240 



NORTHERN ZOOLOGY. 



of love, which makes almost every other small bird musical, has no such effect 

 on them ; for they continue at that interesting period silent as before*. Mr. 

 Drummond saw several small flocks on the south branch of the Saskatchewan, 

 on the 27th of June, and obtained some specimens. It likewise frequents the 

 northern shores of Lakes Huron and Superior in the summer. Cook, and other 

 voyagers, report it to exist on the north-west coast of America ; but they might 

 easily mistake the preceding species for this one. 



DESCRIPTION 



Of a male, killed on the south branch of the Saskatchewan, lat. 52|°, June 27, 1827. 



Smaller than B. garrula, and without any white on the wings. Quill feathers blackish- 

 grey : the head, neck, and breast clear yellowish-brown ; the belly gamboge-yellow ; 

 and the under tail coverts nearly white, — in the European species they are orange-brown. 

 Seven or eight of the secondaries are tipped with carmine-red cartilaginous processes. The 

 black marks at the base of the bill and on the side of the head resemble those of the other 

 species, and are faintly bordered with white ; but the chin has very little black. Quill fea- 

 thers formed as in B. garrula ; but the bill is rather shorter and broader. 



A female, procured by Mr. Drummond, wanted entirely the waxen appendages to the 

 secondaries. Wilson observes that the young birds do not receive them until the second 

 autumn. He further remarks, that the chief difference of the female plumage is its duller 

 tints, the narrowness of the yellow bar on the tail, and the inferior appearance on the crest. 



A young bird, in Mr. Swainson's collection, has the upper plumage of the head and body 

 of a hair-brown colour, paler on the neck and rump. The wings and tail as in the mature 

 bird, except that the former want the waxen appendages. The black frontal mark is nar- 

 rower, and there is no black on the chin. The under plumage is mostly hair-brown, edged 

 with yellowish-grey, the belly and vent being straw-yellow. 











Dimensions. 





Length total 

 ,, of tail 



Ofthf 

 Inch. 



• 7 

 o 



male. 



Line. 



6 



7 



The female. 

 Inch. Line. 



7 3 

 2 5 



Length 



of middle toe 

 of middle nail 



„ of wing 



3 



8 



3 



8 



» 



of inner toe . 



,, of bill on the ridge 



. 



5 







5 



j> 



of inner nail 



„ of bill from rictus . 



. 



8 







8 



?) 



of hind toe 



., of tarsus . 



. 



8 







7* 



)> 



of hind nail 









$ 



Wilson, 1. c. 





Of the male. 



The female. 



Inch. Line. 



Inch. Line. 



o n 



7* 



• 21 



2i 



4 



4 



. 1£ 



1* 



3| 



31 



. 3 



3 



