y 
7 
5 
4 
ON SOME NEW FORMS OF AMERICAN BIRDS. 615 
group is rather perplexing, though we can unravel some few clews 
to the laws. In Oregonus of the Pacific coast we find the casta- 
neous or fuliginous plumage characteristic of that region; cani- 
ceps of the middle region is paler than Oregonus and hyemalis, as 
would be expected; in Aikeni we readily detect the albinescent 
plumage of a very cold, alpine region. If we cannot find the 
same thing in alticola, of the alpine summits of Guatemala, and 
see that instead it is darker than the race inhabiting the lower 
table-lands (cinereus), we must look for an explanation. This 
may, perhaps, be found, in the supposition that the higher sum- 
mits of Guatemala have a climate sufficiently cool and bracing 
to invigorate the bird generally, and thus make it larger and 
Stronger, while at the same time the winter temperature is not 
rigorous enough to produce any blanching effect upon the plu- 
mage, while local conditions — perhaps denser forests or thickets — 
give it a deeper color than cinereus of the more open table-lands. 
12. Junco hyemalis, var. Aikeni Ripaway. White-winged Snow- 
bird. 
P. CHAR. Generally similar to J. h yemalis, but considerably larger, with more 
robust bill; two white bands on the wing, and three or four, instead of two or three, 
Outer tail feathers entirely white. No. 61,302 ¢, El Paso Co., Colorado, Dec. 11, 1871, 
-E. Aiken. Head. neck jt gulum a ti pp p t 7 } Sep EE L PE ES ge; 
the lores, quills, and tail feathers darker ; middle and secondary wing-coverts rather 
broadly tipped with white, forming two conspicuous bands. Lower part of the breast, 
abdo: i ure white. th teri i 
con 
F 
however, with a narrow streak of dusky on the terminal third of the outer web; the 
next feather mostly plumbeous, with the basal fourth of the outer web, and the termi- 
nal of the inner, along the shaft, white. Wing, 3°40; tail, 3°20; culmen, ‘50; depth of 
$ : g 
‘bill at base, -30; tarsus, ‘80. HAB. El Paso county, Colorado 
At first sight, this bird appears to be a very distinct species, 
being larger than any other North American form, and possessing 
in the white bands on the wing characters entirely peculiar. Its 
large size, however, we can attribute to its alpine habitat, agreeing 
in this respect, as compared with J. hyemalis, with the J. alticola, 
of Guatemala, which we can only consider an alpine, or somewhat 
l, form of J. cinereus. That the white bands on the wing do 
not constitute a character sufficiently important to be considered 
of specific value is suggested by the fact that in J. oregonus, and 
Occasionally in J. hyemalis, there is sometimes quite a distinct 
tendency to these bands, in the form of obscure white tips to the 
Coverts. 
