CALCAEIUS. 419 



C. ornatus has a rather slender bill with sharp tomia with a well-developed angle, 

 near which are two deep furrows, the interval between them being produced into a 

 small dentate process ; the culmen is rather high towards the base, but sinks to the 

 forehead; the nasal fossa is large and open, the nostrils are situated at the lower 

 extremity, with a very distinct membrane above them. The feet are moderate, but the 

 hind toe is furnished with a long slightly depressed claw. The wings are long and 

 pointed, the first primary being the longest, the second, third, and fourth gradually 

 falling short of it; the longest secondaries slightly exceed the shortest primaries. 

 The tail is slightly forked, the feathers rather narrow and for the most part white 

 at the base. 



1. Oalcarius ornatus. 



Plectrophanes ornatus. Towns. Journ. Ac. Phil. vii. p. 189 ' ; Baird, Biew., & Ridgw. N. Am. B. i. 



p. 520=; Coues, B. N. W. p. 122 ^ 

 Centrophanes ornatus, Coues, Key N. Am. B. ed. 2, p. 358 *• 



Plectrophanes melanomus, Baird, B. N. Am. p. 436, t. 74. £.2°; Scl. P. Z. S. I860, p. 251"; 1864, 

 p. 174'; Dresser, Ibis, 1865, p. 486 %• Sumichrast, Mem. Bost. Soc. N. H. i. p. 551"; Allen, 

 Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. iii. p. 135 '". 

 Plectrophanes ornatus, var. melanomus, Baird, Brew., & Eidgw. N. Am. B. i. p. 521 . 

 Calcarius ornatus, Check-List N. A. B. p. 263 '^ 



Supra dorso toto nigricante-fuseo, plumis singulis extua pallide fusco limbatis ; pileo toto nigro, macula 

 nuchali alba, ceryioe postica castanea; loris, capitis lateribus et gula tota albis; stria postoculari et 

 abdomine toto (praeter partem imam et crissum album) nigris; aUs fusco-mgris fusco extus Hmbatis, 

 humeris et tectricibus minoribus nigris; cauda fusca, rectricibus duabus utrinque extemis (praeter apices 

 in pogonio tantum extemo) albis, reliquis (praeter duas medias) ad basin plus minusve gradatim albis; 

 roBtro eomeo, tomiis et mandibula paUidis, pedibus corylinis. Long, tota 5-3, alae 3-4, caudae 2-3, rostn 

 a rictu 0-55, tarsi 0-75. (Descr. exempl. ex Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 

 ? supra mari simiHs, sed eapite, nucha et cervice postica dorso concoloribus ; subtus isabellina, hypochondriis 



fusco vix striatis ; stria utrinque rictaU indistincte fusca. (Descr. exempl. ex Mexico. Mus. nostr.) 

 Av. juv. 5 similis, pectore et hypochondriis distincte fusco maculatis. 



Hai. North America, plains of the interior, Texas 8.— Mexico ((Ze /Saztswe «), valley 

 of Mexico {White''), plateau of Vera Cruz (Sumichrast % Orizaba (fide SallS^). 



This species is subject to a great seasonal variation, the bird described above being, 

 we believe, in autumnal plumage, when the black of the breast and head is nearly 

 pure. In the breeding-dress the feathers of the abdomen are edged with sienna, and 

 there are other differences in the colour of the lesser wing-coverts. Birds in this dress 

 are the P. melanorms of Baird, which Mr. Allen lo, endorsed by Dr. Coues^, has shown 

 to be but a state of plumage of P. ornatus. 



According to Sumichrast ^ this species is one of the native birds of the State of Vera 

 Cruz in Mexico, from which we may infer that it breeds in that country. He says that 

 its usual abode is on the great plains of the plateau of Mexico, and from thence it 

 descends occasionaUy to the neighbourhood of Orizaba (alt. 4000 feet) 9. Mr. Sclater 



53* 



