1873.] 101 [Kidgway. 



Description. 



Adult male (23792, Mazatlan, Mexico; J. Xantus). 



a. — Normal jilumage. 



Upper surface umber-brown, more ashy anteriorly — posteriorly 

 more brownish. Head above, with a few narrow longitudinal lines of 

 yellowish white, anteriorly and laterally; a quite distinct collar of 

 whitish spots across the nape, the black lateral spaces rather indis- 

 tinct. Scapulars with a few conspicuous oval spots of pure white; 

 two lower feathers of secondary coverts, each with a similar spot on 

 outer web. Secondaries darker brown, crossed with five bands oi 

 dull rufous, the last not terminal ; outer webs of primaries with semi- 

 circular pale spots along the margin, which are nearly white beyond 

 the sinuation of the feathers, and brownish anteriorly. Tail bright 

 rufous, crossed with about seven distinct bands of dark brown, these 

 hardly equalling the rufous in width, which is also terminal. Longi- 

 tudinal stripes of the sides, of the same soft grayish brown tint as 

 the head ; tarsi sparsely speckled with the same on outer side. 

 Wing-formula 4, 5, 3-6-7, 2, 8; 1st shortest. Wing, 3.70; tail, 

 2.20; culmen, .45; tarsus, .70; middle toe, .70. 



b. Rufescent plumage. 



Upper surface continuously deep lateritious-rufous, all the lighter 

 markings almost obliterated. Bars on the tail scarcely traceable. 

 Black cervical transverse space conspicuous. Sides of the breast, 

 and stripes of the sides duller rufous than the tint above, white of 

 ground color with yellowish tinge. Legs pale rufous, deepest on 

 outer side — immaculate. Gular collar blackish. 



cf, 43055, La Palma, Costa Rica, Jan. 27, 1866, Jose Zeledon. 

 Wing formula, 4 = 5, 3-6-2 ; 1st shortest. Wing, 3.80; tail, 2.40. 



5, 33216, San Jose, Costa Rica; J. Carmiol. Wing formula, 4, 3= 

 5-6, 2; 1st shortest. Wing, 4.15; tail, 2.90; tarsus, .80; middle 

 toe, .75. 



The very numerous specimens examined, are from the Rio Grande 

 of Texas, (across the whole breadth of middle America) to Para- 

 guay — everywhere the same bird, specimens from the most remote 

 parts of its range being not appreciably different from each other. 



A specimen of the ferrugineous plumage, in the collection of the 

 Philadelphia Academy, is remarkable for the great intensity and uni- 

 formity of the rufous — the entire plumage, in fact, being of this 

 color, a fine light tint of which replaces the white below. There is 



