 (8.38); depth of 

 bill at base, 7.11-7.62 (7.37); tarsus, 13.97-14.73 (14.22); middle toe, 

 10.67-11.18 (10.92).=- 



' Twenty-two specimens. 



'■'In freshly molted specimens the pale margins to middle and greater wing-covertH, 

 especially the former, are broad and very distinct. 

 'Six specimens. 

 Average measurements of specimens from different localities are as follows: 



Locality. 



MALES. 



Seven adult males from Panama 



Four adult males from Colombia (Bogota, etc. ) . . 



Two adult males from Trinidad 



One adult male from Tobago 



Two adult males from Venezuela 



Two adult males from British Guiana and Cay- 

 enne 



Two adult males from Lower Amazon 



FEMALES. 



Three adult females from Panama 



One adult female from Bogota 



One adult female from Trinidad 



Two adult females from British Guiana and Cay- 

 enne 



Ex- 

 posed 

 culmen. 



8.13 

 7.87 

 8.3,S 

 8.13 

 7.87 



Depth 

 of hill 

 at base. 



7.37 

 7.11 



7.11 

 7.62 



Tarsus. 



13.97 

 13.97 

 14.48 

 13.97 



14. 22 

 13.97 



14.22 



14.73 

 13.97 



Middle 

 toe. 



10.92 

 10.92 

 11.18 



11.18 

 10.92 



11.18 



10.67 

 10.67 



